Buffalo Bills: Time for the offense to get warmed up

Returning from their bye week, if the Buffalo Bills are going to get back to winning ways, Tyrod Taylor and the offense need to step up.

Back in the glory days of the early 1990s, the two-week wait between the AFC Championship game and the Super Bowl almost felt like a lifetime for Buffalo Bills fans. (Admittedly, they only had to “suffer” through this twice, with their first and last Super Bowl appearances coming just one week later.)

Nowadays, the closest Bills’ supporters get to this 14-day wait, is when they have their bye week. Of course, the stakes aren’t even remotely as high, but regardless, football returns to Western New York this weekend!

This particular two-week stretch wasn’t helped by the fact the Bills’ last game saw them lose in Cincinnati. Even more frustrating, was that they really should have won the game.

In any event, the Buffalo Bills now get the opportunity to bounce back at home, where they are 2-0 in this young season. As an added bonus — theoretically at least — they will be facing a Tampa Bay team which is 0-2 on the road in 2017.

Whether this results in a home win remains to be seen. For what it’s worth, the Bills are favorites with the bookies, although giving the Buccaneers three points on the road essentially means there isn’t that much confidence in Sean McDermott’s team.

Truthfully, if the Buffalo Bills want to be taken seriously as playoff contenders, they have to win games like this. In fairness, they are likely fully aware of this themselves.

So, with all this said, what’s it going to take to get that valuable win and move to 4-2 on the season? Pure and simple, the offense needs to step.

Of course, this can often be easier said than done, especially when you consider the lack of quality receiving options for Tyrod Taylor. In that respect, Charles Clay is definitely out, although there is a possibility Jordan Matthews will be back.

In addition, the ground game needs to get back on track. They may still be averaging over 100 yards per game, but the rushing attack is a far cry from the unit which led the NFL the previous two seasons.

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One of the main reasons the running game has struggled so far this season, is due to the players still getting used to a new blocking scheme. However, it might help if Taylor scrambles a bit more. (Again, sometimes easier than said.)

They are no such concerns yet with the defense, which has allowed the fewest points in the NFL, in large part due to timely stops and turnovers. However, it’s tough to see this model of success lasting an entire season, hence why the offense needs to do more.

Overall, we’re still not convinced the Bills will end their playoff drought this season, no matter how wide open the league seems. (Translation: No team stands out above anyone else, with everyone looking ordinary and beatable.)

For the record, we would have absolutely no issue with being proven wrong. In that respect though, they need to beat the Buccaneers, or no one is going to take them seriously.

Next: Bills running out of options in the passing game

What’s your prediction for Sunday? Will the Buffalo Bills bounce back from the Bengals loss and improve to 4-2 on the season? What are your keys to making this happen? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.