Week 6: Bills vs. Bengals
at
Sunday, Oct. 13th
1:00pm ET
It will be tough for the Bills to come up with a victory against a Bengals team that is coming off of a landmark victory against the Patriots. They bring a tough defense to Orchard Park that kept New England out of the end zone for the first time in years. It will make things that much harder for Thad Lewis making his second career start.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Matchup: Buffalo (2-3) vs. Cincinnati (3-2)
Place: Ralph Wilson Stadium
TV/Radio: Network: CBS; DirecTV: 709; Sirius: 110
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots, and Boomer Esiason
Spread: Bengals by 7½
Series: Bills lead 15-10 (Bills 0-2 in playoffs)
Streak: Bengals Won 1
Last Meeting: Bengals 23-20 in Cincinnati (2011)
Bengals Offense: Rush (19th); Pass (18th); overall (t-22nd)
Bengals Defense: Rush (10th); Pass (11th); overall (8th)
Bills Offense: Rush (3rd); Pass (28th); overall (16th)
Bills Defense: Rush (22nd); Pass (18th); overall (21st)


INJURY UPDATE

The Bills biggest injury is at the most important position. EJ Manuel is currently sidelined with a LCL sprain. Jairus Byrd is expected to make his season debut after being out with plantar fasciitis in both feet. Marquise Goodwin, Stephon Gilmore, and Ron Brooks all are improving and practicing. They all have a chance to return to action this week with Brooks more of a long shot than the other two. C.J. Spiller is still hobbled by a sprained ankle but should be able to play. Stevie Johnson is battling a lumbar strain and his status is up in the air. The Bengals had DE Michael Johnson (concussion) and CB Brandon Ghee (thigh) miss practice time this week. LB Michael Boley and CB Leon Hall have been limited as well with hamstring injuries.

Check out our Bills Daily Injury Page throughout the week for the latest updates on the injured players.

KEY MATCHUPS

RB C.J. Spiller vs. LB Vontaze Burfict:
Spiller needs to be near 100 percent or else his ankle injury will hinder him and Burfict will waiting. He is easily leading the Bengals in tackles from the outside backer spot.

C Eric Wood vs. DT Geno Atkins:
Wood goes up against one of the best young defensive tackles in the game. Atkins leads his team in sacks from the middle of the defensive line with 3½.

DE Mario Williams vs. OT Andrew Whitworth:
Williams is third in the league in sacks and goes up against the steady eight year veteran. If he gets pressure on Andy Dalton than he can be forced into making mistakes.

DB Stephon Gilmore vs. WR A.J. Green:
Assuming Gilmore comes back and makes his season debut he will likely follow one of the best receivers in the game all over the field. Playing with a heavy cast on his hand could hinder his ability to make plays against Green. If he's not ready to go full than Leodis McKelvin may cover Green.

KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Get Running Game Going: This won't be easy as the Bengals are expected to stack the box with 8 and even 9 man fronts to force Lewis to try and beat them. If the Bills backs can get to the second level there will be big yardage to be had.
2. Great Defensive Effort: The pressure will be on the defense with Lewis at quarterback. They not only need to be stingy with yards and points given up, but they need to try and help the offense score points with takeaways and winning the field position battle.
3. Keep Fans Interested: The offense will need to be good enough to keep the fans excited and to allow the 12th man to make a difference in this game. The crowd will need to help out this week more than ever.

BILLS DAILY PREDICTION

I just can't see any way that the Bills can beat this team with a novice at quarterback who has one career start under his belt. They have the advantage of being at home, and the defense may keep it close, but how many points can they score against a defense that kept Tom Brady and co. out of the end zone?
Bengals 16, Bills 3

Season Prediction Record: (3-2)
Season Record Against The Spread: (2-3)

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