When the 2023 NFL season started, you probably wouldn't have predicted that the Washington Commanders would have a better record than the Buffalo Bills. Entering Week 3, however, that's where we are.
Washington beat the Cardinals in Week 1 before mounting an epic comeback to defeat the Denver Broncos in Week 2. The Bills, on the other hand, lost an ugly opening game against the New York Jets before bouncing back in a big way against the Las Vegas Raiders.
But do those records tell the whole story? Or are the small sample sizes giving an inaccurate representation of both teams' fortunes?
A Week 3 showdown will help connect some of the dots. Here's your viewing guide.
How to Watch Bills vs. Commanders
When Buffalo and Washington take the field outside of the nation's capital (Sunday, September 24 at 1 p.m. ET), Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Matt Ryan will be on the call for CBS. Viewers in parts of New York State, Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay area will find the game on their TV; other markets are out of luck.
If you're outside of those limited markets and want to watch Josh Allen and Sam Howell duke it out, streaming will be your best bet. The action will be available on a variety of services, including NFL+ and YouTube TV's NFL Sunday Ticket.
Can Josh Allen Keep the Ball Rolling?
At the risk of reducing a team sport to a single player's contributions, QB Josh Allen determines the Bills' success.
When the big signal-caller is on his game, he looks unstoppable. If he has time in the pocket, he can sit back and throw lasers; if you try to apply pressure, he'll break a tackle and scramble for a first down. He can be the ultimate "pick your poison" player, and neither of those options is ideal.
When Allen is at his worst, though, he'll gift the game to the opposition. Whether that means forcing a throw into triple coverage or taking an unnecessary hit, he seems to lock in on making something happen single-handedly.
Buffalo's two games this season show both sides of that coin. Week 1's loss was full of ugly turnovers, and simply controlling the ball probably would have been enough to win. Then, in Week 2, Allen went 31-of-37 passing, piling up 274 yards, three touchdowns and, crucially, no interceptions.
Which version of the QB will we see on Sunday against a Washington defense that knows how to create pressure? The answer will determine Buffalo's fate both on Sunday and across the entire season.
Will Washington's Offense Pass a Tougher Test?
When the Commanders landed Eric Bieniemy during the offseason, the aim was to bring some of Kansas City's firepower east. Twenty points during a Week 1 victory over the Arizona Cardinals didn't exactly set the league on fire, but a 35-point outing against the Denver Broncos was more what the offensive coordinator would expect of his troops.
But, with all due respect to Arizona and Denver, they're not exactly the 1985 Chicago Bears on defense. So it will be interesting to see how the Commanders fare against a tougher unit. During the 2022 campaign, Buffalo was the sixth-best defense in terms of total yards allowed; they were especially strong against the rush and allowed the second-fewest points per game (17.9). Two games of the 2023 season is a small sample size, but the Bills are still looking strong on that side of the ball.
Can Washington quarterback Sam Howell do enough, especially if Buffalo camps out in the box and dares him to throw? Or will the young signal-caller and the (relatively) newly implemented offense hit a snag?
Commanders fans can probably accept losing to the Bills, but they'll still want to see their offense put up a fight. This will be a test of how far the unit has come.
Betting Lines, Over/Under for Bills vs. Commanders
If you only look at the standings, Washington should be favored in this game. In reality, though, the oddsmakers (and most fans) would disagree.
As of Wednesday, FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Bills as 6.5-point favorites. The over/under line is set at 44.5 points.
About the writer
Joe Kozlowski is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. His focus is reporting on trending sports stories. Joe joined Newsweek in 2023. He is a graduate of NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. You can get in touch with Joe by emailing j.kozlowski@newsweek.com.
Languages: English.
Newsletter
