The Bills have put themselves behind the eight ball with the whistle this season.
Through five weeks, Buffalo ranks fifth in the league with 50 penalties, according to NFLPenalities.com. Only the Cleveland Browns have been flagged more, with 57. It’s been one of the bigger problem areas for a team that otherwise keeps finding ways to win.
That issue will be front and center again Sunday when Buffalo visits Las Vegas.
The matchup kicks off at 4:25 p.m. at Allegiant Stadium, with the Bills listed as 4.5-point favorites and the over-under set at 53, according to BetMGM as of Friday. Buffalo is also a -235 money-line favorite, while the Raiders sit at +195.
CBS will carry the game, with local coverage available on WROC channel 8 in the Rochester area, WIVB channel 4 in Buffalo, WTVH channel 5 in Syracuse, WKTV channel 2 in Utica, WENY channel 36 in Elmira, WRGB channel 6 in Albany and WBNG channel 12 in Binghamton.
Fans can also stream the game on NFL.com and the NFL mobile app, or through NFL+ on a phone or tablet. TV streaming options include Spectrum, DirecTV Choice, Fubo Sports, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTubeTV + NFL Sunday Ticket and Paramount+.
In his prediction, Sal has Buffalo winning 31-23.
“Every week it seems like the Bills have been playing against a team that is loaded for bear. In Week 3 it was the winless Chargers desperate for a win, in Week 4 it was the 1-2 Patriots desperate for a win to stay within shouting distance of the Bills, and now in this game, they’re playing a team coming off a 28-point loss that will be looking to make amends for a truly terrible performance. And this time, the angry team playing Buffalo will be at home.
Of course, there will probably be as many Bills fans as Raiders fans in the stadium, but the point is still valid. The Bills’ defense will struggle with Bowers, and RB Ashton Jeanty could give them trouble, but the Raiders are a middle-of-the-road team on offense and if the Bills can generate pressure on Cousins, they should be able to get the job done.
As for the Raiders defense, it ranks 27th in yards allowed (377.0 per game) and 22nd in points (25.8) thanks to 17 TDs, which is tied for the fifth-most. If the Bills can stop making so many mistakes via turnovers and penalties, they should be able to control the game from start to finish.”
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The recent stretch has made the picture less comfortable. Hairston struggled in the loss to New England, where he was part of a defense that gave up two touchdown passes, and the Bills have since added more competition to the room with Davison Igbinosun in the mix. Buffalo has made it clear that the job will be earned, not assumed, and Hairston now finds himself in a spot where the next step matters as much as the first impression did. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Need To See Why James Cook Drew NFL Punishment
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For Cook, the punishment landed in the upper tier of that weeks league discipline, trailing only the fine issued to Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby. For the Bills, it is the kind of detail that doesnt change the scoreboard but still matters, especially when one of their most important offensive pieces gets singled out in a physical game that already carried its share of heat. [Read more 🡒]
Alec Anderson Has Become A Bills Surprise Fans Cant Ignore
Buffalos 4-1 start has been built in part on the kind of stability that can go unnoticed until it becomes impossible to ignore, and Alec Anderson has fit that mold along the offensive line. With Josh Allen leading a productive offense, Anderson has settled in as a key piece up front, giving the Bills another dependable blocker in a group that has helped the quarterback stay comfortable and the attack stay on schedule.
For a team that has leaned on trench depth to keep its offense humming, Andersons rise has been one of the quieter success stories of the early season. He arrived without much fanfare, but his work has stood out enough to turn him into a surprise performer the Bills can trust, and that matters even more when the schedule starts tightening and every protection call carries more weight. [Read more 🡒]