NFL Saturday football returns in Week 16 with Texans-Bucs, Bills-Patriots, and Niners-Rams
It’s finally here! Saturday NFL football comes back into our lives for one weekend in Week 16. It’s a shame it’s only happening once. The NFL should play Saturday football when Army-Navy is the only college game on the slate. Give the service academies a content window with no opposition, but there’s time to play an early or late game with the Arny-Navy battle sandwiched in between. Much like an NFL team, we deal with what the schedule gives us, so here’s why these Saturday games should be fun.
This Bills team wants more than just to qualify for the postseason.
For the second time in the last three seasons, the Buffalo Bills are playoff bound.
Following their 17-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 15, the Bills clinched at least the fifth-seed in the AFC.
Unlike when the Bills ended their 17-year playoff drought two years ago, this team expects much more out themselves. Much more than just a one and done Wild Card game.
“Everything about it is different,” Defensive End Shaq Lawson told the media after the game. “The whole vibe is different. It’s a 360. (Brandon) Beane and (Sean) McDermott came in and changed it and brought they guys in and it’s paying off right now. Two out of the three years they’ve been here, we’ve been in the playoffs. So, something working… We winning, the culture different. Everybody in the building know what we gotta do and we wanna win a Super Bowl.”
Bills offensive lineman, Dion Dawkins, echoed similar sentiments when speaking in the Bills locker room Sunday night.
“Coach McDermott came in here and he had a team,” Dawkins said. “He had Beane with him… and had a plan. And their plan was to get guys here that can learn, can adapt and can believe in what the coaches are preaching. Three years, two playoffs, it’s special.”
Dawkins made sure to clarify that despite the team’s success, there is still more work to be done.
“Once again, like, we didn’t win the Super Bowl, you know? This is normal now, you know? This is normal. And we’re gonna keep this going and we’re gonna see how how far we can get,” Dawkins said.
Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, who had a monster game against the Steelers, added that team has to stick with what has gotten them to this point.
“It’s big because we get to go to the playoffs for the second time in three years,” White said. “Before all of us got here it was a 17-year drought. We’ve been building this thing since 2017, since we all got here. I feel like, you know, it’s starting to take a turn, but we just gotta continue to trust the process and just go to work each and every day and just try to be the best that we can be.”
White also stated that past failures in the Bills franchise were not connected to this current group.
“This team is not connected to the past, but we just wanna be that team to pretty much break down those barriers and break those boundaries. We’ve been doing a great job all year just responding to adversity and just, you know, playing total team football,” White said.
The Bills will certainly enjoy clinching a playoff berth tonight, but their sights will quickly shift to the New England Patriots, who they will face on a short week, Saturday afternoon.
At 11-5, the Patriots currently hold a game lead over the 10-4 Bills in the AFC East standings. The Bills would need to beat the Patriots and then the Jets in Week 17 and hope the Dolphins can find a way to beat New England during the final week of the season as well, in order to win the division.
Regardless of where they finish, the Bills will be in the dance, which still takes some getting use to after all of those years of being on the outside looking in. But, as several of the players said after their biggest win of the season, that is no longer good enough. It’s the new normal.
In a defensive outing between both teams, the Buffalo Bills offense did just enough to put them over the edge of victory to send them back to the post season for the second time in three years. It was a testament to coaching, discipline, and a …
In a defensive outing between both teams, the Buffalo Bills offense did just enough to put them over the edge of victory to send them back to the post season for the second time in three years. It was a testament to coaching, discipline, and a winning culture that Sean McDermott has established in Buffalo.
The Bills sit at 10-4, are officially in, and could very easily loosen up a bit, but there is still another opportunity at stake, and that is to win the AFC East title for the first time in over 20 years. The chances are slim, but it is still a very reasonable feat, as they head to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots next Saturday. The Bills need to win out, and the Patriots need to lose not only to the Bills, but the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 as well.
Buffalo and Pittsburgh brought their hard nosed defenses to the table last night for Sunday Night Football, and both teams excelled in stopping drives, forcing punts and turnovers, and keeping the game close for their offenses. It was the Bills, fortunately, that made it all happen, behind Josh Allen, John Brown, and even tight end Tyler Kroft.
It was a great win for a team, in the national spotlight, that proved many doubters wrong in the process.
Podcast host Matt Johnson recaps the big Week 15 win, and a look ahead.
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.
Previewing Sunday’s Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers sports betting odds and lines, with Week 15 NFL betting picks, tips and bets.
The Buffalo Bills (9-4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5) were flexed into the Sunday Night Football spot and they’ll meet at 8:20 p.m. ET at Heinz Field. We analyze the Bills-Steelers sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 15 matchup.
Bills at Steelers: Week 15 preview, betting trends and notes
Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!
The Bills will lean upon their suffocating defense, looking to shut down the Steelers. Buffalo ranks third in the NFL in total yards allowed (296.8), third in passing yards allowed (191.5) and second in points allowed (16.3).
Buffalo ranks fifth in the NFL with 135.3 rushing yards per game, but is just 27th in passing yards at 206.6 per outing.
The Steelers are also stout defensively, ranking fifth in the NFL with 310.9 total yards allowed and 209.8 passing yards allowed. They’re also ninth against the run, yielding 101.2 yards per game, and they’re sixth in the NFL in points allowed at 18.6.
Offensively it has been a struggle for the Steelers, checking in 28th with 290.1 total yards per game, and 31st in passing yards (195.5). They have managed just 19.9 PPG to rank 23rd
The Bills are 6-0-1 ATS in the past seven on the road, and 4-1-1 ATS in the past six overall.
The Steelers are 5-1 ATS in the past six overall, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six at home.
Buffalo is making its first appearance on SNF since facing the New England Patriots during the 2007 season.
Bills at Steelers: Key injuries
Bills: DT Corey Liuget (lower body) is a question mark, while RB T.J. Yeldon (illness) is under the weather.
Steelers: RBs James Conner (shoulder) and Jaylen Samuels (groin) are question marks, with Conner likely closer to a return. WR Juju Smith-Schuster (knee) is close to a return, while TE Vance McDonald (concussion) is in the protocol and a question mark.
Bills at Steelers: Odds, betting lines and prediction
The STEELERS (-129) have the advantage since they’re playing at home, but that’s about it. This is a coin-flip game with major AFC playoff implications. That’s why NBC flexed it to SNF. The difference in this one will be if Conner and Smith-Schuster both return. If so, advantage Pittsburgh on its home turf in front of a raucous crowd. Even if one or both cannot go, coach Mike Tomlin is doing an exceptional job with the personnel he has, and the Steelers are just finding ways to win.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Bucs moneyline returns a $7.75 profit with a Pittsburgh victory.
The STEELERS (-2.5, -106) are worth a small-unit play at home, again, especially if Conner and/or Smith-Schuster return. The bright lights of SNF might be a bit much for QB Josh Allen and the unproven Bills.
PASS. The O/U of 36.5 (-106 Over; -1115 Under) is risky business, as both of these teams feature tremendous defensive units with unproven quarterbacks and a solid run game when healthy. If anything, the lean is to the Under, although this is the lowest game on the Week 15 board. Take a pass on the total.
Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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:
Injury status update to Pittsburgh Steelers WR Juju Smith-Schuster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting some help for their test against the Buffalo Bills.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers will get wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster back in their lineup prior to their Week 15 meeting with the Bills. The wideout had been missing time with a knee injury.
Steelers’ WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has missed the past three games with a knee injury, is eyeing a return on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills, per source.
The 23-year-old has been limited to 10 games this season and has 38 catches for 524 yards and three touchdowns. The Steelers’ No. 1 target had 111 catches, 1,425 yards and seven scores in 2018.
Backup quarterback Devlin Hodges is the expected starter under center for the Steelers vs. the Bills.
Bills feel they are close to beating the NFL’s best.
Following their 24-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that he was, “disappointed” and added that, “there are no moral victories.”
While that may be the case, many people gave the Bills little to no chance entering today’s game and despite suffering the loss, they were able to keep it close in large part to another special showing by their defense.
As McDermott stated, moral victories do not exist in professional sports, but it is hard to walk away from this one feeling to down on the Bills. Buffalo was able to keep it close against the hottest team in the league and make an NFL MVP candidate in Lamar Jackson, look pedestrian for most of the afternoon.
So just how far off are the Bills from going from keeping it close, to actually beating the upper echelon of the NFL? Several players on the Bills feel they are right there.
“The gap isn’t big,” Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander told reporters following the game.”You look at today as probably three plays in the game, where this game shifts big time… it’s not like it’s this big reach we’re looking for. We’re right there. I think the thing is just to learn from this. Obviously being in these big type of games, the margin of error is a lot smaller.”
Alexander isn’t the only one who feels like the Bills are close to figuring things out vs. the better teams.
“I think this loss and the Patriots loss rank in the same category, as far as two prestigious teams you’re playing right there with them and ultimately just coming up short,” Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver said. “That’s what really pisses you off. You know, you go to work every day. You go to work with your guys and we know how good we can be, we just have to finish.”
At 9-4, the Bills don’t have much time to dwell on this loss, as their next test will be facing off vs. the 8-5 Steelers, in Pittsburgh, on Sunday Night Football in front of the entire country.
With a win vs. the Steelers next week, the Bills would clinch a playoff spot and perhaps show they can not only hang with good teams, but beat them as well.
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.
There are picks for Patriots-Chiefs, Niners-Saints, Rams-Seahawks and Bills-Ravens.
Don’t get confident. We were on fire with a bunch of big weeks followed by a great Thanksgiving and then went 1-5 in Week 13. That’s the opposite of good. So it’s time to go back to basics. Hit some home underdogs. Take some unders. Moneyline an obvious favorite here or there.
Finishing .500 isn’t the goal because that means lost money. There’s a reason that books take a vig. It’s their fee for taking a bet. That’s why finishing .500 is bad. That vig isn’t made up. It’s not a lot of lost money, but it’s 10 percent of a unit lost generally. So we need some winners. Let’s get some winners.
As usual, the home teams are in CAPS, and we are using Bet MGM for our odds. Games will be listed at -110 unless denoted otherwise.
