For the second straight week, the Bills are heading into a game featuring two prolific quarterbacks.
When Buffalo (7-2) visits State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Sunday afternoon to face the Cardinals (5-3), the game (4:05 CBS-TV, 95.7 FM, 100.1 FM, 550 AM) will match two of the NFL’s most productive QBs.
The Cardinals’ Kyler Murray’s projected statistics over 16 games show 5,346 yards (passing and rushing combined) with 48 touchdowns. That ranks second only to Seattle’s Russell Wilson’s projection (5,612, 58).
However, the Bills’ Josh Allen, despite four average-or-below outings, ranks fourth (5,031, 43).
It makes for an interesting matchup not unlike last Sunday in Orchard Park when Allen outdueled Wilson, 44-34. Meanwhile, Murray is bidding for an extraordinary record, to become the first quarterback in league history to pass for over 4,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 in the same season.
Halfway through the campaign, the former Oklahoma star and 2018 Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 16 touchdowns and rushed for eight more.
Allen, in nine games, has 19 touchdown passes and five rushing scores.
IN ASSESSING, the 5-foot-10, 207-pound Murray, Bills coach Sean McDermott conceded, “He’s a special athlete and quarterback … the speed and quickness element is off the charts. When you watch it on film and on TV, you can see the difference. And we’re talking elite athletes … he’s not running around average athletes out there.
“He’s running around great athletes and he looks different than even (them).”
And that creates problems for Buffalo’s ‘D.’
Bills’ defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier admitted, “The tempo … how fast they’re going, the style of offense, running the quarterback as much as they do (nearly 10 times a game), you don’t see that week in and week out. You have to prepare a little bit differently than you would for most NFL offenses.
“That was the challenge for us in our preparation … can we simulate the speed of their offense and some of the things they do with the quarterback run game?”
And Murray doesn’t lack confidence.
The second-year pro told reporters, “Whenever I’m on the field, I feel like I’m the best player. I always have the ball in my hands and it’s my job to lead the offense down the field and put touchdowns up. I’m obviously a lot more comfortable in understanding the offense (this season).”
BUFFALO is off to its best start since the 1993 team opened 8-2.
After four straight victories, the Bills dropped back-to-back games at Tennessee and home to Kansas City, then started the current three-game win streak punctuated by last Sunday’s victory over Seattle, the franchise’s most significant triumph in at least six years.
They won all five of Allen’s top performances, but also prevailed twice when he wasn’t at his best.
At 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, he combines strength and elusiveness on the run but with a talent-enhanced receiving corps, Allen has had to run less in desperation than he did his first two seasons.
The key impact has been the trade for wideout Stefon Diggs from Minnesota. He leads the NFL in receptions (63) and yardage (813).
Of course, the Cardinals have an impactful receiving trade acquisition of their own in DeAndre Hopkins from Houston. He has 60 catches for 734 yards in one less game.
ARIZONA’S season, though, has been enigmatic.
It has two “signature wins,” beating the 49ers in San Francisco, 24-20, in the season opener before that team was decimated by injuries, and Seattle, 37-34 in overtime at Glendale, two weeks ago. But the Cardinals have also lost to NFL mediocrities Detroit (3-5) and Carolina (3-6) plus being upset at home by Miami (5-3), 34-31, last Sunday.
Comparing statistics, Arizona is sixth in scoring (29 points per game) and eighth in points allowed (23). Buffalo is 14th (27) and 19th (26).
The Cardinals lead the league in yards gained per game (422), while the Bills are 12th (377) though the big difference is in rushing where Arizona is second (163-yard average) and Buffalo 25th (100). However, the Bills do hold the edge in average passing yardage, 277-259.
Sunday will be the second game when the Cardinals (2-2 at home) will allow 4,200 fans to attend, the first was against the Dolphins a week ago.
THE BILLS got much better news from Friday’s injury report than they did a week ago.
Only two players, both reserves, are out — running back Taiwan Jones (hamstring) and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips (quad, injured reserve) — while two starters — guard Cody Ford (ankle) and safety Micah Hyde (ankle) — are listed as questionable.
Three starters for the Cardinals are out: defensive tackle Leki Fotu (ankle), guard Justin Murray (hand) and defensive end Jordan Phillips (hamstring), the former Bill.
Three others are questionable: running back Kenyan Drake (ankle), safety Budda Baker (groin) and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (thigh).
Oddsmakers favor the Cardinals by two points but, as with last week’s square-off between Allen and Wilson, the best bet is to wager on the over as the current figure is 56.5.
