By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
The bye week usually goes one of two ways. Either you needed a break from the emotional roller coaster the Buffalo Bills usually send you on, or you’re dreading a Sunday without your team.
Both types of Bills (3-7) fans have every right to subscribe to both sides. Sometimes the break is needed by the fans as much as it is for the players.
But if you do pick the side of wanting some football, there’s still plenty of games on Sunday’s Week 11 schedule across the NFL. Here are three of them that should get the blood pumping for Bills fans:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants (1 p.m.):
Tampa Bay has had an incredible season, but not because of much good. They’re 3-6, but the Bucs offense is really fun to watch and it’s led by a familiar face currently, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Essentially with their playoff hopes on the line, the Bucs are sticking it out with Fitzpatrick over former No. 1 pick Jameis Winston. He’s started their last three games in a row and seven overall this year, although some of those were due to Winston’s suspension. On the Tampa side, most Bills fans would probably subscribe to seeing a beloved former player succeed. He’ll need all the help he can get because as crazy good as the offense there has been, the defense is terrible.
On the other side, Eli Manning looked like his old self last week tossing three touchdown passes. Was that a flash in the pan? Probably. But with how bad the defense is for the Bucs, Manning could be in line for another win. If you subscribe to the Bills getting a better draft pick at next April’s draft, you’ll pull for the Giants in this one because they’re 2-7.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m.):
In terms of rooting interest for a Bills fan, the Jaguars don’t bring much to the table. The Steelers are currently 6-2-1 overall. They’re in the driver’s seat in terms of winning the AFC North division so if you’re Bill-eving that the Bills could get hot and get back in the playoff picture, the Steelers won’t be a problem.
However, most will probably tune in here and pull for the Steelers to wreck the Jaguars. First and foremost, the Jags are still led by the former Bills coach, Doug Marrone. He famously left the team when the Pegula family purchased the franchise. With that in mind, the Jaguars are skidding in a big way. So much so that the NFL flexed this game from primetime on Sunday Night Football to a 1 p.m. kickoff. Jacksonville started the year 3-1 and have now lost five in a row. Ouch. Not to mention, if the Jags do lose this game, they’ll take their six-game losing streak into Orchard Park as the Bills host them in Week 12. Scout them on Sunday.
Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m.):
No team in the NFL might be worse than the Raiders. Goodness are they bad and goodness are they tanking. New head coach this season Jon Gruden traded away former University at Buffalo star Khalil Mack and his top-receiver in Amari Cooper. With that “T-word” in mind, like the Giants, the Raiders are above the Bills in the current 2019 NFL Draft order. They’re at No. 1. Should you be a Bills fans wanting lose for April, good luck being out the Raiders to the bottom.
On the flip side, the Cards have polarizing figure on their team. Rookie QB Josh Rosen. As the history books will write it, the Bills selected Josh Allen with the seventh-overall pick. Rosen was on the board. Many Bills fans were clamoring for him. So watch this game and it’ll go one of two ways: “We drafted the right Josh” or “we drafted the wrong Josh.”
Enjoy your Sunday.