The Buffalo Bills returned to winning ways Sunday with a commanding 26-16 victory over the Denver Broncos at New Era Field. It was a huge bounce-back win for the Bills, who suffered a gut-wrenching 9-3 setback against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. With their victory against the Broncos, the Bills improved their season record to 2-1 as they remained tied with the New England Patriots for the AFC East lead. Leading the way for Buffalo in that win was quarterback Tyrod Taylor who threw for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Bills now set their sights on a possible 3-1 start when they take on the Atlanta Falcons this coming Sunday. For Buffalo to achieve this feat, it needs to continue its excellent play on the defensive end. The Bills’ defense closed the victory on Sunday by forcing Denver to turn over the ball on each of its final four possessions with two picks and two fourth-down stops. The Bills are tops in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 12.3 points per game this season. They will have their work cut out for them, however, against an Atlanta side that’s averaging 29 points over its first three outings.
Given Atlanta’s offensive firepower, Buffalo can ill afford another poor showing by LeSean McCoy. He was bottled up for a second straight week, rushing for just 21 yards on 14 carries against the Broncos. McCoy will look to turn things around against an Atlanta defensive line that allowed just 71 yards on the ground on Sunday.
The Atlanta Falcons preserved their unbeaten record with a thrilling 30-26 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Falcons survived a furious Detroit rally to improve to 3-0 for the season. The reigning NFC champions got a major reprieve when Golden Tate’s go-ahead touchdown in the dying seconds was nullified via review.
The Falcons will look to keep the momentum going when they lock horns with the Buffalo Bills this coming Sunday. They will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well at home of late. Atlanta has won each of its last five home games. The Falcons have dominated the Bills in their recent meetings as well, winning each of their last four games by an average of 10.5 points.
One guy who needs to step up for Atlanta in this clash is Matt Ryan. He saw his nine-game streak without an interception end emphatically against Detroit on Sunday. Ryan threw a whopping three picks against the Lions. That’s quite shocking for Ryan who didn’t throw multiple interceptions in a single game last season. Things are bound to get tougher for Ryan, though, against a Buffalo secondary that has yet to allow a passing touchdown this season.
