Four Downs: Bills looking to bounce back against the Super Bowl champs

The schedule shift continues for the Buffalo Bills, as they host the Kansas City Chiefs in Orchard Park on Monday. It’s another essentially primetime slot for the Bills, as both teams look to rebound from tough losses in Week 5. You can read all of my thoughts in this week’s edition of Four Downs.

Ready to bounce back

Like many Bills fans, I have tried to scrub the memory of Tuesday night’s 42-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans from my memory bank. Where is Will Smith with one of those Men In Black memory-flasher things when you need him? Jokes aside, the Bills will look to bounce back when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.

When I use the term “bounce back,” I do not even necessarily mean with a victory. This is one of those matchups that many fans have felt a bit uneasy about, as the measuring stick game of the season. Win or lose, I’m looking for the Bills’ offense and special teams to look better on Monday. Shore up the running game, establish the intermediate passing game, and see the Andre Roberts we are used to watching. If the offense and special teams get back on track, Monday could be an incredibly entertaining game.

What about the defense?

I took some heat on Twitter after Tuesday’s game for this post addressing the short field that the Bills’ defense had to work with against the Titans. Despite noting that the offense, special teams, and defense all needed to be better—some users took offense that I was not placing all of the blame on the defense.

Let me be as clear as I can with this—the Bills’ defense was not good on Tuesday. Zero pressure on Ryan Tannehill, who was incredibly effective against the Bills. Here comes the “but” where it sounds like I’m making an excuse but prefer that you read this as a logical explanation.

The Bills were without their two best defenders on Tuesday night in Matt Milano and Tre White. Milano has only played one full game this season, and his absence has left a huge hole in the Bills’ defense. Tremaine Edmunds continues to play through an injury, saving us from watching A.J. Klein play 100% of the snaps over the past two games. What I’m trying to say here is that I need to see a healthy version of the Bills’ defense, which has not been on the field since the second quarter of Week 1 against the New York Jets.

Pod of the Week

This week’s podcast comes from our very own Bruce Nolan, with the Thursday edition of The Bruce Exclusive. It’s not easy for fans to take a reasonable look at a disappointing loss, but Bruce manages to do so as only he can. Consider it a must listen.

Prediction - Chiefs 38, Bills 31

Monday’s game looks like it could be a showdown between two marquee offenses in the NFL. Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense should be able to keep it interesting, but I expect Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to be too much for the struggling defense.