Thursday Night Football Preview: Bills, Browns Try To Prove They’re For Real
Thursday Night Football will leave one of these teams a contender and the other on the outside looking in.
Going into the season, if the fanbases of the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills were told they would have a chance to be contenders in the AFC, both would likely laugh it off. But that is exactly where the teams find themselves going into their Week 5 matchup on Thursday Night Football.
The Browns are a surprising 2-2, tied for first place in the suddenly wide open AFC North with a chance to take control of the division.
All hope seemed lost in Cleveland when the team traded away last year’s first-round pick Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for next year’s No. 1 pick. The move seemed to be an admission that 2013 is a lost year, and that rebuilding would start immediately.
But instead of folding, the Browns have stormed back with two straight wins, led by backup Brian Hoyer and one of the league’s stingiest defenses.
In Buffalo, the Bills are far ahead of the learning curve for a team filled with young talent. Quarterback E.J. Manuel has looked capable — if not too overwhelming — in his first four starts. Fellow rookies Robert Woods at wide receiver and Kiko Alonso at linebacker have also turned in great performances, pointing to a bright future.
But at 2-2, the future may be now for the Buffalo Bills. A win would put them in contention in the AFC East, though they still have a lot of work to do to overcome the New England Patriots and surging Miami Dolphins.
The Thursday Night Football matchup could be impacted by the status of C.J. Spiller, the Bills running back who was hurt last week against the Baltimore Ravens. He will reportedly be a game-time decision. The Bills are also hoping for the return of Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd, who has missed the entire season so far with plantar faciitis.
