Arizona Cardinals (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS) vs. Buffalo Bills (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS)
Week 3 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 1PM EST
Where: New Era Field, Buffalo, New York
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: ARI -4/BUF +4
Over/Under Total: 47
The Arizona Cardinals come into New Era Field to face the Buffalo Bills in week 3 action. The Bills certainly haven't gotten the start they envisioned, losing their first two games to Baltimore, 13-7, and then to the New York Jets, 37-31. The Bills are in dire need of a positive development, something that might not be so easy with the Cardinals coming into town. After an upsetting opening week loss to the Patriots, the Cardinals got back to the business of dominating with a 40-7 week two win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They look to make it 2-1 this week in Buffalo.
If someone said the Bills would allow 13 points in week one and score 31 in week 2 and lose both games, you would have been surprised. Week one was a showcase of offensive futility, as the Bills managed one scoring drive against a Baltimore defense that was among the worst the previous season. Against a much better defense, they did some business against the Jets in scoring 31 points on Thursday. The problem is that the Bills are not operating with a lot of patience right now, as evidenced by the firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman after just two games. In 2014, they were 9-7, before going 8-8 in Rex Ryan's first season last year. That trajectory heading downward any more would result in this entire staff getting canned. Hence, the 0-2 start is a source of a lot of stress and pressure for this Bills bunch. And firing the offensive coordinator after the offense puts up 31 against the Jets' defense gives the vibe of a team that's distressed and panicky over their bad start.
The Buffalo offense was out-legged on Thursday, but was by no means bad with nearly 400 total yards. They didn't give him the rock enough, but LeSean McCoy had some big runs and showed he could round into his old form if given the touches he needs. He also caught 4 balls. The passing game actually showed it can get downfield, with Tyrod Taylor hitting Marquise Goodwin for an 84-yard TD pass, before hitting Greg Salas for a 71-yard touchdown score. Taylor posted a 297-yard total with his best receiver Sammy Watkins hampered with a bad foot. Salas and Goodwin combined for over 200 yards in the air. A 31-point total against the Jets counts as progress, but other than the two big plays, the production wasn't up-to-snuff and Taylor sometimes is a bit rattled in the pocket and ineffective. And a better job needs to be done in incorporating McCoy into the fold in a more meaningful way.
While the Buffalo front office disagreed, the main culprit for the loss to the Jets appeared to be the Bills defense, as they gave up a 100-yard rushing performance, while 8 more yards for Quincy Enunwa would have given New York three 100-yard receivers. This is supposed to be Rex Ryan's area of strength and we didn't see it against the Jets. They gave up nearly 500 yards in total offense, while providing very few key stops. The pass-rush was negligible. And after a bad start, they let their offense take the lead in the second-half, but were unable to maintain their stinginess for very long, as three Jets' scoring drives soon had them down again. The Bills added a late touchdown to make it look closer than it was.
The Bills had beaten the Jets five straight times, including twice last season in Ryan's first season. But the Jets had revenge on their minds, as did New York QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose poor performance led to the Jets not getting into the playoffs last season. With 374 yards against this Bills' "D," he atoned for that to some degree. The Bills allowed 28 first downs against a road Jets offense that can be hit-and-miss. The way the Bills' played reminded us of last season, where their form would change wildly from week-to-week. They have a high ceiling and a low floor and trying to pinpoint where on that spectrum they will fall from week to week can feel like an exercise in futility.
It wasn't that hard to anticipate a riled-up Cardinals' team on Sunday winning at home as they were looking to avoid an 0-2 start. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cardinals started hitting the scoreboard with frightening regularity. Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and Jaron Brown all caught TD passes from Carson Palmer, with a field goal making it 24-0. A Chris Johnson TD run and an interception return for a TD by Marcus Cooper, who had two picks on the day, were added on later, as the game was never in question after the first quarter. Palmer had a good game and sat out most of the last quarter, but still was over 300 yards. Johnson and Johnson (Chris and David) combined 99 yards on the ground, while David also had 98 yards through the air. Floyd and John Brown are also dependable contributors in the aerial attack. Jaron Brown added 78 yards, as if they needed another option.
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The Arizona defense was pretty darned good on Sunday. They secured five turnovers, including four interceptions of Jameis Winston. Tampa had 14 drives, scoring on just one. New Addition Chandler Jones had a sack for the second straight game. Cooper, with his two picks and a pick-six, may have earned the other corner job alongside Patrick Peterson. In week one, they gave up 23 to New England, which is no disgrace. After two straight home games to open the season, they now take to the road and it's a long trip from Arizona to Buffalo. We'll see how they perform.
The Bills are certainly feeling tension with assistant coaches already getting the axe. This is really a make-or-break game, as making the playoffs is hard enough after an 0-2 start. It's just that they're facing a superior team that also is feeling the squeeze, not wanting to spend their whole season making up for the previous week. I see Buffalo being a tough cross-conference trip across the country for the Cardinals with a close game ensuing. I'll take the home dog.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Buffalo Bills plus 4 points. Did you know... that you could be wagering on the Arizona Cardinals vs. Buffalo Bills game at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying -110 odds (or more) with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to 5Dimes Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
