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Chargers @ Bills

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By ALAN FERGUSON

STATS Writer

 

(AP) -- With the league's longest active playoff drought hanging over them, the Buffalo Bills are far from content with their 2-0 start.

 

The Bills enter Sunday seeking their longest win streak since last opening 3-0 in 2011 as they host the San Diego Chargers, who won't have Ryan Mathews available for the foreseeable future.

 

Buffalo has made strides toward returning to the postseason for the first time since 1999, but its players see plenty of ways to improve.

 

Performing better in the red zone is one of them. The Bills are tied with New Orleans for an NFL-best 10 drives inside their opponents' 20-yard line but have scored three touchdowns.

 

They got one TD in six trips to the red zone last Sunday in a 29-10 victory over Miami, and Dan Carpenter matched a career high with five field goals in six attempts. Buffalo settled for a field goal in its only red-zone trip of the second half in a 23-20 overtime victory over Chicago to open the season.

 

"It's sad to just be kicking field goals. That's something we have to fix," said rookie Sammy Watkins, who had eight receptions for 117 yards against the Dolphins.

 

Watkins had the Bills' lone offensive touchdown - the first of his career on a 12-yard catch - as special teams played a major role. Besides getting C.J. Spiller's 102-yard kickoff return for a TD, Buffalo blocked a punt and recovered a muffed punt.

 

"How we played (Sunday) won't win for us later in the season," guard Chris Williams said.

 

The Bills, though, have played fairly well defensively. They've forced five turnovers and totaled six sacks while ranking fifth against the run, allowing 83.0 yards per game, after finishing 28th last year (128.9).

 

That's helped make up for an offense which has been limited to 28 first downs - second-fewest in the league - as E.J. Manuel has thrown for just 375 yards. However, he's thrown only one interception and been sacked once after being picked off nine times and sacked 28 in 10 games during his 2013 rookie season.

 

"You're never going to be perfect, but the good thing is we're still coming out with two wins versus two great teams," Manuel said. "As long as we win, I'm happy."

 

Buffalo has a recent history of turning promising starts into distant memories. The Bills lost 10 of 13 after winning their first three games in 2011 and began 4-0 in 2008 before dropping nine of 12.

 

"To sit here and say, 'Oh, did we expect to have people give us credit?' Not when you haven't done anything for such a long period of time. I think we understand that," coach Doug Marrone said. "We've got to get better each week. ... And really, all of our focus right now is the game that's next, San Diego."

 

The Chargers (1-1) head into Buffalo after holding off Seattle 30-21 last Sunday, beating the reigning Super Bowl champion despite Mathews being removed on a cart in the fourth quarter. San Diego announced Monday that he had a sprained right MCL but didn't disclose the degree of the injury or how long he would be out.

 

Mathews played in all 16 games for the first time in his four NFL seasons in 2013 and rushed for a career-high 1,255 yards.

 

"Everyone recovers differently," coach Mike McCoy said. "... We've had players who were supposed to be done for the season and the next thing you know they come out there Monday or Wednesday and they're practicing with something torn or something broken or this or that. I don't want to put a timetable on anything."

 

Danny Woodhead, Donald Brown and rookie Branden Oliver are the potential replacements for Mathews.

 

"We've said that we're going to play all our backs, certain rotations, certain number of plays," McCoy said. "... We have confidence in all our players. That's why they're here."

 

Mathews' injury could mean San Diego will look more to Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates to keep their connection going from last week. Gates matched a career high with three touchdown catches and was named AFC offensive player of the week.

 

The 12-year veteran, among the league leaders with 13 receptions and 177 yards, has four TDs in four career games against Buffalo and had two in the most recent matchup, a 37-10 win in 2011.

 

The Bills have allowed their first two opponents to throw for a combined 590 yards, and the opposing tight ends caught 16 passes.

 

Source: Hosted.Stats.com

Edited by BLUE

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I need Rivers to do well (and throw a bunch of screens to Woodhead) but the rest of the Chargers offense to crash and burn and lose.

 

:Bills: 31

:Chargers: 17

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I want to see Fred Jackson wreck someone's face. Chargers are gonna be on a real high after beating SEA and I hope Buffalo can catch them off guard.

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As nice as the first two games have been, I'm still not too optimistic. I've been burned by great starts before, and San Diego is a very good team. Hopefully the whole travelling east thing really hurts them.

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If they lose, it will be because of EJ Manuel, and not that defense or Watkins who are both legit.

 

:Bills: 27

:Chargers: 17

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This brings to mind Buffalo's 5-1 start with Trent Edwards at QB (and I believe Marshawn Lynch was just starting his career). The highlight of that start was a win against a very good San Diego team.

Can the Chargers backup tailbacks make up or the loss of Mathews? I don't know, but I don't see them losing this game. I'm about to write and AFC West prediction thread.

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The Bolts are a tough team to play with when they get in the short pass ball-control mode. They are also however great at looking brilliant one week, and lost the next. Interested to see how they get on without Ryan Mathews, though I think they'll be fine - the loss of Ingram could be worse against a team that lives through the ground game. Sammy Watkins is poised for a big game if EJ can stay up. I give the Chargers a slight edge.

 

:Chargers: - 27

:Bills: - 20

Edited by theMileHighGuy

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I messed up the title and had it as Bills @ Chargers at first. My bad. :redface:

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I messed up the title and had it as Bills @ Chargers at first. My bad. :redface:

 

Makes me look stupid, but my prediction still stands

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The Bills D-line is very scary at the moment. I can definitely see them pull off a win here but I'm going with the Chargers in this one.

 

:Chargers: 24

 

:Bills: 21

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Smart money is probably on the Bills. 1:00 pm eastern... yech.

 

But I do think that the Bills ground game is overrated. They racked up a bunch of junk yardage in garbage time of losses last year because they still ran from behind. And this year Spiller and Jackson have had one big scamper a piece, and are otherwise living right around ~2.7 YPC.

 

I'm afraid of Kyle Williams. I think he may eat our interior offensive line.

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This is going to be a bad weather game, so passing should be tougher.

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This is going to be a bad weather game, so passing should be tougher.

The hits just keep on coming. Mathews and Ingram will be out. Allen will be limited. Our banged up interior OL has to face Williams/Dareus. It's an early east coast kickoff. There's going to be heavy rains which may negate our advantage in the passing game. Ugh... I am just not feeling good about this.

 

Not trying to build in excuses. I won't bring any of this back up if we lose. I'm just not optimistic.

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I actually agree with you on the limitations of our run game though. I'm much more confident in Rivers being able to handle it than EJ.

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Chargers declared RB Ryan Mathews, WR Dontrelle Inman, CB Steve Williams, CB Chris Davis, NT Ricardo Mathews and NT Ryan Carrethers inactive for Week 3 against the Bills.

Mathews is dealing with a sprained MCL that should keep him out for at least a month. Davis is dealing with an ankle injury. The rest are healthy scratches.

 

 

 

Bills declared RB Bryce Brown, LB Keith Rivers, CB Ross Cockrell, LB Randell Johnson, TE Chris Gragg, OG Cyril Richardson and OT Cyrus Kouandjio inactive for Week 3 against the Chargers.

This is the third game in a row Brown has been a healthy scratch. Anthony Dixon will be the No. 3 back for Buffalo. Keith Rivers is week-to-week with a groin injury. Rookie Preston Brown will start in his place.

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I'm at the game so here's some insight you can't get from tv:

 

The bills aren't very good

  • Upvote 1

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The weather wasn't a factor and Rivers could throw... that made all the difference. I think the Bills are better than the Chargers overall, but not at QB where it counts the most. We have a huge advantage there and that made all the difference.

 

Takes:

- Rivers is a boss

- EJ Manuel is not good

- Our interior offensive line sucks

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EJ Manuel is absolutely KILLING the Bills. They need to get a real quarterback behind that offensive line. Just terrible how many open receivers he misses every week.

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EJ Manuel is absolutely KILLING the Bills. They need to get a real quarterback behind that offensive line. Just terrible how many open receivers he misses every week.

Hangs them out to dry too. Receivers are going to get sick of playing with him. He needs to get the ball down.

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Gameplan:

 

Bills not be very good.

Jameis kicked off team.

Falls to 2nd round.

Bills get new QB.

Instant Championship Contender

  • Upvote 1

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We have a guy named Brandon Oliver out of BU who was give the nickname "Mini Sproles" in preseason. I'd imagine he would step into Woodhead's role. I don't expect him to match Woodhead's production but at the same time I'm not entirely worried.

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