Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills are set to meet a familiar foe on Sunday night, as the New England Patriots are coming to town. It’s the first time these two clubs are meeting this season, and it’s the final first-time divisional contest for the Bills.
Buffalo has already beaten the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins, and now not only are they seeking a 3-0 start in the AFC East, but also the second 5-0 start in franchise history. The only other time the Bills achieved the feat was in 1991, when they began the year 5-0 on their way to a 13-3 record and a berth in Super Bowl XXVI.
Before the Bills can worry about Super Bowls, though, they’ll need to take care of business in the games leading up to that very big game. A 5-0 record with a 3-0 divisional record would give the Bills a tremendous cushion in the early going, especially given that, with a win on Sunday, the closest team to the Bills would be tie between the Patriots and the Dolphins, who could notch their second win of the season on Sunday if they manage to beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bills need to prevent New England from earning its third win of the season. To do so, they’ll need big games from their big players. Here are five Bills we’re watching this Sunday night.
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QB Josh Allen
Hopefully, this is something we can all file under the category of “this writer is overanalyzing things” once Monday comes, but the last time Allen faced off against a team that rostered his former No. 1 target, Stefon Diggs, he played arguably the worst game of his career. Allen forced the issue repeatedly last year against the Houston Texans, completing just 9-of-30 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.
Was he so off because he was trying to prove that he would be just fine without Diggs when his former teammate was right across the field from him? Did the Texans just come up with a great game plan to stop Allen? Did Allen actually suffer a concussion and fool the independent neurologist, checking himself back into the game when he should have sat?
Look, the past is in the past, and Allen has nothing to prove to anyone. However, anyone who’s ever been a competitor knows that there are just certain people you want to prove things to for a multitude of reasons. Allen has found himself caught up in trying to assert dominance, so to speak, in games before. He’s largely left those moments behind.
If he plays within himself as he’s done all this year, he’ll be just fine. The Bills could certainly use a strong performance out of No. 17 on Sunday night.
RB James Cook
The AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September has been a one-man highlight reel. He’s run tough between the tackles, shown burst outside the tackles, and even looked good in pass routes.
Cook...
