Since the start of 2019, the Buffalo Bills are 10-2 following a loss.
When Buffalo faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, they’ll be trying to avoid losing two in a row for the first time since October of 2020.
In order to do that, here are my three keys to the game, plus notes and stats:
Jamie Germano - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle via USA TODAY Sports
1.) Throw, throw, throw
The Buccaneers defense is the second-best in the league at stopping the run, giving up just 84.3 yards per-game, and eighth-best at 4.06 per-play.
The Bills have struggled to run the ball lately, and are ranked 14th in the NFL in yards per-game overall. So it will be tough to do that in this one.
However, Tampa Bay has given up over 248 yards passing a game, as well as a 68.2% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks, seventh-most in the NFL.
The Bills have thrown for over 259 yards a game, and should look to do what they do best against a Tampa Bay defense that can be susceptible to it - throw the football, and keep throwing it.
Rich Barnes - USA TODAY Sports
2.) Turnovers
The Bills and Buccaneers are two of the top-four teams in the NFL when it comes to turnovers. The Bills have taken the ball away from their opponents 26 times, while the Buccaneers have done it 24 times.
On the flip side, the Bills have given the football away 16 times, with the Buccaneers turning the ball over 17 times.
Both teams also rank in the top-six in the NFL in turnover differential - Buffalo at plus-9, Tampa Bay at plus-8.
All it may take is one extra turnover to swing this game. The team that gives it away more than they take it could be the one that loses.
The Bills have to make sure that’s not them.
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3.) Red zone offense
After last Monday night’s 1-for-4 performance in the red zone, the Bills are now converting less than 59% of their trips inside their opponents’ 20-yard line into touchdowns.
The Buccaneers are 12th in the NFL, allowing just 56.1% of teams to score touchdowns once inside their 20-yard line.
Tampa Bay is also the top scoring team in the NFL, averaging 31.4 points per-game. The Bills are fifth-overall, averaging 28.0 per-game, and may have to keep up with the Buccaneers.
That means field goals won’t do it when chances for touchdowns exists.
NOTES AND STATS:
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