The Buffalo Bills got their first taste of losing this season against the New England Patriots last Sunday, falling 23-20 at home. The Patriots snapped the Bills' remarkable streak of 14 straight home game victories, but Week 5 is now in the rearview.
Week 6 will present a brand new plethora of advantages, challenges and opportunities as the Bills head to the Mercedes Benz Superdome to face the 2-2 Atlanta Falcons for Monday Night Football. With Atlanta coming off their bye, they will certainly have had extra time to prepare for Monday night's tilt, and it comes at a good time for the Falcons, who have been a hot and cold team to start the year.
If the Bills want to be 5-1 and remain atop the AFC East heading into their bye week, here are five ways they can do so.
5 ways Bills can leave Atlanta with a Week 6 win
1.) Re-establish the run
James Cook had his quietest game of the season against the Patriots, with season lows in touches and yards. It was an anomaly for the fourth year back, as Cook has been a bright spot all season. Reigning MVP Josh Allen led the team in rushing yards on the night with 53, and that's not exactly a recipe for sustained success.
If the Bills want to get the win on Monday night, they need to control the line of scrimmage and go back to what they do best, which is running the ball. The Falcons rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to run defense, but the Bills have an elite ground game, and it's what allows them to be so dominant and control the pace of the game on the offensive side of the ball.
2.) Create separation in the pass game
Ever since the Bills traded Stefon Diggs, who had himself quite the revenge game on Sunday, they have adapted an "everybody eats" mentality, and it's worked... for the most part. The Bills still lack a true #1 option in the pass game, with someone new emerging as the top target every week.
The Falcons currently have the best passing defense in the league, allowing only 135.0 yards a game to opposing QB's. With the Falcons bolstering a stingy pass defense, it will be important for Buffalo's weapons to create some space.
3.) Limit Atlanta's playmakers
The Falcons have invested plenty of high draft capital on their offensive weapons in recent memory, spending Top 10 picks on TE Kyle Pitts, WR Drake London, RB Bijan Robinson and QB Michael Penix Jr. in four consecutive years.
While Pitts may not have lived up to his draft status, both London and Robinson have proved to be among the best of their position groups, and they provide real threats to the Bills defense. The Bills have been among the worst in the league in stopping the run this season, while Bijan Robinson has continued to be a threat both on the ground and through the air.
With questions and injury at the corner position for Buffalo, USC product Drake London is someone the Bills will have their hands full with as well as a physical and athletic boundary receiver might excel against this soft zone secondary.
4.) Get to the quarterback
NFL sophomore Michael Penix Jr. has mirrored the rest of his team in terms of his up & down performances this season. From having games where he looks the part of a franchise QB to being benched for Kirk Cousins against the Panthers, Penix is trying to find his footing.
While Atlanta ranks 1st in pass yards allowed, Buffalo finds themselves just below in 2nd, allowing only 154.0 on average, so this is an area that the Bills' defense could potentially exploit. The Bills have had a mediocre pass rush this season, but this is an area where they can take advantage of a young, unseasoned quarterback and get him off of his rhythm.
5.) Continue to excel on special teams
An area of the game that often goes unnoticed or unappreciated is special teams, and the Bills have actually been quite good in this regard, whether it comes from traditional field goals, kickoff coverage with longtime special teamer Troy Franklin Jr. making plays each week or in the punt game with two drawn roughing the kicker penalties already this season.
Since signing with the team, veteran Matt Prater has missed only one field goal, and has nailed all of his extra points. In a game with two stingy pass defenses, field goals might be a commonality, and if Prater can continue his hot streak, the Bills might be able to create some needed separation in the score.