After last week’s debacle, the Buffalo Bills have more questions than answers at the most important position on the football field. The team was hoping No. 7 overall pick Josh Allen would show enough promise to possibly take the lead in the race for the starting gig, but his effort was far from what the Bills were expecting. In his first start at the professional level, Allen lost more yards on the five times he was sacked than he had throwing the football. The Bills will look for some clarity at the position when they tangle with the Chicago Bears in preseason Week 4 action.
This duel in Week 4 of the preseason will go down Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET at Soldier Field.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Buffalo Bills +3
Chicago Bears -3
Over/Under 36.5
Odds Analysis
The Bears enjoyed playing in front of their home fans for the first time last week and they won outright as 6-point dogs. They gave 3-points on the opening line in this one and if that holds, it’ll be the first time this preseason the Bears play as a favorite. The total hit the board at 36.5.
Quarterback Rotation
Sean McDermott continues to play chess with his quarterbacks and he’s running out of time. Allen was given the starting nod last week and things didn’t go very well. With little help from his line, Allen was sacked five times for a total of 39 yards. He completed 6 of 12 pass attempts for only 34 yards before being removed following a sack to be evaluated for a concussion.
Nathan Peterman finished up last week, even though Allen was cleared to return. Peterman may have vaulted to the top of the depth chart after rallying the team from a 23-0 deficit. He tossed a scoring pass and ended the day 16 of 21 for 200 yards. He’s now thrown for 432 yards on 33 of 41 passing with three scores and a pick. McDermott hasn’t named a starter for Thursday or the season opener, but it looks as though Allen and Peterman will get a bulk of the reps against the Bears.
Matt Nagy defended his decision to sit Mitchell Trubisky out of last week’s game. In what is typically the dress rehearsal, the Bears No. 1 offense watched from the sideline as Chase Daniel and the backups carved up the Chiefs. Daniel was 15 of 18 for 198 yards with a pair of scores.
The Bears have three quarterbacks on the roster and with Trubisky sitting out again, we can expect to see a lot of Tyler Bray. Bray worked under Nagy in Kansas City last year and he’s taken plenty of snaps this preseason. He was 5 of 7 for 72 yards in last week’s game and has completed over 60 percent of his passes for 472 yards in three games.
Players to Watch
Allen took one – actually several – for the team in last week’s game, saying the sack epidemic was his fault for holding the ball too long in his first start. Allen was sacked five times in the first half and was lifted from the game late in the second quarter after being slammed to the turf after throwing the ball away.
It won’t matter who starts for the Bills if the offensive line can’t do its part to keep the QBs upright. McCarron was injured in the Week 2 game against Cleveland, sustaining a shoulder injury when being sacked. The Bills have surrendered 11 sacks in three preseason games, though it’s not all the fault of the line, according to McDermott.
Free ATS Pick
There is a lot of pressure on the Bills to come out of this game healthy. The QB situation is unsettled and could be resolved against the Bears. But who takes the snaps? One of the three will probably not play and my money is on McCarron, who returned to practice last week after he was knocked out of the Cleveland game. The Bills want Allen to succeed, but his development is going to take time. And Peterman will never get over that five-interception debut from last season as long as he plays.
It’s all good for the Bears, who have bought into Nagy’s coaching philosophy. The starters have enjoyed the time off and the reserves are flourishing with additional playing time. Look for Chicago to continue its upward trend with a cover win.
NFL Betting Odds: Bears 26, Bills 18
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