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AFC Game Of The Week

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Bills: There’s only one way I can put this. They were kicked in the teeth on Sunday night in Baltimore. The first play of the game when the Ravens had the football told me what type of a game it would be. Before kickoff, I stated that it was a contrasting style of football. One team likes to run and gun it meaning they want to turn the game into a shootout, while the other prides themselves on making the game ugly, in other words, slowing the game down and making it unattractive or as I refer to it, “a street fight”. The Ravens did that all night and it worked to their advantage. The Bills couldn’t recover and tasted defeat for the first time this season. Despite the loss, I’ve been impressed with them this year. This offense would still be piling everything on Josh Allen if Ken Dorsey were the Offensive Coordinator. You haven’t seen that with Joe Brady as the OC and he’s added a bit more balance to the Buffalo offense. When I spoke about the AFC East during the Summer, I kept saying until they were dethroned from the top of the division, this is who you must take down. All off-season, I heard about them losing two of their Wide Receivers which is true, but I also said this was something they could use to their advantage. When Stefon Diggs was there, you immediately knew as a defense that he was the guy you had to zoom in on. Now, defenses don’t have a clue as to who to game plan for. Advantage, Buffalo. On Sunday, the Bills will look to bounce back into the win column against the leaders of the AFC South.

Texans: Divisional games are always difficult. Many of them are and that was very obvious on Sunday afternoon in Houston. After not showing up in week three against the Minnesota Vikings, I was wondering what I would see from them in week four. The Jacksonville Jaguars gave them a run for their money and over the years, they’ve always played them tough, and most of the time, these battles come down to the fourth quarter. The good teams always find ways to win and they were able to put their best drive together when it mattered most. C.J. Stroud has that mentality where he’s never phased. The game can be on the line, he will lead and everyone else follows. He has the command and respect of that entire locker room and you can tell his teammates would go to war for him. The only team that grabs my attention in the AFC South is the Houston Texans. The Colts are an up-and-down group, the Jaguars are struggling big time and the Titans can’t take care of the football to save themselves. I’ll be very surprised if the Texans don’t win this division and at this point, it’s theirs to lose. Everything is there. The offense is amongst one of the best in the league with one the best Quarterbacks in the game, they’re well coached and have bought into everything DeMeco Ryans has sold to them and they have a stout defense and when they’re locked in, this is one of the best units in the NFL. They have a huge game Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium with the Bills roaming into town.

Bills X-Factor: James Cook– The Buffalo offense is better when he’s involved sooner rather than later. A wise man I know always says if the Bills’ offense was to be even more dangerous, “Let James Cook”. This is a dual-threat back that can take carries out of the backfield and can also be used as an additional receiver. James is always active at the line of scrimmage and can finish a game with 80-90 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving. The Ravens shut him down in week four. I look for Joe Brady to get him the football in many different ways on Sunday.

Texans X-Factor: Danielle Hunter– One thing DeMeco wants his defense to do is apply pressure on the passer. This is exactly why the Texans signed the former Minnesota Viking in free agency. Danielle is a freak of nature and looks like a guy you create in a lab. This is someone who can impact a play in different ways meaning he just doesn’t rely on sacking the Quarterback. Danielle can create pressure and force fumbles. He has long strides and covers so much distance with just two steps. Danielle can also run straight through you when given the opportunity.

Final Thoughts: “It’s a fun and wonderful thing when you got a bunch of guys that don’t care about the stats”. That’s what Josh Allen said after the Bills win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week three. Many perceived that as a shot at Stefon Diggs. It was, but he wasn’t necessarily wrong. Removing a guy who doesn’t want to be on a team anymore creates a better environment. However, I know for a fact Stefon Diggs heard this statement and he will be fired up to play his former team for the first time since being traded in April. Buffalo must come out and attack a Texans defense that’s struggling to stop the running game this year. As I mentioned a wise man said, Let James Cook. The Bills must also keep Nico Collins in check. This is Stroud’s go-to guy and not getting too hyped up over facing Stefon will work in Buffalo’s favor. I’ll also be watching this Bills front seven and will they be able to dial up pressure on Stroud? For the Texans, getting a strong start from the ground attack will also be crucial, but they’ll have to do this without Joe Mixon. It’s also key for the Texans to win and get off the field on third down. Keon Coleman and Mack Hollins are possession receivers who don’t necessarily put fear into secondaries, but they can attack with contested catches. I’ll be watching this Houston offense against the Bills defense on first down which has been strong since Sean McDermott became the Bills Head Coach. This is the game of week five and it shouldn’t disappoint. I like the Bills to bounce back here on Sunday.

Prediction: Bills 28, Texans 24