Tag: concern

Causes for concern as the Bills face the Colts in Week 10

Causes for concern as the Bills face the Colts in Week 10

The Buffalo Bills will travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts in Week 10 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Bills (7-2) and Colts (4-5) have been trending in different directions as of late. The Bills have won four in a row while the Colts have lost their last two.

The Bills haven’t won in Indianapolis since 1999. This week, they are four-point favorites to win against a solid Colts team. Even though the Bills will be picked to win by many, there are always a few things that make winning difficult each week. The Bills will need to be wary of them.

Here are three causes for concern for the Bills in Week 10:

Joe Flacco can still sling it

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In his 17th year in the NFL, Joe Flacco still has a more-than-capable throwing arm. Thrust into the starting lineup for a struggling Anthony Richardson, Flacco has the numbers to back that he is a threat through the air at 39 years old.

In four games played this year, he has posted seven touchdowns with just two interceptions and a 94.5 passer rating. In games that Richardson played this year, the Colts averaged 18.8 points per game, and with Flacco, they are averaging 23.5 ppg.

The Bills passing defense, which ranks 15th in the NFL in DVOA, will be tested in Week 10.

Jonathan Taylor on the ground

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With running back Jonathan Taylor in the backfield, and now Flacco under center, the Colts offer a balanced attack on offense. Taylor is coming off of an unproductive Week 9 when he had 48 rushing yards and just 3.7 yards per carry against a stout Minnesota Vikings defense.

He’ll be looking to bounce back, and he has a history of gashing the Bills. In 2021, Taylor had 185 yards and five rushing touchdowns in a Colts blowout win over the Bills.

The Bills will have to gameplan to try to limit what he can do. Last week, the Bills gave up over five yards per carry to both Miami Dolphins’ running backs. While they have gotten gashed a few times on the ground this year, their run defense still ranks sixth in DVOA. Facing Taylor will be a good measuring stick to see what the Bills’ front seven can handle.

Colts keep it close

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Every game for the Colts this year has been a one-score game. They haven’t lost by more than eight and haven’t won by more than six. They’ve been in all nine games to this point. Despite being 4-5 and making a recent quarterback switch, they’re a better team than many think. They very well could be above .500 had Flacco been the starter all year.

At home, the Colts are 3-1 this year, including a 27-24 win with Flacco under center over a good Pittsburgh Steelers team. If Bills fans have a strong showing like they did in Seattle two weeks ago, it would be a big boost for the team.

Luke Fickell addresses concerns of notable Badgers alumni after loss to USC

Luke Fickell addresses concerns of notable Badgers alumni after loss to USC

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell met with the media on Monday in advance of the Badgers’ Week 6 matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers.

One topic of discussion looked back to the team’s 38-21 loss to No. 11 USC, and specifically to the group of notable Badgers alumni expressing their displeasure with the current state of the program.

Related: ESPN updates Wisconsin football win chances for remaining 2024 games after Week 5 loss to USC

A significant example of that is Jack Cichy (Badgers linebacker from 2013-2017), who took to social media on Sunday to give his thoughts on the current state of affairs. His opinion on the program’s changing identity appears to be shared by many former players, several of whom are now publicly stating those opinions.

Program legend Braelon Allen’s cryptic tweet about his experience with the Badgers in 2023 only added to that discussion.

Fickell said the discussion from former players doesn’t bother him as long as it doesn’t bother those currently on the team.

“I don’t pay attention to a lot of things,” Fickell said. “Unfortunately, when you have children now that are of the age, if there is something out there they let you know. I have to do a better job of making sure they understand that, ‘no, I don’t want to hear those things.’ But it’s a part of the game. It’s all things that we have to be able to deal with. It doesn’t bother me. I only worry if it bothers our guys within our program on our team.”

Fickell continued his thought, noting that passion from former players is part of what makes the program great.

“If people didn’t have passion for what it is that we’re doing, we wouldn’t have sold-out crowds. We wouldn’t have an environment that we create here and competitive advantage when guys come into our home. Because of the passion, whether it’s the fans, or former players have. That’s what makes programs great. You have got to be able to handle the ups and the downs. You have got to be able to handle the positives and the negatives, whether you’re a coach or you’re a player.”

Wisconsin picking up a decisive win over Purdue would certainly quell criticisms about the state of the program. A run to bowl eligibility against a gauntlet rest-of-season schedule would do so as well.

The dynamic of the ‘new school’ against program alumni and the ‘old school’ appears it will only continue, however. The decision to hire Luke Fickell pushed away the Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard era, one that many of these former players were a part of. That context matters when noticing who exactly is voicing these concerns.

Winning tends to cure all in this sport. Fickell and the 2024 Badgers need to do so on Saturday against a poor Purdue team. If not, criticisms from program alumni will only continue.

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