Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills will be trying to bounce back from last Sunday night's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals when they take on the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football" in Orchard Park.
To do it, here are my three keys to the game, plus notes and stats:
1.) Finish drives
This isn’t just a red zone point.
The Bills are actually third in the NFL in converting touchdowns in the red zone at 68.57%. But lately they’ve been hurting themselves with critical mistakes even before they get there.
Last week against the Bengals, Josh Allen threw an interception from his own 12-yard line. Dalton Kincaid fumbled on a play that started at the Cincinnati 22-yard line. They punted from their own 43-yard line and, after a penalty, ended the first half at the Bengals' 38-yard line.
The week before that, on all three drives in the fourth quarter, the Bills moved the ball to near midfield after a total of 20 plays. However, all three times, the drive stalled and they punted.
The Bills need to stop making critical mistakes and give themselves a chance to score each drive.
2.) Keep 'em guessing!
Last week, the Bills only ran the ball eight times outside of Allen. The Bengals were able to pin their ears back and rush the passer, not worrying too much about the run.
The Broncos' defense ranks near the bottom in most yards per-play and per-game categories. They’re last in the NFL allowing 154.1 yards on the ground per-game, and a whopping 5.36 per-play.
The Bills will have chances to run the ball effectively, and need to do that in order to compliment the passing game and keep the Denver defense on their heels and guessing what’s coming.
3.) Stop the run
Statistically, this is not a good matchup for the Bills' run defense.
The Broncos are second in the NFL, averaging 4.81 rushing yards per-play, and 11th with 116.8 yards per-game on the ground.
The Bills defense is 30th in the league, allowing 4.86 yards per-play on the ground, and 18th with 114.4 rushing yards per-game against.
The Broncos would like nothing more than to control this game on the ground and keep Allen off the field. The Bills can’t let them do that.
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