Both teams struggled mightily on the defensive side of the
ball in their openers. Kansas City was
missing four of their defensive starters in a 40-24 loss to Atlanta, and the
Bills were steamrolled 48-28 by the New York Jets. Look for the Chiefs to run the ball successfully
in this contest with Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis. C.J. Spiller dazzled in Week 1 for Buffalo,
but look for him to struggle a bit in this matchup.
1. Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis will each
scoring a rushing TD
Charles returned from his 2011 injury with
16 carries for 87 yards in Week 1. This
debut looked a little better on paper thanks to a 46-yard run. I see Charles breaking a big one for a
touchdown Sunday. Charles will also
eclipse 100 yards rushing in the contest.
Hillis only accumulated 16 yards on seven
carries against Atlanta, but he will punch one in from short for his first of
the season. He will get more than those
seven carries as the Chiefs’ coaching staff will go more to their plan to run
the ball and use a timeshare.
2. C.J. Spiller will rush for less than 90
yards
Many experts and fantasy football fans are
high on Spiller after his 169 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against
the Jets, but the game was essentially out of hand and the Jets’ defense may
have been playing softer. With Fred
Jackson sidelined with a knee injury, it appears to be Spiller’s time to shine
just like at the end of 2011.
This will not happen, however, on
Sunday. David Nelson’s season-ending
injury weakens a pedestrian receiving corps, so the Chiefs’ defense will be
able to pack the box and try to limit Spiller while letting quarterback Ryan
Fitzpatrick try to beat them.
In his career, Spiller has shown limited
ability to run between the tackles. If
the Bills fail to get him the ball in space, the third-year back may struggle.
3. Despite being underdogs, the Chiefs will
win by double digits
I’m not sure who made the line in Las Vegas
on this one, but I am not buying the Bills being three-point favorites over the
Chiefs. The Chiefs have more talent on
both sides of the ball and are desperate for this game if they are to contend
in a tight AFC West. Kansas City will be
able to run the ball well, and Matt Cassel will not turn the ball over in this
contest. The Bills’ defense is supposed
to improve with the addition of Mario Williams, but there wasn’t much in the
game against the Jets to suggest this will happen.
Cornerback Brandon Flowers returns to the
field Sunday, and he will most likely blanket Stevie Johnson. The Bills will struggle to pass effectively
as Fitzpatrick will have to throw more to Donald Jones and tight end Scott
Chandler. Dwayne Bowe is a matchup
nightmare for opposing corners, and he will find success against the Buffalo
secondary.
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