Buffalo Bills play next Monday night. What to know about game of the year
A few days before the Buffalo Bills played the Chicago Bears on Christmas Eve, wide receiver Stefon Diggs spoke to reporters about the dwindling opportunities he has been getting in the passing offense.
He admitted that, like every receiver worth his salt, of course he wants the ball as often as possible and when he doesn’t get it, he can get frustrated.
“I’d be more worried if a receiver didn’t want the ball in comparison to a guy that does want the ball,” he said. “I never looked at it as a thing that is selfish. I hope people don’t think that, but like, I mean, if you gauge me as a player, if you know me personally, you see how I work and how I approach my job. You know I respect this game to its fullest. So, what I mean by that is what I say and I feel like in those situations, I want to provide a spark for my team.”
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Naturally, everyone expected that Diggs was going to go off against a weak Bears defense that would be starting two rookie cornerbacks on the outside and a rookie slot corner. Instead, he was targeted only twice, catching both for a harmless 26 yards, the least productive game of his three-year Bills career, though the Bills still rolled to a 35-13 victory.
“At the end of the day, we want to utilize all of our weapons,” Josh Allen said, fully recognizing that he did not do a good job at Soldier Field of utilizing his best weapon. “Spreading the ball around is obviously when we’re at our best, but as many times as I can target No. 14 and get him the ball, get him running and get him going because he’s such a special talent.”
Next Monday night, the Bills may not be able to beat the Cincinnati Bengals if they don’t get Diggs back into dangerous mode. This has all the makings of an offensive shootout as they will be facing red-hot Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon in a game that, in all likelihood, will determine who is earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff bracket.
Allen and Diggs, one of the most prolific combinations in the NFL for three years running, have to re-establish their connection by the time they walk into Paycor Stadium.
“We want the ball in his hands, it’s no secret, the type of player and person that he is,” Allen said. “I’ll talk to (Ken Dorsey) and figure out how we can best do that moving forward. But at this time I’m not panicking or freaking out about it. He’s had such a great year this year and he’s helped us get to this point right now. We wouldn’t be where we’re at without him.”
Here’s an early look ahead to the matchup:
Top players for Cincinnati Bengals on offense, defense
▶ QB Joe Burrow: After a sluggish start to the season, Burrow has been on a heater and has inserted himself into the league MVP conversation. Against a Patriots defense that started Week 16 ranked seventh in fewest points allowed, Burrow completed a career-high 40 passes and totaled 375 yards with three TDs, though he also had two picks.
▶ RB Joe Mixon: Despite missing two games, the physical 220-pounder has 787 yards rushing plus 55 catches for 400 yards and eight total TDs.
▶ WR Ja’Marr Chase: He missed four games with a knee injury but in the four games since his return he has 32 catches for 355 yards and two TDs. He’s now averaging 87.3 yards receiving per game which is sixth-best in the NFL, just behind Diggs who is at 88.3.
▶ WR Tee Higgins: Chase’s running mate is also having a great season with 73 catches for 1,022 yards and seven TDs. Just like Miami’s dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Chase and Higgins will provide another massive test for the Bills’ secondary.
▶ WR Tyler Boyd: As if Chase and Higgins aren’t enough, the Bengals also have Boyd operating from the slot and he has 53 catches for 711 yards and five TDs. The Bengals now rank fourth in the NFL in passing at 269.2 yards per game, three spots ahead of the Bills and Chase, Higgins and Boyd have combined for 205 catches for 2,693 yards and 20 TDs.
▶ DT D.J. Reader: He’s the highest-graded overall defensive player on the team according to Pro Football Focus, a 350-pound space eater in the middle of the Bengals line. He could be a major problem for struggling Bills LG Rodger Saffold.
▶ DE Trey Hendrickson: He played 24 snaps against the Patriots with a broken wrist and plans to keep playing the rest of the season. He leads the Bengals pass rush with 54 pressures and also has six sacks and two forced fumbles. Sam Hubbard leads the Bengals with 6.5 sacks, but he is sidelined until the postseason.
▶ LB Logan Wilson: The Bengals leading tackler in coming off a nice game in New England as he had nine tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
▶ CB Mike Hilton: The gritty nickel corner is a wily veteran who is solid in coverage and also, much like Buffalo’s Taron Johnson, is a force against the run.
▶ S Jessie Bates: Now in his fifth years as a starter, Bates has played more snaps than any Bengals defender and has three interceptions and has allowed only 92 yards after catch.
What the game means to Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals
It means essentially everything to both teams. If the Bills win, all they would have to do to secure the top seed in the AFC bracket and a first-round bye would be to defeat the fading Patriots in Week 18 at Highmark Stadium. But if the Bills lose, they no longer control their own destiny. They would need both the Chiefs (assuming KC beats lowly Denver in Week 17) and the Bengals to lose their last games in order to get the top spot.
For the Bengals, a win would secure the No. 2 seed and that means a minimum of two home games. If they were to win their last game at home against the Ravens and the Chiefs find a way to lose on the road to the Raiders, the Bengals would own the No. 1 seed.
Who is favored to win Bills vs Bengals?
The Bills have opened as 1-point favorites for the game.
The money line is Bills minus-120 (bet $120 to win $100) and Bengals plus-110 (bet $100 to win $110). The over-under is 49.5.
What time does the Bills vs Bengals game start?
Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m.
How to watch Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals game on TV, streaming
Cable/Network TV: ESPN. With your TV subscription you can also watch on your phone or tablet on NFL.com, the NFL mobile app, ESPN.com, the ESPN mobile app, and ESPN Deportes.
Online streaming services: NFL.com and the NFL mobile app. Also, the NFL has a new streaming service called NFL+ which replaces NFL Game Pass, though you can’t cast the games to your TV - you must watch on your phone or tablet. The cost is $5 a month or $30 for the season, and a premium tier costs $10/$80 which includes all-22 coaches film and condensed and full-game replays. With it, you’ll be able to watch every local game on Sunday and the national games on Monday and Thursday nights as well as the playoffs and the Super Bowl. You can also stream if you have DirecTV, fuboTV, Sling, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV.
On the radio: How to listen to the Bills vs Bengals game
You can listen on SiriusXM satellite radio on channel 226 (Bills) and channel 225 (Bengals). On traditional radio, the Bills Radio Network has stations all across the state. They include:
Rochester (WCMF 96.5 and WROC 950 AM)
Buffalo (WGR550, 550 AM)
Syracuse (WTKW 99.5/WTKV 105.5)
Binghamton (WDRE 100.5FM)
Ithaca (WIII 99.9/100.3 FM)
Bath (WVIN 98.3 FM)
Newark (WACK 1420 AM)
Dansville (WDNY 93.9 FM)
Elmira (WNGZ 1490 AM)
Auburn (WAUB 98.1 FM/1590 AM)
Geneva (WGVA 95.9 FM, 1240 AM)
Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.To subscribe to Sal's new twice-a-week newsletter, Bills Blast, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who do the Bills play next? Game of the year up Monday Night Football
