By Jeremy Juhasz / Billswire.usatoday.com
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets his second road start and third start of his career when the 22-year-old faces off against a two-time MVP in Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers.
After the quarterback play, Buffalo needs some offensive weapons to come to life at Lambeau Field if they want to improve to 2-2 on the season.
Here are three players on offense to watch vs. the Packers on Sunday that could do just that:
RB LeSean McCoy
The Bills ground game has been abysmal this season and for a variety of reasons: McCoy has been banged up, the team fell behind too much against the Ravens and the Chargers and the offensive line has struggled to open holes.
McCoy returns to the lineup this week and he’s due to get going. In only three games against the Packers in his career, McCoy would like to repeat his 2013 performance as a member of the Eagles when he rushed for 155 yards on 25 carries. He’s by far the most talented player on the Bills roster, so Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll needs to find a way to get McCoy touches and get him in a rhythm early.
WR Zay Jones
Most would all agree Jones has been a disappointment so far in his young career. He has a great opportunity again this week to break out and gain some confidence.
With a young quarterback in Allen, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane and Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott must be hopeful these two can develop some chemistry. So far it hasn’t happened. Jones’ receptions have fallen from a measly three receptions in the opener to just two versus the Chargers and only one grab last week in Minnesota last week. With six catches on the season, it’s putting more pressure on other receivers like Benjamin to produce. Teams are not scared of Jones to this point, and it’s a problem. We’ll see if it can turn around against Green Bay who ranks 19th in pass defense.
WR Kelvin Benjamin
A frustrating season thus far for the Bills’ No. 1 wideout needs to come to a halt against Green Bay, who are littered with slot-type corners on their roster. Aside from Kevin King, Benjamin’s frame alone should poise an advantage, especially in the red zone. He has the opportunity to atone for some ugly drops last week and help out his rookie quarterback if he can reel-in some contested balls Sunday. Something to watch closely is how Daboll will put Benjamin in position for the matchup they like. Will they use motion or maybe get him in the slot to work inside? We’ll see.
If these three guys can impact the game come Sunday, it could go a long way into securing another key road win to wrap up the first quarter of the 2018 campaign.