After coming off a huge win in the game of the year on Monday Night Football in Week 5, the Buffalo Bills stayed out on the West Coast this week and will close out their trip with a Week 6 battle against the 3-2 Las Vegas Raiders.
The Bills are looking to stay in the win column going into their bye week, but the Raiders have been a surprise within the NFL. They got off to a hot 3-0 start, but have dropped their last two games. After getting destroyed by the New England Patriots last week, they will be looking to bounce back and they have the opportunity to make a statement against the Bills.
It's been ten years since the Raiders last beat the Bills, per Pro Football Reference. Since their last win against Buffalo, the Raiders have lost three straight and the Bills will look to make it four in a row.
As fans get ready for this showdown out west, there is plenty to know about going into this matchup which includes game info (per the Buffalo Bills PR X account), key injuries, and then top storylines.
Bills vs. Raiders Week 6 game info
TV Channel & Time: CBS - 4:25PM |
|---|
Play-by-play: Jim Nantz |
Analyst: J.J. Watt |
Sideline: Tracy Wolfson |
Location: Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, NV |
Fans can also tune into 97 Rock with Chris Brown, Eric Wood, and Steve Tasker. In addition, Compass Media will have the game live with Josh Lewin and Lincoln Kennedy.
Key injuries for both teams
Bills
PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
CB Dee Alford (ankle) | Questionable |
WR DJ Moore (shoulder) | Questionable |
DL Ed Oliver (knee) | Questionable |
WR Joshua Palmer (shoulder) | Questionable |
DL T.J. Sanders (shoulder) | Questionable |
Buffalo's Friday injury report featured no players being ruled out, but there are five players whose game status is up in the air. Four out of the five in Alford, Moore, Oliver, and Palmer all missed Week 5 against the Rams. T.J. Sanders was added for a shoulder injury, but he was the only one on this last that had atleast one full practice.
With the Bills heading into their bye week after today's game, it makes you wonder what approach the Bills will take. Alford and Palmer were limited throughout the entire week while Moore and Oliver only practiced on Friday in a limited capacity.
Raiders
PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
DL Tonka Hemingway (concussion) | Out |
TE Carter Runyon (foot) | Out |
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. (hamstring) | Out |
OL Trey Zuhn III (knee) | Questionable |
While the Bills don't have any immediate outs, the Raiders have three and have an offensive lineman listed as questionable, based on their Friday injury report. The Raiders' run-defense is already atrocious, and now they won't have Tonka Hemingway in the middle of the trenches.
Sam Warren of The Athletic reported that head coach Klint Kubiak had said that the Raiders will not be activating TE Carter Runyon and WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. from the IR, ruling them out as well.
Top storylines for Bills vs. Raiders in Week 6
Can Bills' pass-defense hold up against Raiders' passing attack?
The Raiders' offense is averaging 253.6 passing yards per game, which has them ranked 8th in the league. They aren't afraid to throw the ball, and with Buffalo's pass-defense giving up over 280 yards per game, the Bills' secondary is in for some potential trouble. Buffalo's defense has to do a much better job stopping the pass than they have this entire season.
Bills' mismatch against TE Brock Bowers
Despite missing the first two games of the season, Raiders' star tight end Brock Bowers currently leads the Raiders in targets (34), receptions (24), and yards (312). He's also tied for the most receiving touchdowns. Buffalo's defense is in for a bit of a mismatch with Bowers in the middle of the field.
If Bowers and Kirk Cousins can get their connection going early on, this game could get very uncomfortable for Buffalo's defense.
Josh Allen vs. Maxx Crosby
This is the ultimate matchup. Josh Allen and Maxx Crosby will literally face off against each other when the Bills' offense and Raiders' defense takes the field. Crosby will be looking to chase Allen down in the pocket, and while Allen should be depending on Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown to protect him, you know that Crosby is bound to get atleast one sack or QB hit on Allen.
Allen may be scrambling out of the pocket from time to time if Crosby gets loose.
James Cook set up for huge day against Raiders' run-defense
With the Raiders giving up 140.6 rushing yards per game this season, James Cook is in for a big game. Cook comes into this game averaging 5.6 yards per carry which ranks 4th across all running backs. As long he doesn't fumble the ball away, he has the potential to be the driving force for the Bills' offense.
Final score prediction
The Raiders are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak while the Bills are looking to go undefeated in this two-week West Coast stretch and head into their bye week on a high note. Will the Raiders give the Bills a scare? It's very possible, but it's only going to be for a brief time. Give me the Bills to win this game comfortably and head into an extra week of rest at 5-1.
Prediction: Bills def. Raiders, 34-24
Add us as a preferred source on Google