Week 14: Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Sunday Night Football
Last year’s primetime clash against Pittsburgh was a defining moment for the Bills’ season. They had clinched their first ten-win season for the first time since 1999 after Josh Allen scored the go-ahead touchdown with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, that game was truly won by the Buffalo defense, as they forced Devlin Hodges to throw four interceptions and held the Steelers offense to ten points.
If Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, he won’t be making those mistakes. The Steelers defense is still projected to be as good as they were last season, having finished first in takeaways and sacks in 2019. I don’t see Allen outscoring Roethlisberger, especially after the Steelers added Chase Claypool and Eric Ebron to their dynamic receiving core this offseason. This could be a close game, but I am going to side with the veteran and future Hall-of-Famer.
Score: Steelers 31, Bills 17
Week 15: Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos
Denver is always a tough place to play, and I think Buffalo will struggle once again. Josh Allen was serviceable versus Denver last season, but now he’ll need to contend with a healthy Bradley Chubb and Von Miller rushing the passer. Denver did boast an above-average defense last season and only allowed 23 points per game down the stretch, so their defense is quite underrated.
My main concern for Buffalo’s chances in this game is Drew Lock, who will be surrounded with a bevy of weapons in his second season. The Bills held Brandon Allen to only three points last year, but now they’ll have to defend Lock, who has Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, and Melvin Gordon at his disposal.
If this was in Buffalo, I would give the Bills a slight edge. However, better teams have fallen in the high altitudes of Mile High. The Bills lose their third straight game and go into a Monday Night Football matchup with the division on the line.
Score: Broncos 23, Bills 16
Week 16: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Monday Night Football
Tom Brady may be gone, but that doesn’t mean the Patriots are a one-win team. New England stocked up on defensive players during the draft despite already boasting a top-three defense in 2019. Bill Belichick has also had Josh Allen’s number in their recent bouts, holding the young quarterback to under 260 total yards in every game he’s played against him and forcing more turnovers than touchdowns allowed.
The Bills will be competitive on the road in Foxborough, but I am not ready to count out Belichick just yet. The New England offense will be able to move the ball enough on a weary Bills defense to win this game. In another low-scoring contest, the Patriots edge out the Bills in a game that Buffalo may regret giving up when all is said and done.
Score: Patriots 20, Bills 17
Week 17: Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins
The Bills get to end the season at home versus an opponent that will likely be out of playoff contention by this time. With the likelihood that Tua Tagovailoa will be making the start here, I trust the Buffalo defense to exacerbate the rookie and force him into mistakes.
Josh Allen has had success versus the Dolphins in his career as well, throwing for an average of 308 total yards per game and scoring three total touchdowns per contest. Given this Dolphins defense is in the early stages of a rebuild, I’m going to say this veteran Bills team takes care of business at home and wraps up the regular season with a win. After a four-game losing streak, the Bills dominate the Dolphins at home.
Score: Bills 38, Dolphins 17