After a definitive rout of the Kansas City Chiefs last week in their home opener, the Buffalo Bills (1-1) will try to carry that momentum into Cleveland. Buffalo has lost its last eight games on the road, but that could change against the Browns (0-2), who despite their turnover numbers, have struggled to keep teams from the end zone.
The last two meetings against these teams have been grueling ground battles, and the Bills hope to continue that theme with the league's current leading rusher, C.J. Spiller, coming out on top.
Deciding Factors:
Top of the Line. The Bills' offensive line has been top-notch the first two games, not allowing a single sack on Ryan Fitzpatrick while also providing solid running lanes for Spiller. They may be tested this week, however, with a Cleveland defensive front that's tallied eight sacks thus far and forced six turnovers, though the loss of cornerback Joe Haden may be key to the Browns' turnover numbers on Sunday. Buffalo's line has shown great communication skills in adapting to different schemes, an impressive feat given the little time they've had to meld as a group. In the zone. These two teams are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to red-zone efficiency, with Buffalo boasting a perfect conversion percentage and Cleveland yet to convert. Look for Fitzpatrick to target tight end Scott Chandler (photo: Doug Kerr, Flickr) inside the 20, who at 6-foot 7 has a 9-inch height advantage over safety T.J. Ward, the Browns' likely coverage option. Spiller has also been an option for the Bills, averaging more than 8 yards a carry inside the red zone with two scores.
Super Mario. Defensive end Mario Williams hasn't yet shown the fury the Bills were looking for when they signed him this past offseason, mostly due to a consistent double-team effort sent his way so far. He may have a chance to break out this week, as he will be paired against rookie lineman Mitchell Schwartz. Schwartz has shown promise early on but hasn't gone up against the likes of Williams yet in his early career. If the Browns choose to double Williams like other teams have, expect big things from the inside front of the defensive corps, and don't be surprised if Williams tallies a sack or two of his own.
Rookie watch. At 28, Browns' quarterback Brandon Weeden isn't your typical rookie, and the first-round pick has had two very different games thus far, showing both his strengths and his inconsistencies. Browns' running back Trent Richardson has shown the same in his first two starts. These two will need to be in sync if they hope to foil a Buffalo defense looking to make up for its lackluster performance against rookie Andy Dalton last year. Both had strong showings last week despite the loss and may need to be patient and pick their spots, as the Bills are likely to throw everything they have at the young duo to try to force early mistakes.
Bills posts from the week:
