The Buffalo Bills and Washington are both 6-7, but they couldn't be in more different positions heading into Sunday's contest. Thanks to the mediocrity of the NFC East, Washington finds itself in a three-way tie for first place with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. But the Bills are currently on the outside of the AFC playoff picture and need a lot of help if they're going to capture a wild card spot.
Bills vs. Washington 2015 picks and predictions: Experts divided on battle of 6-7 teams
Even though both teams are 6-7, they couldn’t be in more different positions.
The Bills are coming off a disappointing 23-20 loss to the Eagles, especially because it was LeSean McCoy’s first game back in Philly since his acrimonious departure from the organization. McCoy rushed 20 times for 74 yards in the loss.
Buffalo's offense has been inconsistent all season, though it's worth mentioning that quarterback Tyrod Taylor has played well since the beginning of November. He's posted an average QB rating of 98.7 over the last six weeks.
One of the big reasons for Taylor's recent success is Sammy Watkins, who's accumulated 348 receiving yards and caught four touchdowns over his last three games. Washington's pass defense is ranked 21st in the league and could give up a number of big plays Sunday.
Conversely, the Bills' defense has surrendered plenty of big plays this season as well. Rex Ryan's unit has produced just 19 sacks this season, which is the third-lowest total in the league. For comparison, the Jets sacked the quarterback 54 times last year under Ryan.
Kirk Cousins has a 111.5 passer rating at home and will face a Bills secondary missing its No. 1 cornerback, Stephen Gilmore, who's been placed on injured reserve. Cousins has also taken care of the football at home, not throwing an interception in his last six games at FedEx Field.
Both teams are close on paper and Sunday’s tilt could be a close affair. The ESPN panel favors the home team by a 9-4 margin, while five of CBS Sports’ eight analysts agree. Here at SB Nation, our experts are giving a slight nod to the Bills.
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