Buffalo Bills: 2021 schedule analysis and predictions
Buffalo Bills: Week 6 at Tennessee Titans
The NFL seems to be hitting copy-paste on last year’s schedule, as the Bills had to play the Chiefs and Titans back-to-back last season too.
The 2020 Bills lost both games, but this Monday Night Football affair with the Titans might be even more of a test than Kansas City.
While the Chiefs play a similar run-and-gun scheme to the Bills, the Titans’ old school run-first approach is a one of a kind in today’s NFL. Just as college football’s service academies always stay in games due to their rare and difficult to prepare for schemes, the Titans’ unique take on the game always means they’ll hang around.
The Bills addressed their front seven in the draft this year, so this game will be a direct reflection of the changes Brandon Beane made to ameliorate what was a sub-par run defence last season.
While Derrick Henry is the primary threat, Ryan Tannehill can still sling it in play-action. If this was a playoff game, I’d give it to the Bills, but coming off what will be an emotional matchup against the Chiefs, the Bills fall again to a team that just seems to have their number.
Prediction: 41-30 Titans
Week 9 – at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Bills will get their first look at Trevor Lawrence when they head to #DUUUVAL to take on the Jags.
At this point in the season, we should have a good gauge on what the Jaguars are. Will Lawrence have ascended to ROTY status, or will he be let down by a weak supporting cast? Will Jacksonville be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot, or will they have already fallen off the pace?
Beyond Lawrence, there are even more questions. How will head coach Urban Meyer adjust to the pro game? Will Tim Tebow seriously factor in to the team’s offensive attack as a tight end? Will Travis Etienne supplant stellar sophomore James Robinson as the feature back and turn Jacksonville into Clemson South?
One thing is for certain: This team bares zero resemblance to the Jacksonville squad that knocked the Bills out of the playoffs in 2017. Gone are Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye from what was a stellar defensive unit.
This is assuredly a building year in Jacksonville. The Jaguars might be approaching a window of contention, but they aren’t there yet.