Two Bills Drive

‘Instead of trying to tackle ball carriers, Thompson runs through them. The 11th-year linebacker, who’d spent his first 10 NFL seasons in Carolina, plays with the same brand of controlled violence that defined the position for generations. This isn’t a headhunting veteran. Thompson has been through enough to know the toll football can take on a man’s body and mind. He drives his shoulder into the torso, with a ferocity that can be conjured only by the sport’s fiercest competitors.’

‘The Bills’ 1,868 rushing yards this season lead the NFL. Running back James Cook has spearheaded that, but quarterback Josh Allen credited the offense as a whole in the ongoing dominance. “I think it’s obviously our O-line doing a great job,” Allen said on Wednesday. “But it’s our skill position players, too, the willingness to go in there and block and get hands on safeties and stars and linebackers. We’re asking our tight ends to do a lot in the run game and they’ve done it exceedingly well. And we’re gonna continue to need that moving forward, especially once the weather gets like the weather it gets here – being able to run it when the opposing team knows that we’re gonna run it.”’

‘153.3: The Bengals’ defense ranks 31st in rushing yards allowed per game (153.3). They have given up 43 runs of 10-plus yards, sixth-most, and the fourth-most yards before contact per attempt (1.80). Opponents have scored at least two rushing touchdowns in three of Cincinnati’s last five games, and the Bengals have surrendered at least 100 rushing yards in each of their last 11 games. Bills running back James Cook is second in the NFL in rushing (1,228), 54 yards behind the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, and Cook is averaging 5.3 yards per carry.’

‘This is a difficult matchup for the bills’ defense. They are without their best pass rusher, Joey Bosa, for a game in which Joe burrow had extra time to rest and prepare. Bengals running back Chase Brown has totaled at least 100 yards in six consecutive games. It will be a shootout if Buffalo can’t stop the run. If it can, then we’re looking at a blowout win for the bills. burrow will create a few explosive plays − look for Sean McDermott to use Christian Benford to shadow Ja’marr chase − but his defense won’t be able to stop Josh Allen enough times for Cincinnati to keep up. Bills, 35-24’

‘For what it’s worth, Bills coach Sean McDermott seemed none too happy about losing Ingram during his Friday news conference – understandably so. It seems improbable that Beane would have made such a move if he had any idea that Slay may not report. There is some bad luck involved here, but for critics of Beane, it places another log on the fire that’s under his seat.’