Redskins at Bills
THE STORY: While the Buffalo Bills officially label their annual game in Toronto as a home game, they have had little success or support north of the border. Buffalo is 0-3 in Toronto as it makes its yearly trek to the Rogers Centre. Bills players say that the Canadian fans root for both teams at the stadium, making this “home game” against the Washington Redskins more of neutral-site affair. Regardless of the venue, however, both Washington and Buffalo need a win to maintain the momentum from their surprising starts and both are dealing with a litany of injuries.
TV: FOX, 4:05 p.m. ET. LINE: Bills -6, O/U 46
ABOUT THE REDSKINS (3-3): Running back Tim Hightower is out for the season after tearing his ACL last week and top receiver Santana Moss will miss over a month with a hand injury. That puts a huge onus on quarterback John Beck, who replaced Rex Grossman last week. While Beck threw for a career-high 279 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, the Redskins lost at Carolina, unable to slow down rookie Cam Newton. Beck has played in seven NFL games and his team has lost every one of them. Ryan Torain and Roy Helu should split time in the backfield and both have had some success in limited action. They both average 4.9 yards a carry. Washington started the season strongly but has since lost three of four with its lone victory coming against the winless Rams.
ABOUT THE BILLS (4-2): Buffalo continues to get solid performances from its potent offense as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson are on the way to career years. Buffalo is averaging an AFC-best 31.3 points a game and has scored at least 20 in six straight outings. Fitzpatrick has completed 73.9 percent of his passes in the past two games. Jackson already has a career-high six rushing touchdowns and has scored in five straight games. Stevie Johnson leads the wounded receiver corps with 382 yards and four TDs. Buffalo is without four starters: WR Donald Jones, LT Demetrius Bell, DT Kyle Williams and LB Shawne Merriman.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. The Bills are last in the NFL with just four sacks.
2. Buffalo has won the last five games in the series. The Bills won the last meeting 17-16, the Redskins’ first game after the shooting death of star safety Sean Taylor.
3. Said Washington’s Brian Orakpo: “On paper we should be beating the teams we lost to the last two weeks, but there are 10 weeks left and we can still make something happen.”