The Buffalo Bills go on the road this week to face the Indianapolis Colts and Joe Flacco. With Von Miller hopefully back on track this week, Buffalo will look to disrupt the Colts' passing game and force them into tough passing situations. As we sit right now, Buffalo is in the sole position of first place in the division, and a win this week would be huge for the conference standings as they face the Kansas City Chiefs at home next week. Buffalo is currently in second place behind the Chiefs, and a win over the Colts would have Buffalo sitting at 8-2 ahead of that matchup. So, what are some of the Colts' weaknesses that Buffalo needs to attack?
Their offensive line
The Colts offensive line isn’t what it was just a few years ago. With two rookies starting in the middle, Tanor Bortolini and Dalton Tucker, Buffalo’s Ed Oliver and Daquan Jones need to step up this week and be a nightmare for Joe Flacco. The Bills' pass rush has been quite well this season, led by Greg Rousseau. With Miller back playing for a second game in a row, the rust should be shaken off, and he and Groot should be giving Flacco headaches. In his five-game appearances this season, Flacco has been given 2.2 seconds to throw, been pressured 27 times, and sacked nine times, according to Pro Football Reference.
The Colts passing game
By that, I mean specifically their wide receivers. Their quarterback play hasn’t been the greatest either, but let's focus a little more on their wide receiver play. Colts pass catchers have had their fair share of dropped passes through the first nine games of the season, with rookie AD Mitchell leading the way with three. Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce have all combined for five dropped passes as well. While there’s a lot to blame on the quarterbacks in Indianapolis, their receivers shouldn’t be off the hook, either. Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas need to take advantage of a mediocre passing attack this week. As PFF pointed out, Benford has allowed two receptions on 12 targets this season.
The Colts’ passing offense ranks 22nd in the league, according to Fox Sports. Now, a lot of that has to do with Anthony Richardson playing poorly in the games he started. With Joe Flacco, the Colts are seeing an uptick, with Flacco totaling 895 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions on a 64.4 completion percentage.
Their weak secondary
This isn’t the same Colts secondary that gave Buffalo fits in 2021, as their starting corners alongside Kenny Moore now consist of Samuel Wommack and Jaylon Jones. Wommack came into the league in 2022 and made one career start with the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Colts this year. Jones has had a good career for himself so far. However, it may be tough for him to match up against the Bills’ receivers. Buffalo has generally been able to match up well against tall corners, and Jones stands at 6’2. Even if one, or both, of the Bills injured receivers doesn’t play, this will still be a great game for Buffalo's air attack.