Ready to wing it in Buffalo
Pass- happy Wilson looks to keep Bills’ ‘ D’ on its toes in battle of division leaders
ORCHARD PARK, N. Y. — Bills defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson isn’t sure why everyone’s suddenly going gaga over the numbers Russell Wilson has put up in Seattle this season.
Though the Seahawks might have Wilson throwing more, the quarterback doesn’t appear any less than the dominant player Jefferson got to see up close during his previous four years in Seattle.
“To be honest, it’s been what he’s been doing,” Jefferson said as the Bills ( 6- 2) prepare to host the Seahawks ( 6- 1) in a nonconference showdown of division leaders Sunday. “I don’t know if it’s just the media giving him more coverage this year, but I feel like it’s Russ.”
Wilson has stepped his game to another level by firmly thrusting himself into the NFL MVP conversation at the midseason mark.
His 26 touchdown passes and 120.8 passer rating lead the league, and he ranks third with a 71.5 completion percentage and sixth with 2,151 yards passing.
For someone who has never won an MVP honor, Wilson’s careerlong consistency is evident in how he’s in position to become the NFL’s winningest quarterback through his first nine seasons. His 92 regular- season wins are tied with Peyton Manning over that span, while his 101 wins, including the playoffs, match the record set by Tom Brady.
“He’s the best he’s ever been because he’s the most experienced he’s ever been,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Wilson’s development. “He’s been able to grow and grow and grow, and he has total command of the game right now.”
The Seahawks have needed almost every bit of Wilson’s production overseeing an offense averaging an NFL- best 34.2 points per game to offset a porous defense that ranks 24th in the league in allowing 28.4 points an outing.
Difficult as it might be for the Bills’ defense to contain Wilson, the emphasis is on their Josh Allen- led offense to rediscover its earlyseason groove.
The Bills combined to score 123 points and generate 1,639 yards of offense in starting 4- 0. They’ve gotten 75 points and 1,031 yards in splitting their last four.
One reason behind the drop in production is how opposing defenses have begun protecting against getting beat deep, forcing Allen to play with more patience in overseeing lengthy scoring drives.
Compounding Buffalo’s troubles was a pedestrian running attack that appeared to finally find its legs in generating a seasonbest 190 yards and accounting for all three touchdowns in a 24- 21 win over the Patriots last Sunday.
Welcome to Seattle
Defensive end Carlos Dunlap is expected to make his debut for the Seahawks after being acquired in a trade from the Bengals. The Seahawks hope Dunlap can apply more pressure with the team ranking in the bottom third of the league with 12 sacks.
Dunlap’s addition would also reduce the Seahawks having to blitz linebacker Bobby Wagner, who earned NFC defensive player of the week honors with 11 tackles and two sacks in a 37- 27 win over the Niners last Sunday. Not that Wagner minds.
“I’m all for blitzing,” Wagner said. “I’m always telling them to blitz me more, but I do whatever the coaches tell me to do.”
Measuring stick
The game is another chance for a Bills team leading the AFC East through Week 8 for the first time since 1996 to see how it stacks up against the league’s elite.
Their six victories, including two against the winless Jets, are against opponents with a combined record of 15- 30. The Bills’ two losses are against the Chiefs ( 7- 1) and Titans ( 5- 2).