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AFC Game Of The Week

Buffalo Bills at Washington Commanders

Bills: Week one was a nightmare for them. The passing attack was neutralized by the New York Jets and that forced Josh Allen to press and when a Quarterback presses, they make countless mistakes and they’ll throw the football just to say they got rid of it. Josh threw three interceptions in that game and even said he cost his team a game. That’s leadership, but most importantly, accountability I saw. I was wondering how this team would bounce back in week two against the Las Vegas Raiders. They came ready to play. I already know the passing game will do what they do. When everything is clicking, this is one of the more prolific attacks in the league. Anytime you’ve either listened to me on the radio or read something I’ve said about the Buffalo Bills, what have I always said? When will they stop putting everything on Josh Allen to bail them out? When will they man up in the trenches and run the football. We saw it some in week one and they had no choice because the passing attack struggled so much. On Sunday against the Raiders, James Cook had 143 rushing yards on 17 carries and I smiled like a proud dad watching his only son that made it. I know it’s early, but if they can keep this going, this will keep defenses honest and force them to load the box more when you play the Bills. It was refreshing to see Josh bounce back after a down performance to open the year. I feel this is a year where they are in a pressure cooker and I told someone last week if they don’t at least sniff the AFC Championship game, expect changes to be made and I can see them moving on from Sean McDermott. On Sunday, they’ll make a trip to Maryland to face one of the surprising 2-0 teams.

Commanders: I’ve been asked who the most surprising teams have been off to 2-0 starts. One is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and I don’t think anyone expected much of them after a change at the most important position which is Quarterback. The other team I listed was the Washington Commanders. They made one of the bigger moves in the offseason by hiring Offensive guru, Eric Bienemy to be their next Offensive Coordinator. I already see the impact he’s having. Week two was as gritty of a win that you’ll ever seen. They were facing the Denver Broncos and Denver jumped out to an 18-point lead. What do I always say football comes down too? Which team can make the necessary adjustments at the half and that’s exactly what they did as they were able to erase a double digit deficit. I like what I’m seeing from Sam Howell. I kept a close eye on him in college and so far on the season, he’s completing 65 percent of his passes. The Washington passing attack has an underrated duo of receivers in Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. If you zoom in on one, the other has more one on one looks to beat a secondary. On defense, they have one of the best front fours in the league and when Chase Young is healthy, he’s such a difference maker and this defense feeds off his energy. All four guys are able to make an impact in their own way. I’ve always respected Ron Rivera. I love what he did in Carolina with the Panthers and I know he’s had some up and down years with this franchise now, but you can never say you’ve heard one of his players say anything negative about him. They return home on Sunday for a showdown with Josh Allen and the Bills.

Bills X-Factor: Matt Milano– After losing Tremaine Edmunds to the Chicago Bears, Matt became the man in the middle of this Buffalo defense. He’s a tackling machine that gets through lanes with tremendous closing speed. Where Matt has made a name for himself has been in pass coverage and he’s been regarded as the best Linebacker when it comes to defending Tight Ends. He patrols the middle and serves as that spy also in pass coverage.

Commanders X-Factor: Jahan Dotson– I always followed him closely in college during his Penn State days. Jahan’s route running along with his contested catch abilities make him a special receiver. He’s so explosive off the release and in space and don’t let the stature fool you. Jahan will get up to make that catch in the air as if he were a possession receiver. Jahan is the guy that usually gets targeted on third down to move the chains.

Three Things I’m Watching

1. Ground Last?– The Bills have averaged 140 yards rushing so far on the young season. My question is can this keep up? All Summer, I wanted them to get a Running Back that could carry the rock and be that three-down back. Maybe they knew what they were doing with James Cook. I still remember when they drafted him and how he made comparisons to James White because of his ability to catch the ball out the backfield. If they can continue to run the ball, they will be scary.

2. Josh vs Commanders Front Four– Josh Allen knows how to put pressure on a defense because he can fling the football down the field and when plays break down, he will extend them with his feet and get the yards himself. This will be the best Quarterback the Commanders have faced all year long. Washington has such an active front four and they could cause some problems for Josh.

3. Stalled Pass Rush?– The Bills miss Von Miller and there’s no doubt about it. Guess how many sacks they recorded last weekend against Jimmy Garoppolo and a struggling Raiders Offensive Line? Zero. They signed Leonard Floyd to replace Von until he comes back, but we all know it’s never easy to fill in for a future Hall of Famer. A pass rush will allow the rest of the defense to fly to the ball. A strong push by the line will make life so much easier for the Linebackers and secondary.

Final Thoughts: This is an interesting battle. It’s the AFC East against the NFC East. Both these teams won in week two in different fashions. The Bills dominated the Raiders and finally got in the win column and the Commanders won a tough game in Denver which is a tough place to play. If the Commanders do play man coverage, they must account for Josh Allen. The goal is to make Josh throw the ball over the numbers from the pocket and not allow him to move the pocket. He’s at his best when he moves with his feet. Can the Commanders get their run game going because Buffalo was a little vulnerable in week one against the Jets. Both of these teams have strong amounts of talent, but they have a massive advantage at the most important position which is Quarterback. I like the Bills to win their first road game of the season.

Prediction: Bills 31, Commanders 21