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The Buffalo Bills are set to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and Four Downs is here to get you ready for kickoff. Get my thoughts and predictions below, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section.
Can the defense bounce back?
Most of you know that I try not to get too high, or too low, when it comes to the Bills. With that being said, I am starting to panic just a bit as it relates to the defense. In trying to keep some perspective, I do realize that the Los Angeles Rams are one of the top offenses in the NFL—and the Raiders are not. They do feature running back Josh Jacobs and tight end Darren Waller on offense—so the Raiders are not devoid of talent. My hope is that the Bills front seven has an improved performance on Sunday, led by Jerry Hughes and the defensive line.
Is Josh Norman set to make his Bills debut?
based on the roster moves made this week, it appears that Josh Norman is ready to be activated from the injured reserve. Norman returned to practice this week, and all indications are that he will be ready to play on Sunday. With some recent struggles from Levi Wallace on the outside, and Taron Johnson in the slot, it will be interesting to see if head coach Sean McDermott makes any adjustments to his lineup. Should Norman make his debut on Sunday, he could provide a boost to a Bills defense that has struggled as of late.
Pod of the Week
If you follow me on Twitter, you will see where I commended our very own Bruce Nolan on his best podcast yet. While there have been plenty of podcasts about Josh Allen this season, I felt that Bruce brought a completely unique perspective to the discussion. As opposed to basing his arguments on analytics or emotions, he adds logic to the mix in describing the third-year quarterback. If you have not listened yet, I would highly suggest that you do.
Prediction: Bills 31, Raiders 24
The Bills will improve to 4-0 with another impressive showing from the offense on Sunday. I’m expecting a better performance from the defense, and the game will not feel as close as the final score indicates. Josh Allen’s 300+ passing yards streak ends at three, only because the running game has a dominant performance led by Devin Singletary.