The Buffalo Bills are riding a four-game win streak heading into Week 10, but they will be battle tested big time against the Indianapolis Colts. The Bills are going back and forth between Orchard Park and the road, and they are heading out to Indianapolis this Sunday.
For a 1PM EST matchup, the Bills are taking on a feisty Colts team who are in a race for the AFC South title, just two games behind the Houston Texans. In order to stay alive in the division race, and even just fight for a playoff spot, they will be looking to pull an upset against the 7-2 Bills.
The last time these two teams matched up against each other, the Colts walked in Orchard Park and flat out dominated the Bills 41-15, where running back Jonathan Taylor had five total touchdowns.
Buffalo will be looking to change that narrative this time around in front of the Colts fanbase. Recently, we had the opportunity to catch up with Casandra Chesser, Site Expert for Horseshoe Heroes to gain some insights on the Colts heading into this game.
Bills vs. Colts Week 10 game insights
1.) The Bills have shown that they can establish the run this season. Who will need to step up on the Colts defense in order to contain the run?
Stopping the run has been a huge problem for the Colts defense, but they have been improving, especially with DeForest Buckner back from injured reserve. He can't do it alone, though, and we have been seeing other defenders make big plays over the past several weeks. Grover Stewart, Dayo Odeyingbo, Zaire Franklin, and Jaylon Carlies will all need to be at the top of their game if they want a prayer of beating the Bills.
2.) What is a strength that the Colts have that should heavily worry Bills fans?
Zaire Franklin has consistently been a league-leader in tackles this season, and between him, DeForest Buckner, and Grover Stewart -- who just got nicknamed the "Triangle of Terror" yesterday -- there could be a lot of pressure on Josh Allen. On offense, Jonathan Taylor is lethal. Even though he's criminally underutilized by Shane Steichen, and has to contend with an overall struggling Colts offense, he's still one of the best running backs in the NFL. If Steichen actually takes advantage of the weapon he has in Taylor, that could be very dangerous for the Bills.
3.) The last time these two teams faced off, Jonathan Taylor had five total touchdowns against Buffalo. Do you expect Taylor to be the x-factor for the Colts' offense against the Bills?
We would certainly hope that Taylor would be a major factor against the Bills. The problem is, Steichen has continually been making baffling play calls that ignore his capabilities, if he doesn't pull Taylor entirely. Twice so far this season, Steichen has pulled Taylor in the fourth quarter while the Colts were still competitive, including during yesterday's game against the Vikings. So while Taylor could be a huge factor against the Colts, the question is, will he?
4.) What needs to go right for the Colts in order to send the Bills back to Buffalo with a loss?
We all know the Anthony Richardson-Joe Flacco controversy by now. Despite how poorly Flacco played Sunday, Steichen is insisting that he will remain QB1. If that's the case, then Flacco will need to play much, much better than he did against the Vikings. The offense had just 23 minutes of time-possession, and while the defense actually had a great day, they eventually crumbled underneath the weight of the offense's failures. The offense needs to actually keep the ball, and with Flacco only being able to do so much at 39 and his receivers far from reliable, Steichen needs to lean heavily on Taylor. If the defense plays the way they did against the Vikings, and Taylor has an explosive game, the Colts might just have a chance at eking out a victory.