1. Are defenses playing Josh Allen different than the first four weeks?
Bills quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills offense don't seem to have the fire power that we saw in the first four weeks. The Bills offense had 11 completions of 20 or more yards during Weeks 1 through 4. In the last two weeks, the Bills have only connected on one completion of 20 or more yards.
Does that mean defenses are playing the Bills differently in the last two games?
"I think each week teams play a little bit different," offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said. "Are they playing some more two-deep shell, deep defensive guys? Yeah, they're playing a little bit of that. But last week, yesterday's game wasn't the same as last week with exactly what we got. I'm sure it won't be the same this upcoming week. We just have to do a good job of getting them in the right place to go out there and execute it and make good decisions."
2. An update on Bills offensive line health
Offensive guard Jon Feliciano hasn't played a snap yet do to a pectoral injury that placed him on the injured reserve. Feliciano has been back at practice for more than a week and could come off IR, if the coaching staff chooses to do so.
Bills offensive lineman Cody Ford came out of the Chiefs game with a knee injury and is considered week-to-week per head coach Sean McDermott. With health being an issue for some offensive linemen, McDermott said they've already given some thought to Feliciano potentially coming off IR.
"We had some called minor talks about it this morning," McDermott said. "Brandon [Beane] and I have to revisit that this afternoon as we get back together."
Guard Quinton Spain was inactive for the Chiefs and Titans game due to a foot injury. McDermott said they would re-evaluate how the injury was looking on Tuesday.
3. How the Bills defense can be better on third down
Through six games the Bills defense has allowed opposing offenses to convert third downs at a rate of 53.5 percent, which ranks 30th in the league. The Chiefs converted 64.3 percent of their third downs in Week 6, and the Titans converted 60 percent in Week 5. Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier shared how he thinks his defense can do a better job of getting out of third and long situations.
"It's been a combination of things between our rush and our coverage," Frazier explained. "There were times last night and even in the game on Tuesday night where we set up a situation where we have a third and long where we really feel good about it, and our technique's off a little bit or the quarterback ends up getting out of our pocket and makes some plays on the run. It's a combination of things, and we've got to settle that down hopefully starting this week."
"You get a team in 3rd-and-7-plus, you'd like to feel like you have an advantage. Under six it's a little bit tougher, more 50 percent chance if you can win in those situations. But the seven-plus in the past, we've been pretty good so it's disappointing to see how we've struggled in that area in 2020. We have another chance at it this Sunday, and we have to figure out a way both schematically and execution wise to be better than we been. It has to improve. That's a big turning point in our season, if we can improve that."
