BY: JOE KONZE JR.
The Buffalo Bills have a chance to get to eight wins before the bye week as they head out West for another tough matchup this afternoon.
After an impressive 44-34 win over the Seattle Seahawks last weekend, the Bills (7-2) will take on the Arizona Cardinals (5-3) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Buffalo will have its hands full as Arizona has a multi-talented quarterback in Kyler Murray and a few marquee wide receivers. The Bills will need to eliminate big plays early and often if they plan to control this game and earn their eighth win of the season heading into the bye week.
Here are a few things to watchin in today’s matchup.
He Said it:
… And if we don’t see Josh Allen for MVP, we not watching you no more. We going to tell the whole Western New York to cut y’all crap off. Y’all better start the MVP campaign.”
Jerry Hughes on Josh Allen MVP talk
Last time they met:
On the heels of firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Bills played host to the Arizona Cardinals at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sept. 25, 2016. It was Anthony Lynn’s debut, and it couldn’t have gone any better.
Running back LeSean McCoy scored two touchdowns, safety Aaron Williams returned a fumbled field snap 53 yards for a touchdown and the Bills intercepted Carson Palmer four times en route to a 33-18 win over the Cardinals.
McCoy finished the game with 17 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore had two interceptions for the Bills.
No love lost between White, Hopkins:
Tre’Davious White hasn’t earned the respect of DeAndre Hopkins, and Hopkins has no problem letting the world know it.
Just before the Bills’ wild card matchup against the Texans last season, Hopkins tweeted a picture of him catching a ball against White that said “2020 mood.” An interview aired on NFL Network had Hopkins quoted as saying, “He hasn’t earned my respect. He is a good defender, but ignorance is bliss …”
White downplayed Hopkins’ words, but I think it’s safe to say that this little rivalry is far from over. White may have a little extra juice heading into today’s affair as Hopkins was a dominant force the last time they met.
In last year’s matchup, Hopkins hauled in six passes for 90 yards and converted a two-point conversion as the Texans went on to beat the Bills 22-19. Despite concerns of an ankle injury leading up to this weekend’s matchup, White said he would be ready to take the field today.
White will look to shut down Hopkins and hopefully earn his respect once and for all.
Key Matchup- Dion Dawkins vs. Hasson Reddick:
The stage is set for a beautiful battle in the trenches this afternoon between Cardinals linebacker Haason Reddick and Bills’ left tackle Dion Dawkins.
Reddick has been wreaking havoc this season. He leads the Cardinals with five sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss. At the midseason mark, Bills’ left tackle Dion Dawkins is Pro Football Focus’ second best-ranked tackle with a 78.2 rating behind his counterpart RT Daryl Williams, who is first with an 80.1 overall grade.
The Bills will have to find a way to slow Reddick and keep Allen up-right if they want to move the ball against the Cardinals this afternoon.
How will the Bills fair against Kyler Murray:
The Buffalo defense will have its hands full again this weekend as they head to the desert to take on the elusive, fleeted footed, and dual-threat Kyler Murray.
Last weekend against the Seahawks, the Bills’ defense pressured Wilson from many different angles and forced Wilson to commit four turnovers en route to a 44-34 victory. The same strategy can be applied this week, but the Bills must be cautious of Murray’s ability to escape the pocket.
So far this season, Murray has 543 yards on the ground to go along with and eight touchdowns. Last weekend in a 34-31 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Murray had 11 rushes for 106 yards and touchdown.
Murray can also beat you through the air. So far this season, Murray has compiled 2,130 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions and completed 68.1 percent of his passes.
Buffalo will have to find a way to defend Murray without giving up big plays.
Josh Allen’s back in the MVP Conversation:
Sometimes Josh Allen is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.
After a hot start that saw Allen complete 70 percent of his passes for 1,326 yards, 12 touchdown passes, and one interception, his numbers dipped for a few weeks. But after a complete performance last weekend against the Seahawks (31/38, 415 yards, and four total touchdowns), it appears Allen is back in the MVP conversation.
Hold on to your seatbelts, folks. It could be a shootout for Allen this weekend against Murray.
Can Bills establish run against Cardinals defense?:
Every week we talk about the Bills’ rushing attack and how we hope it can turn the corner. Well, this weekend is no different.
The Cardinals currently rank 22nd in the league in rushing defense, having allowed 126.1 rushing yards per game. With Dion Dawkins, Cody Ford, Mitch Morse, Jon Feliciano, and Daryl Williams upfront, the Bills could create some lanes for Devin Singletary and Zack Moss to run through.
Predictions:
The Bills are riding high after a 44-34 win over the Seahawks last week, and Josh Allen is back in the MVP conversation. Both Kyler Murray and Josh Allen have exceeded expectations a led their teams to the top of their respected divisions. Today, I think it comes down to which defense can contain the QB. Will it be the Cardinals defense forcing Josh Allen to turn the ball over? Or will it be the Bills knocking Murray off of his game? I think Allen will pick apart the Cardinals secondary en route to the Bills eighth victory of the season. –Konze-
Bills 34, Cardinals 28
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? We’ll find out today as Josh Allen goes into the desert to take on Kyler Murray. Both of these young QBs have led their teams above expectations this year behind some incredible play. Unfortunately for Buffalo, I think this comes down to each team’s defensive ability to stifle the other’s offense. Buffalo is missing key components on defense, and I think Kyler Murray takes advantage of that, especially with his legs. Josh Allen keeps it close, but Arizona pulls away. – Merekat-
Cardinals 37, Bills 27
Where can I watch and listen?:
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. (ET) on Today at State Farm Stadium
TV: CBS (Ch. 4 in Buffalo, Ch. 8 in Rochester, Ch. 5 in Syracuse)
RADIO: WGR 550 AM (Buffalo), WROC 950 AM (Rochester), WKTV 105.5 FM (Syracuse)
Line: Cardinals by 2.5 (Over/under at 56.)
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