Without argument, the Buffalo Bills take a step up in class this afternoon at Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons (3-0) come in as one of the National Football League’s two unbeaten teams (Kansas City is the other). They rank fourth in the NFL in yards gained (388 per game) and fifth in average points scored (29).
Small wonder they’re 8½-point favorites over the Bills (2-1), despite Buffalo leading the league in fewest points surrendered (12 per game) and sixth in yards given up (278).
Clearly, this game (1 o’clock WIVB-TV, WROC-TV, 95.7 FM, 100.1 FM, 550 AM) is the season’s biggest for first-year coach Sean McDermott.
To this point, the Falcons’ offense doesn’t have any notable statistical leaders, but quarterback Matt Ryan, running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman and receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu are the core of an offense that took Atlanta to last year’s Super Bowl.
Of course, coach Dan Quinn’s team blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead to the Patriots, losing 34-28 in overtime, making them the victim of the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.
But if they was any subsequent fallout, it hasn’t materialized so far this season.
And, given the Falcons’ potentially potent offense, Buffalo’s defense, which has yet to give up a passing touchdown and has surrendered only two TDs this season, is understandably wary.
Outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander noted, “It’s not like we completely destroyed Denver last week (26-16 win), they got some big plays and got some yardage, but we were able to make them kick field goals (three) times and had two big (interceptions).
“We have to continue to have that mindset and understand certain guys in this league (are) hard to stop. They’re going to get the yards, we just have to continue to grind and trust the process.”
He declined to single out any offensive players for Atlanta.
“It’s all of them together,” Alexander said. “ I don’t think one player in this league ever destroys you. It’s a team concept and a team game. What they’re able to do in the running game right now, averaging five yards (per carry), and their play-action is deadly. We have to be focused on first and second down to get them in some third-and-longs to where there’s really no play-action threat.”
Safety Jordan Poyer, Buffalo’s leading tackler among non-linebackers, added, “We’re excited to go out on the road … hostile environment in their new stadium. They’re going to be amped up and it’s going to be exciting for us to go out there and see the jump we can get from Week 3 to Week 4 against a really good offense … a really good football team.
“They have a lot of talent on (the offensive) side of the football. We know we have to be physical with these guys and we have to stop the run … make them one-dimensional, and prevent the big plays.”
Of course, much of the focus has been on Buffalo’s own running game.
The past two games, the NFL’s rushing champion in 2015 and ‘16, has totaled an anemic 56 carries for 144 yards and Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy has been held to 30 yards on 26 tries in that span.
Center Eric Wood admitted of the running game, “It’s very important. When you play an offense like (Atlanta’s), you have to help your defense out a little bit. Our defense has been playing incredible but against an offense like this we need to establish a ground game. We need to do a better job than we’ve been doing the past couple of weeks. And they have a good run defense, so it’s going to be no easy task.”
What needs to happen for the ground attack to improve?
“I wish it was a very simple answer,” Wood said. “We need to block better … we need to do a better job opening holes. We have to do a great job of extending drives … but there’s a lot that goes into it.”
And, for his part, McCoy, while frustrated at being held in check, noted, “We won the (Denver) game and that’s important. (They) take the main weapon (away) and we still win, that’s a good thing. It shows the type of players we have on offense.
“Them guys on defense get paid a lot of money to stop the running game and stop me so we’ll figure it out. (Atlanta’s) a fast defense, but whatever way we have to win … It’s frustrating for me just to not (go out) there and contribute like I want to. But if I have to be a decoy and win games, it has to happen.”
The main reason Buffalo beat the Broncos last Sunday was that quarterback Tyrod Taylor stepped up – 20-of-26 passing for 213 yards with two touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 126.0 passer rating – even as McCoy struggled.
“Each week is going to be different.,” Taylor said. “Last week, we were able to complete a couple of different things, medium-, short-, and long-range balls. We have an identity, of course, and getting Shady (McCoy) going in the running game is always going to be one of our priorities, and we have to do a better job of that.”
Meanwhile, for the third straight week, McDermott or his staff have a major tie to the opponent.
Against Carolina, he faced the team for which he was defensive coordinator for the six previous seasons. Last week, it was Bills offensive coordinator Rick Dennison who came to Buffalo this year after serving that role for Denver in 2015 and ‘16. And, today, McDermott faces Quinn, an old friend, with whom he has never coached, but knows from his sophomore year at William & Mary when the Falcons boss coached the defensive line.
But McDermott emphasized, “The players are going to play the game. Dan and I certainly have a relationship (and are) close. We’re focused on playing the game the best way we know how and I’m sure he would say the same thing for his team.”
