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Four things to OBSERVE in today’s game against the Bucs

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2017, file photo, Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) runs past Atlanta Falcons' De'Vondre Campbell (59) and Deion Jones (45) during the second half of an NFL football game, in Atlanta. The Bills play against the Buccaneers in Buffalo on Sunday. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

1. Run game woes

In the past two weeks in games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons, running back LeSean McCoy gained 63 yards rushing from 19 attempts, and 76 yards with 20 attempts, respectively. Albeit, it was a jump from the nine yards against Carolina and the 21 yards versus Denver, McCoy hasn’t been the Shady of old.

The Buffalo Bills were the top rushing offense the last two seasons. So far through six weeks, Buffalo ranks 17th in rushing yards per game, with 106.6. With the passing game only getting 165 yards per game, ranking 30th, the dependency on a McCoy grows.

After the past two years of McCoy defying his age, his numbers begin to fall. McCoy and the Bills used the bye week to adjust the scheme and maybe change the results.

“I think you want something that’s been working for so long, I mean, stick with it,” McCoy said Wednesday. “Coaches know that, but also they have their own schemes that they want to do. Everybody puts a lot of time in it; a lot of research and study and preparation. You also want to do the things [that] we’ve been doing, just kind of do it better. “… It’s time for myself to get rolling, get back to the normal big chunks, big plays, more one-on-one opportunities, like we’ve been doing,” McCoy added.

2. Winston’s back

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who enter today’s game with a 2-3 record, will have Jameis Winston under center. Winston left last Sunday’s game versus the Arizona Cardinals so former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took the role. Winston was later announced to have an AC sprain on his throwing shoulder.

So far in 2017, Winston has been having a solid season with 1,259 yards passing, seven touchdowns, three interceptions and a 60.4 completion percentage.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the Bills were prepared for either quarterback, though didn’t go into if there was a concept change if Fitzpatrick was the starter.

“I am confident we will be ready. We’ve had a good week of practice,” McDermott said. “They’ve got two very capable quarterbacks, as I said earlier in the week, what I would consider starters, which is an added benefit for them. Not many teams have that. … It’s a big challenge for us, so we got to stay focused on what we can control.”

3. The Battered Bills

Charles Clay is out for today. Jordan Matthews is day-to-day and the next top wide out is either tight end Nick O’Leary or rookie Zay Jones. The formula seems simple for opposing defenses: stop LeSean McCoy.

Though Matthews may play on against Tampa Bay as his healing thumb has already fielded some throws in this week of practice, the passing game looks to be suspect for the bruised lineup.

“I think that we have a lot of number one options on offense. It’s going to be exciting to go back out there. You can’t replace a player like Charles (Clay), unfortunately he won’t be with us. He will in the future, but it will be a great opportunity for other guys to step up (like) Nick O’Leary, Logan (Thomas), so it is going to be a great time.”

4. Bye week changes

The Buffalo Bills were very close to entering the bye week as a 4-1 team. However, the loss to the Bengals put fans into reality and settled much of the high emotions that circled Buffalo’s “Trust the process” Bills. The bye week gave the offense time to adjust, adapt and possibly improve some downfalls the Bills have. The struggling offensive line, the lack of wide receiver presence and the limited run game are the beginning of what could be changed against the Buccaneers.

Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison sees the fundamentals as a key need for Bills to succeed in today’s game.

“I mean that’s the simple term, yeah, and we can do a lot of things better, and that’s everybody, me included,” Dennison said Monday. “We took a look at each and every aspect that we need to do, we know we make some plays, and we just have to make more, and keep our mistakes to a minimum.”

The Buffalo Bills will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on Fox.

Twitter: @Kuczkowski95

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