1 Fluster Rudolph. Scratch our previous version of this that said the Bills should fluster quarterback Will Levis. As of late Saturday afternoon, Levis is now sidelined for Sunday with a shoulder injury. Mason Rudolph will start at quarterback for the Titans, and Trevor Sieman will be a gameday elevation, further indicative of Levis鈥 status. The overall point stands 鈥 the Bills should be ready to get to the quarterback and take advantage of turnovers. The right side of the offensive line is penetrable. The Bills should fluster Rudolph and feast on his miscues.
2 Don鈥檛 be afraid to involve Amari Cooper. Sure, Amari Cooper has only been in Buffalo a few days, and it鈥檚 a short week. We鈥檙e not here to downplay any of that, and Bills general manager Brandon Beane even said Wednesday that wide receiver is 鈥減robably one of the harder (positions)鈥 to onboard midseason. But Cooper is smart, and this Bills offense could use a little boost. Although coach Sean McDermott has been wary of putting too much on Cooper鈥檚 plate so early, the Bills should get him involved. Since the 1970 merger, the record for receptions in a franchise debut in Week 7 or later was T.J. Hockenson, who had nine catches in his Minnesota Vikings debut in 2022. Cooper doesn鈥檛 need nine. But he could use a few.
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3 Score more when you can. Bills quarterback Josh Allen highlighted red-zone efficiency as a must for the Bills this week. On a short week against a statistically sound defense, Allen knows the Bills need to capitalize on opportunities. 鈥淛ust trusting the game plan, trusting our base rules, making sure that we are communicating and protecting,鈥 Allen said Wednesday. 鈥淚t starts with me trying to get the ball into our playmakers鈥 hands and just trying to make as many plays as possible. Taking care of the football. (The Titans) don鈥檛 allow a lot of yards; they don鈥檛 allow a lot of points. So when we are in the red zone, making sure that we are walking out of there with sixes instead of threes, that鈥檚 our goal.鈥
4 Don鈥檛 waver on Tyler Bass. *Well, at least, don鈥檛 waver right now, or midgame. McDermott said Friday that the Bills will be going with their veteran kicker for Sunday鈥檚 game, even though they did bring in kicker Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad this week. Bass has struggled (75% on field goals; two missed PATs), and the team 鈥 and Bass himself 鈥 has been open about that. It was a good move to bring in some competition and to admit that Bass鈥 performance has been below standard. But with McDermott backing Bass for Sunday, the Bills can鈥檛 be too cautious to use him. That won鈥檛 help Bass鈥 seemingly rattled psyche. The vote of confidence for Sunday, specifically, is there. The Bills can figure out the long term after the game.