By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
Following two straight losses, you can already hear the Bills’ fans refrain: “If they go to Charlotte and lose to the Panthers with Andy Dalton at quarterback …”
This is a undeniably big week for Buffalo coming off the bye.
It follows consecutive defeats by New England and Atlanta, dropping the Bills (4-2) out of first in the AFC East behind the Patriots (now 5-2) who also have the edge of a 23-20 win in Orchard Park.
It follows consecutive defeats by New England and Atlanta, dropping the Bills (4-2) out of first in the AFC East behind the Patriots (now 5-2) who also have the edge of a 23-20 win in Orchard Park.
In the past six years — all of them resulting in playoff berths — Buffalo has still conjured two-game losing streaks in each of those seasons. This isn’t a team of the quality of its predecessors as its 4-0 start consisted of victories over teams with a combined record of 4-24.
The Bills haven’t beaten a team with a winning record and Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium (1 o’clock Fox-TV, Bills Radio Network) they won’t be playing the Panthers of your recent memory.
COACH Dave Canales, former offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers, has Carolina at 4-3 with wins over Dallas 3-3-1 and Atlanta 3-3.
The year after defensive coordinator Sean McDermott left the Panthers to take the Bills’ head-coaching position, they fell into a seven-year swoon, compiling a dismal 36-80 record.
But this year, behind quarterback Bryce Young with running backs Rico Dowdle, who played five seasons with the Cowboys, and Chuba Hubbard sharing the ground game, Carolina has mustered a three-game winning streak.
That’s not good news for Buffalo’s rushing defense surrendering a league-worst 5.8 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, the Bills are having an issue with their own running game as feature back James Cook, though healthy, averaged only 16 carries in the losses to the Patriots and Falcons. That left McDermott miffed with offensive coordinator Joe Brady whose bizarre tight end/end around calls on third and short, that ended in fumbles, left the coaching staff with question marks over their heads.
YOUNG LIKELY won’t play Sunday due to an ankle injury he suffered in a win over the Jets, though coach Dave Canales is calling it a game-time decision. If Young can’t go, old friend Andy Dalton will take his spot.
Dalton, who turns 38 next week, will forever hold a fond spot in Bills’ fans hearts as it was his fourth-down touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd in the final seconds that beat the Ravens and sent Buffalo to the playoffs in 2017, McDermott’s first year as coach.
The key to the Panthers success has been its running game behind the 1-2 tandem of Hubbard and Dowdle that has been the source of the three-game win streak.
“I loved the fact we went into the fourth quarter with fresh and physical backs for finishing games,” Canales said. “I love that for the (long) season you have two backs that you really trust. I expect each of those guys to be 100 mph and empty the tank on every carry, that’s the attitude we have to have.”
Canales added, “I want those guys to keep rotating in and give me everything they have for the whole time. I’m of the mind that I want runs to be full-throttle every single time. When you have the benefit of being able to throw two guys in there with the same type of energy and strength … that’s what you do.”
AS FOR how he plans to attack the Bills, Canales said, “We’re going to be balanced and play off our tendencies and we’re going to run the ball in some fashion. If the run game is going really well as it has the couple of weeks, you can lean on that at times.”
However he knows Buffalo, a 7-point favorite, will present a handful.
“I expect to see the Bills best … they’re coming off a bye week,” Canales said. “They play hard, they play together … I see a team that’s playing physical and rallying to the ball.
“Starting with coach (Sean) McDermott … someone I really respect, (they’re a) good football team. They play with a lot of discipline and a lot of toughness in all phases and it shows up on tape.”
Canales also offered words of hope for Panther fans.
“We haven’t seen our best football … we’ve seen glimpses of it,” he said. “But there’s so much out there for us.”
INJURIES
Bills safety Taylor Rapp (knee) went from the injured list to injured reserve.
The rest of Buffalo’s injury report contains seven names and if Rapp is included that’s six starters. Out for sure besides Rapp are wide receiver Josh Palmer (knee/ankle) and defensive tackle Da Quan Jones (calf). Questionable are middle linebacker Terrell Bernard (ankle), tight end Dalton Kincaid (oblique) and outside linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral).
Also questionable is first-round draft choice Maxswell Hairston (knee) fresh off injured reserve and yet to play in a game. No status was listed for wide receiver Curtis Samuel (ribs).
The only listed status for the Panthers was quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) who was tagged as doubtful though coach Canales calls him a game-time decision.
POLLOCK’S PICK Bills 24, Panthers 20
