Tag: AFC East

Bills opponent outlook: Steelers history, statistics and more

Buffalo Bills opponent information on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills find themselves in a wonderful predicament, but could be all for naught if they can’t find a win over the next three weeks. The 9-4 Buffalo Bills meet the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, their first appearance in that primetime slot in some time. Major playoff implications are at stake here, as a Bills loss can knock them back a spot in the Wild Card Race, though still in by a hair.

This is easily the biggest Bills-Steelers match up in some time, so let’s get into their history, statistics and more:

  • The Bills and Steelers first met on Oct. 11, 1970, in Pittsburgh, with the Steelers winning 23-10.
  • They met in the 1974 postseason, with Pittsburgh taking a 32-14 win in that game.
  • The Bills won five straight games against Pittsburgh, from Nov. 9, 1986 to their 1992 AFC Divisional Round Game on Jan. 9, 1993.
  • Buffalo and Pittsburgh also met in the 1995 AFC Divisional Playoff Game, with the Steelers winning 40-21.
  • The Bills have not defeated the Steelers in the 21st Century, with their last victory over them on Oct. 10, 1999, in a 24-21 victory.
  • Buffalo had an opportunity to make the post-season in the 2004-05 season. In a “win and your in” scenario. The Bills starters failed to defeat the Steelers backups, who were 14-1 heading into the final game of the season. Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 29-24, in Buffalo.
  • Their most recent encounter was a 27-20 win for Pittsburgh, in Buffalo.
  • Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 16-9, including playoffs.

2019 So Far

In what has been a challenging year for the Steelers, including their fallout with Antonio Brown, losing Le’Veon Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger succumbing to season-ending injury in Week 2, somehow, the Steelers are still in the playoff picture, and have some favorable circumstances going for them. This season has been a massive testament to Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s ability to lead men on a football field, and is certainly a candidate for Coach of the Year.

Pittsburgh began the season with a blowout loss to the Patriots in the opening Sunday Night Football game for 2019. A 33-3 loss on primetime was no way to start the season, especially with many questioning how Pittsburgh would be effected by the losses of Bell and Brown. From there on, two more losses, a close one against Seattle, 26-28, their last game with Big Ben under center for this year, as well as a 20-24 loss to the 49ers. All three quality teams, and playoff teams at that, right now, in Week 15. Not too shabby for a team of backups despite the losses.

They earned their first win on Monday Night Football in Week 4 against the Bengals, a dominant win against a team that only has one win to it’s credit so far this season. This is also when the Steelers traded for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a trade that turned around their defense.

However, since that Bengals win, Pittsburgh has only lost twice. To the Baltimore Ravens, a 23-26 loss in overtime, and to the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, a 21-7 loss that ended in a chaotic situation.

Pittsburgh has defeated the Chargers, Dolphins, Colts, Rams, Bengals again, Browns and Cardinals, and face a relatively favorable schedule these last three weeks. They hold criteria over a few teams that are breathing down their neck, and a win over the Bills would nearly secure their playoff aspirations.

Currently, Pittsburgh is the 29th ranked offense, with 3,771 yards of total offense. They are 31st in passing, with 2,541 pass yards and 25th in rushing with 1,230 yards on the ground.

It’s truly impressive how successful that Pittsburgh has been, especially with their personnel under center. Three quarterbacks have taken snaps for the Steelers in 2019. Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, and most recently and successfully, Devlin Hodges. The Bills had four last season and their season was not a success.

Rudolph’s tenure as starting QB was enough for him to be at 31st in the NFL in passing yards with 1,636 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. He had a 5-3 record as a starter. In three starts, Hodges is 3-0, and 39th in passing yards with 682 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Roethlisberger  had 351 passing yards, zero touchdowns and one interception in his tenure.

It hasn’t been a great year for last year’s emerging rush sensation, James Conner. Conner was a certified stud in 2018, filling in seamlessly for the boycotting Bell. This year has been drastically different, with injuries. James Conner is currently ranked 44th in the NFL amongst rushers, leading Pittsburgh with 390 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Benny Snell is next up in rushing leaders for Pittsburgh with 320 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Snell is ranked 49th in rushing.

Pittsburgh’s highest ranked receiver in yardage, is James Washington, who is currently ranked 50th in the NFL. He has accrued 611 yards receiving on the year, Next in line, Ju-Ju Smith Schuster, who is ranked 63rd in receiving yards, with 524 yards. Schuster has dealt with injuries all year, and has not been able to handle the workload of being a No. 1 WR with Brown leaving, and it has harmed him statistically.

One aspect that is keeping the Steelers alive and well in the playoff race is their defense, which is star studded. They are the fifth ranked defense in the NFL, allowing 4,042 yards of offense against them. Pittsburgh is also the fifth ranked passing defense, allowing 2,727 yards by air, and they are eighth in rush defense with 1,315 yards allowed.

Their defense is led by talents of T.J. Watt, Joe Haden, Bud Dupree, Cameron Hayward, Fitzpatrick, and many others.

How do they match up versus Buffalo?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

PODCAST: What went wrong with Bills offense in loss to Ravens?

Buffalo Bills NFL podcast following Week 14 24-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Buffalo Bills fell to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at New Era Field, 24-17. It certainly wasn’t the Bills’ finest game offensively, but there is a lot of optimism and growth than can come from a loss like this.

No, this isn’t the Bills first loss in 2019. The reason that this loss feels differently though, is that the Bills hung tough with the NFL’s finest team.

The Baltimore Ravens offense has been one of the most explosive forces in 2019, and have been a delight to watch as a fan. The Bills defense contained the young and very spry Lamar Jackson on the ground, perhaps laying a blueprint for a future team, or even themselves, to continue to restrict Jackson”s scrambling ability.

The problem though, Lamar Jackson can throw pretty well, and in tight spaces. Jackson torched the Bills secondary on a blown coverage touchdown to tight end Hayden Hurst, and several mid-range passes, but overall, the defense did it’s job. Held the hottest and one of the highest scoring offenses to a reasonable score. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t take advantage.

The team is already looking ahead, as they have a big Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that is also currently in the playoff picture, and looking to improve their spot. The Bills have a competitive, but not overwhelming final three game stretch, including a Patriots team, that of course shouldn’t be overlooked, but is not having their best season in quite some time, despite their record.

Here’s the latest episode of The Bills Wire Podcast following the Bills’ loss to the Ravens:

Subscribe

 

[lawrence-related id=50489,50458,50417,50416]

Bills opponent outlook: Ravens history, statistics and more

Everything you need to know about the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills’ Week 14 opponent.

Dec 1, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens square off this Sunday in a match up of AFC Heavyweights in Orchard Park. The Ravens are the hottest team in the NFL right now, defeating the Patriots and the 49ers over the last month. For the Bills, the chance to hang with a team of this caliber, is one to salivate at.

Here is all of the history that you need to know between the Ravens and Bills to get you ready for Sunday:

  • Since the Ravens inception in 1996, these two have played the Bills eight times.
  • They first played on Halloween in 1999, with the Bills getting a narrow 13-10 victory.
  • Their most recent encounter was the season opener just last year. The Ravens won 47-3 in that game.
  • Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson both made their NFL regular season debuts in last years game. Allen came in for a struggling Nate Peterman after he failed to move the offense down field, and Lamar was given the opportunity to get repetitions after the Ravens were well ahead.
  • The Ravens lead the all-time series, 5-3 , outscoring the Bills 180 to 112 in those eight encounters.

2019 So Far

Baltimore is way ahead of what many experts thought that they would be. Lamar Jackson’s growth, combined with excellent coaching from the Ravens staff, has propped the Ravens up as the best team in the NFL currently. Greg Roman, their offensive coordinator, is the dual-threat quarterback whisperer, and has this Ravens offense exciting to watch, and efficient, utilizing well sold trickery and misdirection.

After a good start, which saw them begin the season  2-2 with a blow out victory over Miami, a close victory over the Cardinals, and losses to Kansas City and division rival Cleveland, Baltimore hasn’t looked back since. Garnering eight straight wins, the Ravens have mostly dominated, with seemingly no end in sight.

Their major victories have been giving the Patriots their first loss of 2019 on primetime television, a double-digit victory over the Seattle Seahawks, led by another MVP candidate in Russell Wilson, lopsided victories over the Texans and Rams, and most recently, a strong four quarter effort to defeat the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s safe to say that 2019 has been good for the Baltimore Ravens. They currently sit at second in total offense, behind the Cowboys. Baltimore has accumulated 5,049 yards of total offense this season, with one fewer game than the Cowboys currently. Although they haven’t really needed too, they are the 26th ranked passing offense, with 2,555 yards passing for Jackson. By a long shot, they are the number one rushing offense, with 2,494 rushing yards in total, over 700 rushing yards ahead of the second best rushing offense, who they defeated in last week.

The Ravens also happen to be the highest scoring offense, by nearly 60 points ahead of the 49ers, who come in at number two. Baltimore is tied at first with Seattle for 26 passing touchdowns, and first in rushing touchdowns with 18.

Jackson comes in 18th for passing yard leaders this year, with 2,532 passing yards, just 59 yards behind Josh Allen. His 25 passing touchdowns are good for second in that category, only one touchdown behind Russell Wilson. Jackson is also 11th in completion percentage, with 66.5%. He’s doing well in the interception category as well, throwing only five this year, tied for 23rd with Matthew Stafford, Gardner Minshew, and Joe Flacco.

As for rushers, Jackson is in the top-10 of the NFL, 977 yards for him on the ground, with a good chance of crossing 1,000 this Sunday, averaging 81.4 yards per game. Mark Ingram, the starting running back, is not far behind, sitting at 12th with 837 rushing yards. Ingram has been a complementary and integral part of the offense, not only with yardage and production, but with selling fake handoffs. Gus Edwards sits at 32nd in yardage with 460 yards.

Obviously, with such a run heavy team, receivers aren’t having “career-years,” but it does not matter, they are doing their part to put their team in a winning position. Tight end Mark Andrews leads receiving for Baltimore, with 693 receiving yards, coming in at 32nd in the NFL. Andrews is fourth amongst tight ends however, just behind Travis Kelce, Darren Waller and Zach Ertz.

Marquise Brown is the leading wide receiver for the team. The rookie sensation is 58th in receiving yards with 520 yards by air, and six touchdowns of his own. Willie Snead is the next closest, ranked 125th with only 289 yards.

Historically, Baltimore has always been a defensive heavy team, and this year is no different. Despite losing some talented players, they traded for Marcus Peters and have a very young, and talented defense. The Ravens are currently the seventh ranked defense, allowing 3,881 yards against them. They are the 11th ranked passing defense, giving up 2,742 yards by air, and are the sixth ranked rush defense, allowing 1,139 yards on the ground. Baltimore is also the fourth ranked defense in points allowed, giving up 219 points so far, just behind the Buffalo Bills.

How do they match up versus the Bills?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

PODCAST: Lamar Jackson breakdown with Ravens beat reporter

The Ravens are one of the most perplexing offenses in the NFL currently. Their style of a run heavy offense with a dual-threat QB in Lamar Jackson is not uncommon, but the way that it’s executed has never quite been seen before. The way that the …

The Ravens are one of the most perplexing offenses in the NFL currently. Their style of a run heavy offense with a dual-threat QB in Lamar Jackson is not uncommon, but the way that it’s executed has never quite been seen before. The way that the team sells it’s trickery, misdirection, and plays in general has challenged and confused every team in it’s way so far.

Buffalo is an enigma, though. A resilient team that has been in an uphill battle all season, on and off of the field. Facing criticism from many for a schedule that’s out of their control, doubts about Josh Allen, coaching, and more. They’ve risen to the occasion, and are one of the best teams in the AFC and NFL currently. They are certainly chomping at the bit for this opportunity to cement their place along with the greats in 2019.

Joining host Matt John for this episode, are the Managing Editor of Billswire, Nick Wojton. Secondly, a friend and colleague of Nick’s from college, Sean Grogan, who covers the Baltimore Ravens for Cecil Whig via cecildaily.com, to discuss the various aspects, story lines, and more for this huge AFC match up:

Subscribe

 

[lawrence-related id=50315,50309,50300,50280]

PODCAST: What will Bills have to do beat Ravens?

This Sunday has a big game feel to it. Sure, the Bills just defeated the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, with the National Spotlight firmly on them, but there is something special about this game against Baltimore.

This Sunday has a big game feel to it. Sure, the Bills just defeated the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, with the national spotlight firmly on them, but there is something special about this game against the Ravens.

How do you gameplan for a team of the caliber and level that the Ravens are playing at right now? It’s not as easy as it would seem. The Ravens offense is unique, and it’s key piece, the sophomore sensation Lamar Jackson, is having an MVP-caliber season. His speed, combined with his growing passing ability, and the offensive units ability to sell fake out plays, has stumped the best defensive coordinators across the NFL, including one of the greatest minds in pro football history, Bill Belichick.

The challenge is one that the Bills are certainly up for, and another opportunity to prove that they’re for real. The coordinators and players have their work cut out for them. In this episode, podcast hosts Matt and Jeremy examine what they believe that the Bills have to do to try and slow down one of the fastest offenses running in the NFL.

 

Subscribe

 

[lawrence-related id=50241,50234,50225,50223]

Top 5 NFL offensive lines of Week 13: (Or: the Marshal Yanda fan club)

As always, several offensives lines shined, helping move the offense toward a successful December grind. Here were the top 5 from Week 13.

Well, thanks to the Miami Dolphins, it’s pretty safe to assume the number one play for all backyard football games this holiday season will be the “Mountaineer Shot.” And I include Philadelphia Eagles fans in the collective enjoyment because you can’t hate genius entrainment—just imagine when grandma, acting as the kicker in this instance, gets the six.

 

Beyond the ‘FinsMagic, Week 13 around the NFL moved the paint that we’re supposed to use for the playoff picture a little closer to the canvas. The Cowboys arrived with empty Tupperware on Thanksgiving day, while the Saints changed it up and served Falcon during the nightcap. The Ravens are legit. So are the 49ers, though. Pete Carroll has the Seahawks in perfect position. And ESPN’s Joe Tessitore ended a great Thanksgiving weekend with one last helping of humor, gifting the football world the name, “Decalf Metcalf.”

As always, several offensive lines shined, too, helping move the offense toward a successful December grind. Here were the top 5 from Week 13.

5. Buffalo Bills

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Thanksgiving day turned out to be quite a delicious feast for the Buffalo Bills, as they helped cloud the NFC East picture with a win over the Cowboys in Dallas.

The Bills, now 9-3, executed the game plan—keeping the Cowboys’ rush in check, while working to find weaknesses in the secondary—and made a significant show of Jason Garrett’s crew on the national stage.

The Bills’ offensive line must’ve known there would be turkey for the victors, too, because the front played strong the entire game. A few sacks here and there (four total), but for the most part, the Bills were able to control the rush from the Cowboys and give quarterback Josh Allen a few extra moments to find his targets. The Bills QB finished the day a very accurate 19-of-24 with one touchdown.

The running attack was the highlight of the festivities, though, with Allen doing his best Lamar Jackson impression, taking what the defense would give him and scampering for 43 yards and a touchdown. Complemented with Devin Singletary’s hard yards, the Bills went over the century mark against a Cowboys’ run defense ranked in the top half of the league.

And yes, there was indeed turkey.

Mitch Morse, John Feliciano, Quinton Spain, Dion Dawkins, and Cody Ford: It…kind of looked like it was your world, guys.

5th :: 4th :: 3rd :: 2nd :: 1st

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

PODCAST: Bills shine in the National Spotlight; are they prepared for Baltimore?

The Buffalo Bills won big on Thanksgiving, landing their first “statement win”, against the Dallas Cowboys with the world watching. Buffalo, for the last 20 years, has been a team that collapsed when the national spotlight was placed on them, but …

The Buffalo Bills won big on Thanksgiving, landing their first “statement win”, against the Dallas Cowboys with the world watching. Buffalo, for the last 20 years, has been a team that collapsed when the national spotlight was placed on them, but this was different.

The Bills delivered in a big way, and embarrassing the Cowboys, in their home stadium, and in a game that they have played in every year, since the 1960’s. I’ll admit, that it was strange to watch the Bills in a scenario like this, and a player in a Bills jersey eating a turkey leg to close out the game.

The offense fired on all cylinders, with Josh Allen moving the ball efficiently, by air, connecting with Cole Beasley, who was out for revenge against his former team. Devin Singletary caught a touchdown pass himself, as well as dominating on the ground. Allen looked like the franchise quarterback that Buffalo has long awaited, for the first time. It was certainly a defining game.

The Bills defense handled itself well. Giving up touchdowns to Dallas on their first and last possessions only, they did well, disrupting the number one ranked offense in the NFL. Dak Prescott, in an important contract situation this season, turned the ball over several times. He had defenders in his face all night, and even Ezekiel Elliott couldn’t get anything going.

Buffalo looked good when the lights shined bright, but what lays in front of them is another challenge, in the form of the red hot Baltimore Ravens. It’s hard to not try and enjoy this win against Dallas on a special occasion. With 10 days to prepare for the offensive onslaught that Lamar Jackson has brought against the best of the NFL, there is a lot more work that has to be done before the real celebrating can commence.

Billswire Podcast host Matt Johnson explores the win and outlook towards Baltimore in Week 13:

 

Subscribe

 

Bills opponent outlook: Cowboys history, statistics and more

Sep 15, 2019; Landover, MD, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) runs after a catch against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports For the first time since 1996, …

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Sep 15, 2019; Landover, MD, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) runs after a catch against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

 

For the first time since 1996, the Buffalo Bills are 8-3, and for the first time since 1994, they are playing football on Thanksgiving. Dallas has been a regular host of the Thanksgiving Day series since 1966, and the Cowboys have a rich history against the Buffalo Bills. It is one of the most anticipated games of Thanksgiving this year.

Here is everything that you need to know about the history of the Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, including their respective Thanksgiving Day stats:

  • The Bills and Cowboys first met on September 17, 1971, in Buffalo. The Cowboys won that game 49-37.
  • They met in two Superbowls, 27 and 28, with Dallas winning both encounters.
  • Their most recent encounter took place on December 27, 2015, and the Bills won that encounter 16 – 6.
  • The Cowboys lead the all-time series, including the two Super Bowl games, 8 games to 4 and have outscored Buffalo 280-181 over those 12 encounters.
  • The Cowboys played their first Thanksgiving Day game on November 24, 1966, defeating the Cleveland Browns 26-14.
  • Dallas would hold that tradition annually, with the exception of 1975 and 1977, in an effort to help out the St. Louis (Arizona) Cardinals boost stadium ticket sales.
  • Dallas is 31-18-1 on Thanksgiving.
  • Buffalo started playing Thanksgiving Day games while in the AFL. They played their first against the New York Titans (Jets) in a 21-14 loss.
  • The modern iteration of the Buffalo Bills have never hosted a Thanksgiving Day game, but played in five during their AFL years when no team had that home game guaranteed.
  • The Bills are 3-4-1 on Thanksgiving.

2019 So Far

Coming off of a 10-6 season and winning the NFC East for the second time in three years, the Cowboys are having a interesting year to say the least. Dallas lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams, and there were very high expectations coming into this season.

The Cowboys are currently 6-5, narrowly sitting atop the NFC East with Philadelphia only one game back at 5-6. As close as the race for the NFC East has been, both Philadelphia and Dallas are not being viewed as very competitive amongst the entire NFL, and are currently the worst team by record in the NFC Playoffs. A rather disappointing year that has many of the Dallas fan base calling for Jason Garrett’s removal as head coach, again.

2019 has been rocky from the start, as star running back Ezekiel Elliott held out for a bigger contract, a few years short of the expiration of his rookie deal. Considering the workload that has been put on “Zeke” over his very young NFL career, it was relatively fair, considering the toll that running back’s endure. However, the hold out led to some awkward moments and uncomfortable statements between Owner Jerry Jones and Elliott.

Also, a looming question heading into 2019 was quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract situation. Prescott has played relatively well in his tenure, sporting a 38-21 record as a starter with 14,309 yards passing, 88 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He will most likely be extended with Dallas, as he’s given stability at his position that the Cowboys didn’t have during the latter years of Tony Romo’s career. Whether or not Dak has performed well in clutch moments, has been the question of his biggest detractors, and that is an area that he has lacked in.

Dallas began the season with three straight wins, defeating the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. A great start, and Dallas looked like a top tier team and a definite Super Bowl contender, granted the strength of schedule. Prescott was having some of his best numbers, and the team, as a unit, was a well oiled machine.

However, it was the three games after that win streak that gave the Cowboys a stigma for 2019 that they “couldn’t beat good teams”. Losing to the New Orleans Saints 10-12, Green Bay Packers 24-34, and even a massive upset by the New York Jets, left Dallas feeling like an average team that couldn’t compete against the class of the division.

Since then, they’ve defeated the Eagles 37-10, completed the sweep of the Giants by winning 37-18, lost to the Minnesota Vikings 24-28, beat Detroit 35-27 and fell to the New England Patriots 9-13.

Dallas currently ranks first in “Team Offense” earning 4,767 yards over their first 11 games. They are the number one passing offense as well, with 3,339 passing yards. They are the eighth ranked rushing offense with 1,428 rushing yards, nearly 1,000 yards behind the Baltimore Ravens who sit at first.

Dak is currently the number one passer in the NFL, with 3,433 yards passing, tied at fourth in passing touchdowns with Kirk Cousins at 21 and tied for fifth in interceptions at 10 with Jimmy Garoppolo, Matt Ryan, Sam Darnold and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

“Zeke” is ranked seventh in rushing with 919 yards on the ground and tied at seven rushing touchdowns with Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs, Todd Gurley and Bills QB Josh Allen. Dak Prescott has 197 rushing yards to his credit, good enough for 60th in the NFL, as well as three rushing touchdowns of his own.

Amari Cooper comes in at sixth in receiving, amassing 886 yards and he’s tied for fifth with touchdown receptions, at seven. Michael Gallup is the next best receiver, sitting at 21st in the NFL with 733 receiving yards. Randall Cobb at 39th with 581 yards.

As a defense, Dallas sits sixth in the NFL, allowing 3,503 yards against them and the seventh most points scored against them at 210. They are sixth in passing defense, giving up 2,350 yards by air and 12 touchdowns. The weakest aspect of their defense is against the rush, with 1,153 yards ran against them, good enough for 15th in the NFL.

How they match up with Buffalo?

There is certainly some intrigue with this game. Both Dallas and Buffalo are teams with stigmas. They can beat who they are supposed to beat, but can’t get the job done against winning teams. It rings true, as Dallas has not yet defeated a team with a winning record as of Week 13. The only team that Buffalo has defeated with a winning record currently, is the Tennessee Titans.

The Bills rush defense is at great risk this week, although it has improved the last few weeks. Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best running backs in the game, and an excellent pass-catching back. We all watched the defense that New England brought forth on Dallas last week, limiting the best passing offense to no touchdowns. The Bills have a tough defense as well, and it will be interesting to see if the Bills can duplicate or come close to New England’s performance.

Offensively, the Bills moved the ball effectively against Denver, who is ranked in the Top 10. Smart, calculated football to keep moving the chains with more usage for Singletary and Gore. The Cowboys weak rush defense should be a target for Buffalo in this game. Also, Cole Beasley is making his big return to the team where he had spent many years at. Beasley was excellent in the short to mid-range passing game last week, and it would be a good idea to continue to build off of that.

The Cowboys obviously have home field advantage on their side, and that typically bodes well with teams on short weeks. Traveling teams are 5-7 on the year, which aren’t terrible odds for the Bills.

Enjoy this game, and the other two throughout the day, with family and friends, the best way to enjoy football. Happy Thanksgiving from myself and the rest of the Billswire staff to you and yours!

USA Today Power Rankings: Jets move up 8 spots after huge win over Raiders

The Jets are now No. 19 in the latest USA Today Power Rankings after their big win over the Raiders.

After the Jets’ best win of the season against the Raiders, USA Today took notice and moved the Jets way up in its latest power rankings.

New York moved up eight spots from No. 27 to No. 19 after defeating the Raiders, 34-3. It was by far the biggest jump of the week for any NFL team. Before the Raiders game, the Jets beat the Giants and Redskins, which were okay wins against bad teams, but the Raiders win is a lot more respectable. USA Today even put the Jets ahead of the Raiders despite Oakland’s 6-5 record.

The Jets will have another opportunity to move up next week when they take on the 0-11 Bengals. Cincinnati is by far the worst team in the league, but the Bengals have been competitive in some games this season. The Jets cannot afford to overlook this team like they have in years past with other bad teams.

As for the rest of the AFC East, the Patriots stayed put at No. 2, while the Bills moved up three spots to No. 12. The Dolphins also didn’t move up or down as they sit at No. 29.

The Ravens are No. 1 followed by the Patriots, 49ers, Saints and Seahawks.

Top 5 offensive lines of Week 12: Titans of the trench, protectors of Jimmy G, and that’s so Ravens

From Los Angeles to the Big Apple via New Jersey, here were the top 5 O-lines from Week 12.

Week 12 in the NFL was the stuff of legend, beginning with a grand entrance that reminded fan bases that November—up to this point—had been just as wild as October.

Selfies were snapped in Week 12, with an excited rookie QB, Dwayne Haskins, not realizing the Redskins had unfinished business against Detroit. (Luckily, Haskins didn’t hit anyone over the head with their phone, or worse, update it to the newest iOS.) The Steelers called on a “Duck” in Week 12, while the Cowboys inexplicably called on the kicking unit. And top of the favorites list was the Packers, reminding the football-watching world that some things are simply more significant and far more critical than seeding in the NFC:

The offensive lines kept on trudging through all of the organized chaos, too—diving, pulling here and there, and doing their collective parts to move the chains while keeping the quarterback upright and minimally pressured. From Los Angeles to the Big Apple via New Jersey, here were the top 5 O-lines from Week 12.

5. Tennessee Titans

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Jaguars rolled into the Music City with a run-stopping defense that was a little light on the “stopping” part, which left them more of a blinking sign that just read: Run!

And run—run, run!—is precisely what the Titans did, and did very well.

Tennessee’s running attack racked up 219 yards and four touchdowns, with Derrick Henry bulldozing his way for over half of the grand total (159 yards) and two scores. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill continued his impressive Act II as the Titans stater, hitting on 14 of 18 passes for two touchdowns, while also adding another two scores on the ground.

New to the rankings, the Titans’ O-line was solid the entire game. Yes, this was Jacksonville and not the Patriots, 49ers or even a loosely roped-off door. But still, they created time for Tannehill while opening lanes for Henry. They didn’t fall victim to any creative schemes nor did they spend the afternoon shaking their head while the referee yelled out their name while making the universally accepted signal for “holding.”

And, of course, nothing seals the deal—on this ranking, anyway—better than…offensive lineman touchdowns!

Ben Jones, Rodger Saffold, Jake Conklin, Tyler Lewan, Nate Davis, and Dennis Kelly: A forced fumble during the lone sack surrendered on the day is not enough to neglect you guys the collective shine for a job well done.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5