The Buffalo Bills head to Las Vegas for Week 6 carrying momentum from one of their biggest wins of the season, and most of the early pickers think that edge travels with them.
Buffalo’s overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams was a statement road win, and special teams delivered the turning point. The Bills blocked what would have been a game-winning field goal for the Rams, then went right back down the field and finished the job with their own kick. It was the kind of sequence that showed how complete Buffalo can be when everything clicks, especially on offense.
Now the challenge shifts to the Raiders, who come in at 3-2 but are also trying to stop a slide after losing two straight. That makes this one a little tricky despite the record gap. Las Vegas is in a spot where urgency is obvious, and Buffalo will need to keep that from turning into a problem on the road.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, Brad Gagnon, Kris Knox, Moe Moton, Brent Sobleski, Wes O'Donnell and Ian Hanford all weighed in on the matchup, and the consensus leaned hard toward Buffalo. Six of the seven picked the Bills to beat the Raiders, with Moton the lone analyst siding against them.
There’s still one clear issue hanging over Buffalo: turnovers. James Cook lost two fumbles against the Rams, and those giveaways helped shape the outcome. Cook has been a major part of the Bills’ offense for years, but the ball-security problems have become a real concern, and the coaching staff has already threatened to cut into his carries if the mistakes continue.
That makes this week a test not just of Buffalo’s talent, but of its discipline. If Cook protects the ball and the offense gets rolling early, the Bills should be in good shape. If not, a Raiders team that can be dangerous when it has something to prove could make things uncomfortable fast.
Even so, the Bills enter the matchup as the more trusted side. The expectation from the analysts is clear: if Buffalo handles the details, it should leave Las Vegas with a win.
In Other News...
Former Bills Starter Faces Buffalo With Plenty To Prove
Taron Johnson spent years building his reputation in Buffalo after being drafted by the Bills in 2018, and his run with the team included one of the most memorable defensive plays of that era, a 101-yard interception return in the 2021 playoffs. This offseason, though, his path changed when the Bills moved on and he landed with the Las Vegas Raiders, setting up a return trip to the place where he made so many of his biggest memories.
Now Johnson gets a chance to line up against his old team with a little extra motivation in the mix, and it is the kind of matchup that tends to carry more weight for a veteran cornerback. The Bills know his game well, and Johnson will be looking to make an impact in a new uniform while trying to turn this reunion into a statement game. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Defense Has A Bradley Chubb Problem Fans Will Debate
The moment between the Bills and Rams got tense fast when Los Angeles lineman Alaric Jackson punched linebacker Bradley Chubb, turning a routine on-field exchange into the kind of sideline-scrambling flare-up that can linger well beyond one game. Buffalo defensive tackle Deone Walker stepped in to pull Chubb away, and while Jackson was eventually suspended, then had the punishment reduced, Chubb was left without any discipline of his own.
For Buffalo, the bigger issue is what comes next for a defense still trying to tighten up and move on from the incident. Chubbs place in that mix is part of the conversation now, because the Bills need him available and engaged as they focus on improving on that side of the ball, even as fans continue to debate how the episode should be remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Faces A Bills Test That Could Decide This Clash
Josh Allens latest showcase against the Rams was the kind of performance that reminds everyone how hard Buffalo is to defend when he gets rolling. The quarterback leaned into the same under-center play-action looks that have become a staple of the offense, and those designs have been especially productive for him this season, with strong success both as a passer and as a runner when the Bills build off the fake.
The Raiders present a different kind of problem, though, because their defense has already been vulnerable to under-center play action while still bringing heat from all over the formation. Maxx Crosby remains the headliner up front, often lining up on the left edge and creating disruption even when offenses send help his way, which puts Allen in the middle of the kind of matchup that can shape the entire night for Buffalo. [Read more 🡒]