Buffalo Bills vs Washington Football Team Week 3 preview: By Air or By Land?

Mike D: Overdue Bills Senior Writer

As you all know, there was no pre-game article last week. I was in Surprise, AZ where I watched the game from Bills Wild West Backers Bar. Of course, my fiance and I were in Overdue Bills Merch (click the link to enter the store). Everyone loved the shirts, so we received a lot of attention. This allowed me to ask a plethora of people about the team; Josh Allen in particular. The consensus was that the game vs Pittsburgh was a fluke, and the Dolphins game was going to be an apology to the fans. The score ultimately made it that way, but it was a long time where the game was 14-0, but it felt like anyone's game. This is 100% due to the lackluster passing game. Josh Allen played like 2019 Josh Allen, or the Josh Allen people said he was coming out of college. With Josh's troubles, Millz asked a great question during the Miami Dolphins Week 2 recap show. Since Buffalo passed the ball 33 times and ran 30, he asked “should they keep this same balance vs Washington?” For me, the answer is no. Let me tell you why.

There are a number of reasons why Brian Daboll and Sean McDermott should come out passing the ball. The biggest reason is Josh Allen's confidence. We are only 2 games into his six-year $258M contract extension, and people are already questioning if we jumped the gun. On top of that, there is a conspiracy theory floating around. Buffalo is now mandating fans are vaccinated after the week 1 home game, and many think this is more about limiting the crowd capacity to ensure Josh is comfortable, instead of Covid. While I enjoy a good conspiracy, I think we are worrying too much. And if we are worrying too much, what is going on in #17’s head? Let him come out, throw the ball and get into a rhythm. His being Superman from 2020 is more important than covering the spread (give the points though).

Our defensive line hasn't looked that good since we had Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus, and Jerry Hughes. AJ Epenesa had his greatest game as a Bill, and Greg Rousseau looked like a steal at the #30 pick. While most of this is attributed to Miami being a terrible offense, the score also contributed to it. Regardless if it is Tua or Brissett, you never want to throw the ball 44 times, and only run it 20. They were forced to be 1-dimensional because they were down big early, and when you get down big early, you're forced to pass. And when you are forced to pass, the defense knows you have to pass. Therefore with our defensive line getting pressure, and the ball hawks we have in the secondary, they were able to turn the ball over. I expect the Bills to finish a top-5 defensive unit in the league. This is possible without Josh Allen having an MVP year, but him turning it up will likely secure it.

Lastly, I believe Sean McDermott needs to see Josh be Josh again. I was a critic of Sean's for years, probably one of the few. This is due to me not caring one ounce about culture and all about numbers. And when it came to decisions that could have and should have been based on analytics, he made all the wrong choices; until last year. He stop being conservative and went for it on fourth downs. We also became a pass-heavy team which led to a great season, not because everyone is best buds. So him being conservative vs Pittsburgh terrified me. While Josh reminded me of 2019, so did McDermott. I am not sure if this was due to his “coach’s intuition”, or if Josh's play determined his decisions. Either way, punting on 4th and 1 may beat Washington, but not the teams that matter.

The Bills are 1-1 and are top of the division. They are sitting pretty in the AFC, and look good to finish top 3 in the conference. They are favorites to win against Washington and should make up for the deflating Home opener. So after expressing my thoughts throughout this article, let me reanswer Millz's question, should they keep this same balance vs Washington? My answer is still absolutely not, but let me clarify. Once the game is over and we check the box score, there is a great chance that we run the ball more than we pass (especially after Daniel Jones had 9 carries for 95 yards and 1 TD). When I'm referring to balance, I'm talking about the scripted plays. Typically the first 15 plays an offense runs. To me, this is what's important. This is a preview of Daboll's and McDermott's minds. Are they coming to air it out, or ground and pound. Because ground and pound won't beat Kansas City (unless you have Lamar Jackson). And yes, I am aware we can't beat the Chiefs until we play the Chiefs, but damn it would be nice to get some rhythm before then.

Before you go, check out my thoughts on the betting lines:

Spread: Buffalo -7.0

Over/Under: Under 45.5

Also, check out the great interview below!