News, Politics, and Culture from 14843

Pollock Prediction: The Buffalo Bills aren’t fooled by the Colts’ record

Author: Share:

By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun and Olean Star Senior Sports Columnist

For 18 years, the Bills had a divisional relationship with the Colts in Indianapolis. 

It started in 1984, the year they moved from Baltimore but remained in the 5-team AFC East with the Jets, Patriots, Dolphins and Buffalo, home-and-home every season.

But, in 2002, the NFL expanded and opted for eight 4-team divisions and the Colts left the East and joined the new AFC South with Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee.

Those annual visits to Indy for Buffalo were gone. Since the division switch, the Bills  have made only three trips to the RCA Dome, now Lucas Oil Stadium, in 22 years. The fourth comes Sunday afternoon when Buffalo (7-2) meets the 4-5 Colts (1 o’clock, CBS-TV, Bills Radio Network).

For the record, the Bills lost the first three recent visits: 17-16 in 2006, 20-13 in 2012 and 37-5 in 2018, QB Josh Allen’s rookie season. Indy won 11 of those 18 division games on its home field.

And the Colts’ record this season is deceptive.

All nine Indianapolis games have been decided by a one-possession result. The Colts lost both to Houston by two and three points, Jacksonville by a field goal, Green Bay by six and Minnesota by eight.

Small wonder, though the game might seem a superficial mismatch, the Bills are favored by only four.

SECOND-YEAR boss Shane Steichen should be in line for Coach of the Year for keeping Indianapolis in every game with the issues he’s endured at quarterback.

The problem was supposed to be solved last year when the Colts drafted Florida’s Anthony Richardson No. 4 overall. But he struggled a season ago and it continued this year with him completing less than half his passes with four touchdowns, seven interceptions and nine fumbles in six starts.

Thus Steichen made the gutsy decision to bench the supposed “franchise QB” and put the offense in the hands of 39-year-old Joe Flacco who won Super Bowl XLVII for Baltimore back in 2012.

Flacco is 1-2 in three starts — losses to theTexans and Vikings — but has thrown seven touchdown passes with two picks and a solid 94.5 passer rating.

The coach’s reasoning was simple: “We’ll get to the future when we have to get to the future. We’re trying to make the playoffs. We’re trying to make a push right now going into November and December and feel that Joe gives us the best chance to do that.”

Steichen virtually ceded the job to Flacco, at least for now.

To be sure, the Colts’ QB, 11 years Allen’s senior, has impressed his counterpart.

“He’s an absolute baller,” the Bills’ quarterback said. “He throws one of the prettiest balls you’ll ever see. I got the chance to spend a little bit of time with him in Tahoe at the (American Century) golf tournament this last year, and he’s an awesome guy. He’s won a Super Bowl and is a fantastic player but an even better person.”

Buffalo coach Sean McDermott added of Flacco, 3-1 versus Buffalo in his career,  “One of the best to play the position. He’s been playing it for quite some time and there’s not a defense he hasn’t seen already from a disguise standpoint, so he’s on top of his game and we have respect for his game.”

BUT IT’S not just at quarterback that worries Buffalo’s defensive coaching staff.

The Bills rank in the middle of the pack in rushing ‘D’ (123 yards per game) but Indy has one of the league’s elite backs in Jonathan Taylor who has returned from injury to average nearly five yards per carry and scored five touchdowns.

If you think that Buffalo’s hierarchy wasn’t concerned, it brought back two defensive tackles, Jordan Phillips (third time) and Quinton Jefferson (second), two players with run-stopping ability.

Current starters Ed Oliver (seven tackles, no sacks in three games) and DaQuan Jones (three tackles, no sacks in the last four), have all but disappeared. McDermott might feel the arrival of Phillips and Jefferson will give them a nudge.

Buffalo’s other issue is at wide receiver where three of the five on the active roster are nursing various injuries, though there are also three wideouts on the practice squad just in case.

In the final injury report before Sunday’s game, rookie Keon Coleman is out with a wrist injury and trade acquisition Amari Cooper is questionable with the same issue. Mack Hollins is fine with a shoulder injury while Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel are fully healthy.

Two other Bills are questionable, linebacker Baylon Spector (calf) and fullback/special teamer Reggie Gilliam (hip).

POLLOCK’S PICK: Bills 20, Colts 17

Read more from Chuck:

Thoughts on the 61-yard Bass field goal and where the Bills sit

• Solid win to open the season for the Bonnies

• Bass vindicated by 61-yard field goal to beat the Dolphins

• Bills don’t own the Dolphins but have an option to buy; prediction 27-20 (final was 30-27)

• The season is here for St. Bonaventure basketball

 St. Bonaventure speaks out, “We got Woj”

 Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess

• Pollock on the passing of St. Bonaventure legend Paul Hoffman

• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays

• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?

• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department

• The inside story on why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years and a Gary Nease update

• Bill Walton was must-see basketball when he played in Buffalo for the Braves

•  Memories of the Indy 500 and a look at racing NASCAR on the same day

• Looking ahead at another rebuild for Coach Schmidt and St. Bonaventure basketball

• The Bills made mistakes, but were impressive against the Seahawks

• Fans, Bills dominate in Seattle

• What a season so far for Josh Allen

• The Bills are in a great spot

• The defensive spark the Buffalo Bills needed

• Pollock Prediction: A Bills win over the Titans

• The Bills’ win set them up well in the AFC East

• Bills win in capture the flag over the Jets

• Jets and Bills will be a 3-point game (it was)

• What is the problem? Is it the QB or the receivers for the Bills

• This loss was on McDermott

• Chuck Pollock predicts a 23-20 Texans win over the Bills (final was 27-20 Texans)

• One bad game doesn’t define the start of the season for the Buffalo Bills

• Loss by the Buffalo Bills came down to one ill-fated play

• Pollock Prediction: The 1-2 Ravens will beat the 3-0 Buffalo Bills

 St. Bonaventure speaks out, “We got Woj”

• The Bills are buying into McDermott’s mantra ‘everyone eats’

• Suddenly, the Bills turn everything around

• Josh Allen on the electricity of Monday Night Football

• Why Bona was worth more than EPSN’s millions for Woj

• Win by the Buffalo Bills may be been McDermott’s finest job as head coach

• Chuck Pollock with a historical look at Bills training camp for fans and the media

• Tony Hunter’s passing evokes memories of Jim Kelly in the draft

 Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess

• Pollock on the passing of St. Bonaventure legend Paul Hoffman

• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays

• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?

• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department

• The inside story on why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years and a Gary Nease update

• Bill Walton was must-see basketball when he played in Buffalo for the Braves

•  Memories of the Indy 500 and a look at racing NASCAR on the same day

• Looking ahead at another rebuild for Coach Schmidt and St. Bonaventure basketball

• O.J. Simpson left a mixed legacy … in the wrong order

• When do we hear from Schmidt?

• Barb Questa to the rescue once again for St. Bonaventure with the AD situation

• Bona’s Manhertz’s self-inflicted NIT embarrassment ended his tenure

• St. Bonaventure made every excuse to skip the NIT except the eclipse

• A look at the current Bona player situation and how it relates to the past

• The Buffalo Bills have had darker days with cuts during off-season

• Caitlin Clark brings up memories of St. Bonaventure women and men’s basketball players

• St. Bonaventure primed for strong finish in Atlantic 10

• Feature on the Bonnies as the season winds down

• Pollock on Joe Brady and the Buffalo Bills’ win over Miami

• Bills victory in Miami felt like a home game

• Why are the Dolphins favorites to beat the Bills?

• The Buffalo Bills may have won, but special teams continues to be an issue

• The Buffalo Bills win, a breakdown of the performances, quotes and interesting stats

• Making the grade: Chuck Pollock grades the Buffalo Bills position-by-position

• The Bills will have a new look with six captains who started off the roster

 Bills took some risks with the roster cuts

• Preseason has not panned out the way McDermott planned

• Suddenly, major injury issues for the Bills

• It was a win over the Steelers but a loss in other departments

• McDermott on the Bears game: That’s not how we play

• Bills to debut new ‘dynamic kickoff’

 Beane says this is a new NFL team

• Beane responds to Josh Allen critic

Previous Article

Alfred State Agriculture students excel in a pair of competitions

Next Article

FEDS: 54 year old Palmyra man pleads guilty to child abuse and exploitation, faces 15 years

You may also like