This could be one of the most viewed Monday Night Football games in NFL history.  It’s already a match of teams with a combined 23 wins, which is an MNF record going back to the 80’s.

The Bills, despite playing on the road, are a 1 point favorite at Cincinnati even though the Bengals have won 7 straight.  The Bills have won 6 in a row, with both teams winning some close ones.  The winner of this one is a giant step closer to reaching Super Bowl 57 February 12^th in Glendale Arizona.

Vegas still has the Bills as the bettor’s choice to win it all at  +350, with the Eagles and Chiefs next at +450. Put $100 on the Bills and get $350 if they win.

We can’t overstate the importance of this game for both teams.

The 12-3 Bills currently have a tenuous hold on the AFC’s top seed, with the 11-4 Bengals in position to knock the Bills down to the 3 seed with a win, as the 12-3 Chiefs are 12 point home favorites over the woeful Denver Broncos Sunday.

Finally the weather shouldn’t be a factor. 

The forecast right now shows temps in the low 60’s in Cincy Monday with no rain or heavy winds expected.  That’s exactly what any red blooded NFL fan wants to see as Josh Allen and Joe Burrow face off for the first time.

Some good news on the injury front, as Pro Bowl center Mitch Morse has cleared concussion protocol and practiced Thursday. Rookie cornerback Christian Benford is also back after missing a month with an oblique injury.  Basically that’s a lower rib cage problem that takes time to heal, but his return gives the Bills some depth and options.

Stefon Diggs missed Thursday’s practice with an illness, not Covid, and the Bills think he’ll be fine by Monday.  Geez.  Don’t even think…

While defense and special teams could easily decide this game, it’s the offensive matchup between Allen and Burrow that has everybody interested.

Looking through all kinds of formulas rating quarterbacks is interesting, but still riddled with more questions. The QBR is an ESPN formula that has Patrick Mahomes at 78.7, Allen at 70.5 and Burrow at 61.3.  Funny thing though.  Both Allen and Burrow have beaten Mahomes and the Chiefs this season.

All these numbers crunched boil down to this: Burrow is considered to be more accurate than Allen, but Allen has a much stronger arm and is a far more dangerous runner.

Much like a year ago, one of the criticisms of the Bills offense is the lack of a strong running game, although that is changing as rookie James Cook gets more comfortable.  He and Devin Singletary combined for over 200 yards rushing against the Bears last week, but the Bears run D is woeful compared to the Bengals front 7.

The Bills aren’t gonna stack up 250 yards rushing against the Bengals, but offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will mix the runs in there in order to make Allen’s play action more effective.  It does make a difference.

Conversely, the Bengals don’t have the run game the Bills have, because Allen plays for the Bills and Burrow doesn’t use his legs nearly as much.  Burrow loves going downfield to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins among others, so up front Bills D-linemen like Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver and Shaq Lawson must generate some pressure.

While Bills cornerback Tre White is getting closer to where he was before the torn ACL, I’d expect Burrow to test him early and often.

Here’s how I see this game a bit differently than most local and especially national NFL media and fans.

Numbers don’t lie, but they do if you leave some of them out.

Allen’s running ability and competitive drive are underestimated.  He’s always been at his best on the big stage, going back to that 2019 Thanksgiving game at Dallas.

In 6 playoff games, 3 home wins and 3 road losses, Allen has a passer  rating of 106.6 with 14 TD’s and 1 interception.  One.

He also averages over 60 yards and 7 yards per carry, with many of those yards in crucial third down or goal line situations.

Allen’s legs will be the difference in this game. The stats may not even reflect how important a couple scrambles or designed rpo’s are, but just a few drive extending first downs here and there will make an enormous difference.

While we all hold our breath when Allen takes off, this is who he is when the chips are down, and this is one of those times.

A win means a first round bye and possibly two home games and a trip to Arizona.  A loss?  It could mean facing both Mahomes and Burrow on the road.  Not undoable but not the outcome desired.

Allen is uniquely unafraid of risking failure, and the risk/reward usually falls in his favor, although not always.

It works this time.

Bills 27, Bengals 24

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

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So just what do we take away from the Bills 35-13 win at Chicago?  The game was closer than the final score, the Bills took too many dumb penalties, Josh Allen had a sub- par (for him) game and Stefon Diggs had 2 catches for 26 yards.

But it was really impressive for many reasons, as the Bills showed the signs of a mentally tough and physical team ready for crunch time.

  The Bears aren’t good. However, they lost by only 5 points to the high flying Eagles just the week before. Bears young qb Justin Fields, already over 1,000 yards rushing for the NFL’s best rushing team, was just under 100 against the Eagles.

The Bills held Fields to his NFL worst day, with 11 yards on 7 carries.  That’s it.  Fields also had a poor day passing, but with wind chills below zero and heavy gusting winds that’s understandable.

Allen won’t use that as an excuse, but he clearly wasn’t as accurate as usual with under 200 yards passing and two interceptions, including one in the end zone. Allen also ran one in, and the 3 TD’s put #17 in the record books.  His 75^th overall touchdown pushed him ahead of Dan Marino for most TD’s in his first five seasons in the history of the NFL.

No question this is also great news to West-Herr Automotive Group, Nike, Frito-Lay, Oishei Children’s Hospital, Microsoft, Hyundai, Tommy Armour Golf and New Era. 

For now.

The fact that Allen had an off day, for him anyway, and the Bills still won by 22 points, is encouraging.  He doesn’t have to be perfect for the Bills to win, at least against teams the Bills are favored to beat.

But Allen will have to be nearly perfect for the Bills biggest game of the season a week from tonight at Cincinnati, where the AFC’s top seed will probably be decided. The Bengals have won 7 in a row behind talented Joe Burrow, who has a healthy receiving corps again, while the Bills have reeled off 6 straight to improve to 12-3, a game ahead of Cincy. The Chiefs are also 12-3 but the Bills have that tie breaker with the earlier win at Arrowhead.

The early Vegas line has the Bills a 1 ½ point road favorite, and no question the Bengals will use that sign of disrespect as a motivator.  Like that will really matter.

Maybe the most encouraging sign for the Bills at crunch time, is the success of their overall running game, which started late in the Miami game when the weather turned into a snow globe.

Against the Bears, the Bills rushed for 254 yards, with Devin Singletary and James Cook splitting most of that. Both broke TD runs beyond the red zone, which was important under the extreme conditions.

But another thing we learned is that a mostly healthy Bills defense can be pretty good.  Earlier this year they held both  Derick Henry and Nick Chubb under 2 yards a carry. Against the Bears Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, Shaq Lawson and AJ Espenesa bullied the Bears up front. Cornerback Tre White continues to round into pre injury form. Matt Milano, Tremaine Edmunds and Jordan Poyer are also the healthiest they’ve been since October.

This matchup against the Bengals at Cincinnati has been getting bigger every week, with both teams red hot, getting healthier, and oh by the way owning wins over the Chiefs.

The long range weather forecast shows us some quite mild temperatures for December in southern Ohio, so hopefully we’ll see this game played on a fast track.  Allen vs Burrow is the headline, but turnovers and special teams will likely decide the game at the end.

Although we can’t expect Allen to be perfect for every game, it’s game like this where his true value is determined.  Mahomes has the ring and Burrow just missed one.

 So far in his career, Allen has played his best football on the big stage, and I fully expect that to happen at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati a week from today.

Bills win it 32-27.

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

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You know December is always going to be iffy as the NFL regular season winds down, and especially for the Bills, who actually feel they have an advantage in cold weather for home games in Orchard Park.

Finally some other city gets the weather attention.

Not so much last week in a close call against the spirited Miami Dolphins, but this week potentially horrible weather in Chicago must be dealt with by both the Bills and the Bears, who won’t be phased as they play in outdoor Soldier Field right on Lake Michigan.

Although the brunt of an enormous storm system will be east of Chicago by Saturday’s 1 o’clock (12pm CDT) game, temperatures around 11 or 12 degrees and gusting winds will have an effect on the football and how to get it into the end zone.  Hopefully the 6-8 inches of snow expected will be cleared from the natural grass field by kickoff.

Although the Bears are an NFC opponent, the 11-3 Bills really need to win this game over the 3-11 Bears to realistically reach their goal of a 1 seed in the AFC.  The Bills are 8 point road favorites and the Bears have lost 5 straight, but the weather is usually a great equalizer.

That’s especially true in this game, which has all the earmarks of a “trap game”.

Bears QB Justin Fields is a better running version of Lamar Jackson.  He’s already rushed for over 1,000 yards as the Bears have the NFL’s top rushing offense.  Looking at a couple recent Bills games, that’s not a good thing at all. Missed tackles and blown assignments must be fixed.

While Josh Allen is becoming more and more accurate in the passing game, even in windy conditions, this could still be a challenge similar to the game against the Patriots last season. Gusts of 40-50 mph are expected in the Windy City, where they play right next to Lake Michigan.

Bills DC Leslie Frazier focused on the passing game against the Packers and most recently the Dolphins, at the expense of allowing surprising big chunks of yardage on the ground.  The Bills were ok with the trade off, and it worked.

The plan against Fields and the Bears will probably be just the opposite. Fields is a scary and efficient runner, who also has a strong arm. But the team with the #1 rushing offense is also dead last, #32 in the passing game.  The Bills will come up with something to at least contain Fields and make him beat them with the pass.

You know Allen is going to throw the ball no matter what.  That’s a given.

But as scary as this is, I’m also quite certain he’ll have to run the ball more than any of us, especially the coaches, would like to see. If this game was meaningless in terms of playoff standings, that could be different, but the 1 seed is different. First, you get a bye, watching everybody else play.  Right now that would mean the Chiefs and Dolphins in KC.  Then, you win two home games and you’re in the Super Bowl. Not easy, but quite doable.

Allen, as we all know, is a competitor, and if third and short or third and goal situations arise, there’s a good chance he’ll tote the football.  This is especially true in the Red Zone, where the Bills have been terrific while the Bears D has struggled to get stops. Still, you can’t put any player in a bubble, and the risk is always there for injury. 

Does anybody want to tell Josh not to take off if he sees an opening?

Me neither.

Because KC’s remaining 3 games are all expected wins, the Bills know they probably have to win this game, and then win at Cincinnati a week from Monday night, and then beat the Patriots at home. The Pats will be out of the playoff hunt by then, which doesn’t mean they’ll simply show up.

But we’ll worry about that later.

The Bills certainly can’t afford to look past the Bears, and they know it.  Center Mitch Morse is out with a concussion, but backup Ryan Bates is back thankfully.

The Bills do have a couple D linemen questionable, but they’re pretty healthy, including linebacker Matt Milano, who was surprisingly snubbed in Pro Bowl voting this week.  Allen, Morse, wr Stefon Diggs and strong safety Jordan Poyer made it.

The Eagles had 8 players named in the NFC.

To wrap up, I found it really interesting that when Fields was asked if he’d watched Allen play earlier this week, his quick answer was “not really”.

Is it just me, or is that worth one raised eyebrow?  Maybe two?

I think Allen will make Fields notice, as the Bills win it 24-10.

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

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We’re all used to Lake Effect snow and dire weather warnings around Buffalo in December, and we all know sometimes it’s worse than we expected, and sometimes better. 

It’s just weird.

Such was the case in the Bills pulse pounding 32-29 win over the Miami Dolphins Saturday night at Highmark Stadium, where all week we were told to expect significant snowfall before, during and after the game. 

Not even close.

It was cold, not that windy, and the field was dry as 71,000 fans had to dig in their own snow packed seats.  They were loud and proud and didn’t care, although a few idiots couldn’t resist tossing snowballs at the field in general and at the Dolphins in particular.

So were the Dolphins affected by the weather?

Not at all as it turns out.  Rookie head coach Mike McDaniel looks like your computer genius, and to his credit he had the Dolphins more than ready to go in a huge game for both teams.

The Dolphins, who’d looked surprisingly bad in two straight losses on the west coast, bounced back and nearly slipped out of Orchard Park with a W.  They played a near perfect game with no turnovers, and a sharp performance from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who among other things threw a couple of long TD passes perfectly to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

The Dolphins also shocked the Bills and the big crowd by running straight at the Bills, who looked like they need a refresher course in tackling. Raheem Mostert averaged 8 yards a carry as the Dolphins ran the ball unlike any game until now.

The Bills did adjust in the 2^nd half, but it was a physical brawl and the Dolphins were winning the battles, even though they trailed 21-13 at the half.

When the Bills play, it’s always about Josh Allen.  Everybody tries different things to throw him off his game, but when Allen gets locked in, he’s simply unstoppable.

He did lose a fumble on a strip sack, and almost blew a sure scoring chance just before the half.  From the Dolphins 4 yard line with 8 seconds in the half, Allen almost waited too long to hit James Cook in the end zone for a TD.

It was a half second from a zero, and afterwards coach Sean McDermott said if Allen had cost points there, he’d have gone out to the parking lot to slash Allen’s tires.

Kidding of course.   I think.

The stats just don’t tell how good Allen was, as the Bills had to shuffle around some O-Line injuries, including another concussion to center Mitch Morse.  Allen finished with 304 yards and 4 TD’s passing and added another 77 to be the Bills leading rusher.  Again.

But here’s why Allen is a great – not good – great quarterback.

With the game tied 29-29 in the 4^th quarter, the Bills started a drive from their own 7 yard line with just under 6 minutes left in the game.  The temptation is to be extremely careful, because a mistake down here is a killer.

Give OC Ken Dorsey some credit here.  He trusts Allen, and gave him a solid plan to mix the pass and run, but with some downfield passes part of the plan.

Allen, much like the game at Baltimore, hit some key third downs and used his legs as well to slowly march down the field. Eventually Devin Singletary in a da ja vu moment, went down just before scoring a TD to ensure the Bengals wouldn’t get the ball back.

Don’t laugh.  You want to bet against a Hill or Waddle breaking one from anywhere on the field?

So with his O-line brushing away some snow for Tyler Bass, the snap and hold and kick were perfect as the snow fell and the crowd roared and the Bills won it 32-29.

Snow angels  all around.

It wasn’t all perfect.  A huge special teams gaffe came in the third quarter when the Bills forced a 3 and out near midfield. Inexplicably, backup cornerback Cam Lewis piled into the punter, and the roughing the kicker PF gave the Fins the ball and momentum.  Lewis is a great story, a UB kid undrafted who made an NFL roster, but this one could have cost the game.

Tight End Dawson Knox jumped back into the picture.  Six catches for 96 yards and a TD.  But Knox also had a couple bad drops.

Cornerback Tre White continues to get back to form with several strong plays, although he was beaten by Hill for a 20 yard TD.  He’s not alone there.

So the playoff picture keeps changing.  The Pats are out at 7-7 with a mind blowing loss at Vegas and the Jets are also 7-7 with a home loss to the Lions.  Miami is 8-6 and very much alive and dangerous for anybody.

Next up on Saturday Christmas Eve, the Bills play the Bears in Chicago at 1pm.  The Bears are 3-11 after a tough 25-20 home loss to the Eagles, and the Bills are early 9.5 point favorites.

The Bills can’t look ahead, so we’ll do it for you.  After the Bears game, the Bills get a couple extra days’ rest before playing at Cincinnati in a Monday Night game that could well determine who gets the AFC top seed.

Allen vs Joe Burrow.

That works.

But for now, it’s all about Da Bears!

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

#gobills #bigweck #buffalo #westherr

It’s gonna be snowing and cold throughout the Bills-Dolphins game Saturday night at Highmark Stadium in Lake Effect magnet Orchard Park NY, and right now the only question is, how much and will it get windy?

This is a huge game for the 10-3 Bills, who can all but clinch the AFC East title with a win, and the Bills are a touchdown favorite over the Dolphins.  Despite the cold, the Bills will have 71,000 screaming fans to play for.   The Fins were in the driver’s seat a couple weeks ago, but a trip west was a disaster.  They lost at the 49ers in San Jose and then looked terrible in LA as the Chargers found a way to all but shut down Tua Tagovailoa.  Tyreek Hill scored a couple TD’s and a bad field could actually be an advantage for him because he knows where he’s going.

That kinda scares me.

Despite the Dolphins recent regression, it would be foolish to write them off now, or to think playing in cold and snowing conditions mean they won’t be dangerous.  Bills players will tell you privately they hate playing in cold weather too, but they also feel it’s an advantage because they’re used to it.

As usual, the weather forecast opens the Dome speculation up again, but there is no debate.  It’ll open in 2026, and although it’ll be open air, it will have a heated field to keep snow from accumulating, and a new design outside the stadium to redirect prevailing winds around the structure.

While critics always seem to find ways to throw shade at Josh Allen, his clutch play in recent games seem to show he’s back in gear and his sore right elbow is getting better.  Yes, he has 11 int’s now, as does Patrick Mahomes, but Allen has thrown 26 TD passes and rushed for 6 more. Allen, like it or not, is still the Bills leading rusher with 628 yards and a 6.3 per carry average. With the conditions we’ll see, he’ll be off and running again.

Allen did receive an early Christmas present this week, when out of the blue Cole Beasley rejoined the Bills in a surprising move.  Surprising in part because of Beasley’s stance on being vaccinated and some unkind remarks about Buffalo after he was released. The Bills had made the decision that with a big cap hit and his age, they were moving on.  It didn’t work out when Jamison Crowder got hurt and Isaiah McKenzie just hasn’t been consistent from the slot position.  Beasley could be activated off the practice squad and play right now, after looking quick and sure handed in practice.

Beasley also handled a press conference extremely well I thought, by taking some of the responsibility for his acrimonious departure. Bills players and fans are overwhelmingly excited to have him back, and that includes Allen, who was missing his 3^rd down go to guy.

Despite missing Von Miller, which we can say every week now, the Bills defense is pretty healthy now.  They’ll use the same formula that worked against the Jets, by getting pressure on Tagovailoa while also paying close attention to the Fins running game. They’ll try to jam Hill and always dangerous Jaylen Waddle to upset Tagovailoa’s timing throws, as the Chargers did successfully last week.

This can be a dangerous game if the Bills don’t take the Dolphins seriously, but I don’t think that happens.

Bills win it 27-10.

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

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If we knew going into this game the Bills would muster only 232 total yards against a scary Jets defense, we’d think the Jets probably pulled off  a 2 game sweep.

Not so.

Weather conditions made this a very different game.  Steady rain or snow flurries along with gusting and changing winds turned this game into a game of not blinking.  It’s an inarguable fact conditions like this affect the game a lot. While many Bills fans are still clamoring about how this shows we need a dome, the truth is the Bills are built for December and January in Western NY, and that’s especially true of their franchise quarterback.

The Bills earned a 20-12 win over the Jets in part because of what Josh Allen didn’t do as opposed to what he did.  Because he didn’t turn the ball over, he more than atoned for a two interception game that led directly to a 20-17 loss to the Jets in New Jersey a month ago. Now, at 10-3, the Bills remain the AFC top seed with 4 games to play, including here next Saturday night against the Dolphins. A win next week would almost ensure an AFC East title.

As usual with these Bills, they go as Allen goes, and that doesn’t always mean he has to throw for over 300 yards and 3 or 4 TD’s.

It was obvious right away both teams were facing tough defenses in adverse conditions, and the teams traded punts most the first quarter.  Allen looked uncomfortable early, off target at times, and a couple drops didn’t help. The running game was sputtering as well.

But late 2^nd quarter with still no points, the Bills caught a break when they drew the Jets offsides on a 4^th and short from their own 39.  That kept the drive alive, and Allen hit tight end Dawson Knox with a 24 yard toss capped by Knox’s summersault into the corner of the end zone.  Knox had 4 catches for 41 yards as the Jets muzzled Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, holding them to 3 catches each and a total of 68 yards. 

Not only that, for the most part the Bills couldn’t run it either.  Allen wound up with 47 yards rushing and Devin Singletary 39 more.  Despite that, Allen kept his cool. He didn’t force anything and didn’t play hero ball when sacked 3 times. His 147 yards passing don’t really tell the story. He had a TD pass and another 5 yard rushing TD and did what winners do.  Make plays when they matter and avoid mistakes.

Despite a strong effort from the Bills defense, now getting used to life without Von Miller, Jets quarterback Mike White and his receivers were impressive. He shrugged off a 4 interception day here in a blowout loss a year ago with 268 yards passing and no touchdowns or int’s.  Some of those yards came late with the Bills in prevent, but he was battling. Big hits by Ed Oliver and later Matt Milano knocked him out of the game, but he came back each time despite obvious rib discomfort.  Jets receivers Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore combined for a dozen catches and 138 yards, with several of the catches heavily contested.

A shoutout to defensive end Greg Rousseau, who had a couple sacks and a forced fumble, Oliver, Milano, Tremaine Edmunds and Shaq Lawson all played well.  Safety Demar Hamlin forced a fumble, and cornerback Tre White played nearly the entire game with no physical setbacks.  White was picked on a bit, but his rustiness is wearing off quickly and it’s huge for the Bills to get him back for the stretch run.

The usually reliable Bills Special Teams did have one breakdown that nearly cost the game. Punter Sam Martin, whose name is seldom called, had a punt blocked for a safety in the 4^th quarter with the Bills up 20-7.  Now, it’s 20-9 and the Jets get the ball. But the D weathered the storm, and Martin had 7 solid punts including two downed inside the Jets 10.  Tyler Bass was 2-2 in field goals including a 49 yarder, and new Bill and punt returner Nyheim Hines returned 3 punts for 42 yards.  Hines is a great acquisition for his sure hands and nerves of steel as a punt returner.  He never lets the ball hit the ground.

So now the Bills appear to come out of the game healthy, and they’ll wait for the Dolphins to visit beautiful Orchard Park next Saturday night.  We can only hope the weatherman/woman cooperates. 

A little wind and snow would be perfect.

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

#gobills #bigweck #buffalo #westherr

By now the shock of news that Von Miller is out for the season with a torn ACL is wearing off, but then again, so is the euphoria of the Bills leap back into the AFC top seed position.

Miller’s attitude has been positive, and he plans to be present in practice and on the sidelines encouraging his D-line buddies and offering tips if he observes something useful.

Miller also said this week after a meeting with Odell Beckham Jr. at Josh Allen’s house “we’ve done all we can do”, which sounds like OBJ is probably gonna land elsewhere.  No biggie, since it’s unlikely he’s even ready to play this season.

Reality is the Bills have no margin for error now, starting with the Jets on Sunday. The Bills are hefty 10 point favorites.  At 9-3, the Bills still have 5 games left and 3 of them are AFC East games they’ll be favored to win. It’s possible the Bills could be a slight underdog for a Monday Night game at  Cincinnati Jan 2^nd, but it’s the Chiefs who have the schedule advantage now.

The Chiefs will be heavy favorites in their 5 remaining games, meaning the Bills may have to win out to tie them at 14-3, of course winning the tie breaker by beating KC earlier.  But first things first.

The Jets.

The Bills 20-17 loss roughly a month ago to the Jets in New Jersey was, by far, Allen’s worst game this season.  He barely threw for over 200 yards, had no TD passes and threw two costly interceptions.  He was sacked 5 times, and oh by the way, injured his right elbow on the final series.

While the elbow appears to be close to normal, an even more optimistic view of Allen is that he’s weathered the storm of a mini slump and has been excellent in 3 straight wins. The Bills running game, not coincidentally, has also been improving with both Devin Singletary and rookie James Cook sharing the load.

Weather will be a factor this Sunday.  It’s going to  be drizzling or worse throughout the game in Orchard Park, and studies have shown the QB’s passing completion percentages go down about 3-5% in rainy weather.  Luckily the wind won’t be a factor as it can be in December here.

The Bills loss to the Jets wasn’t all on Allen by any means. The Bills defense couldn’t stop the Jets running game in the 4^th quarter when it mattered.  The absence of Greg Rousseau, Matt Milano and Jordan Poyer hurt, but all 3 are expected back. Milano is nursing a sore knee but should  play.

They’ll be facing a different quarterback for the 7-5 Jets. Zach Wilson, who had only 154 yards passing in the Jets win, also didn’t turn it over, a trait which led him to being benched in favor of Mike White.   White will start against the Bills, even though Jets coach Robert Saleh promises Wilson isn’t out of the picture.  Not sure about that message, but that’s their problem.

White had no TD passes in the Jets loss at Minnesota last week, but he threw for 369 yards, and oh yes, 2 int’s.  A year ago against the Bills when White started due to a Wilson injury, White threw 4 interceptions.  The Bills, even without Miller, will focus on stopping the run, but also on getting pressure on White, who has some talented targets.

So how will the Bills react to playing without Miller, their Super Bowl Whisperer?

Start with Josh Allen.

He’s still here and still standing.  Allen is the man. His teammates know it, and so do the Bills’ opponents. His record of bouncing back against teams he’s had bad games against is mind boggling.

With Miller gone, it’s on Allen again.

That’s good enough and then some.

Bills win a low scoring affair 24-10.

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

#gobills #bigweck #buffalo #westherr

Maybe the bills aren’t in trouble after all. Just one game, but the bills went into Foxboro on the big Thursday night stage and thoroughly outplayed the patriots, winning 24–10 to improve to 9-3 overall and 1-2 in afc East.

As always it starts and ends for the bills with Josh Allen..and the numbers don’t begin to tell how good he was. 22-33 223y 2 TD 0 int…3-3 in red zone.

Credit oc Ken Dorsey with a solid game plan against Bill Belichick’s team. Balance. It’s all about balance. The Bills rushed the ball 37 times and passed 33 times. It’s the third time this season the Bills have run more than passed and in those games they’re 3-0. Yes, with Allen the bills are a passing team, but running the football well makes them very tough to beat.

Allen was held to 20 yards on 8 rushes, but Devin Singletary and rookie James Cook combined for 115 yards on 25 carries as the bills had the ball almost 40 of the 60 minutes.

The Bills offense missed LT Dion Dawkins, out with an ankle injury. Backup David Quessenberry struggled at times and was beaten twice for sacks …one of them was a strip sack from the blind side but the Bills D kept it from hurting. The bills defense even without Von Miller held the Pats to 242 yards and just 60 yards rushing. They totally frustrated Mac Jones all night.

Also great to see cb Tre White with a heavy dose of action. It doesn’t look like he’s lost a thing now a year past his acl surgery.

Sometimes we forget what a long season it is, and all teams have ups and downs …but with the Jets and Dolphins on the menu the next two weeks in Orchard Park, the Bills made a powerful statement they still shouldn’t be under estimated.

Everything that happens is in their control..and it’s way too early to count them out.

EdK

ekilgore120@gmail.com

Sponsored by... Team at the West Herr Automotive Group - Welcome to West Herr New York!

#gobills #bigweck #buffalo #westherr