Here's the Bills news of note for Sept. 14th.
1 - Two of the NFL's top dual threat QBs face off Sunday
Sunday's Week Two matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills should keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The two guys behind center, Cam Newton and Tyrod Taylor, have a unique flare to their game. The accolades they've accumulated thanks to their arms and legs speak for themselves. !
Since 2015, the two have led the league in many rushing statistics by quarterbacks. In rushing yards, Taylor (1,186) tops Newton (998) over the past two seasons. But Newton (15) has the upper hand over Taylor (10) in rushing touchdowns.
Historically, Newton and Taylor are just two of six NFL quarterbacks ever to produce consecutive 3,000-yard passing and 500-yard rushing seasons. Some of the Bills defenders acknowledged the challenge they'll face on Sunday.
"Cam Newton's a very dynamic quarterback. He can beat you with his arm, his legs, so you know we have to be fundamentally sound on defense," Jerry Hughes said.
After propelling the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 record in 2015, Newton earned NFL MVP honors. Even though he has never played against Newton, defensive end Shaq Lawson knows what the former MVP brings to the table.
"Cam Newton's a former MVP… we have to wrap up, he's going to try to extend plays and make plays. We just have to be ready for that and tackle him come game time," Lawson said.
Both defenses are going to have their hands full this weekend with the challenges Newton and Taylor offer.
2 - Team preparing for the Carolina heat
For the first time in the 2017 season the Bills will be playing away from home. The road trip takes the team down South, where it's expected to be hot and humid. Head Coach Sean McDermott is no stranger to the challenging conditions, thanks to his six-year stint in Carolina.
"With respect to the weather, that's a part of the country where it's warm and we've got to be prepared for that and we got a head start on that Monday with our hydration process," McDermott said.
The Carolina conditions have never caused issues for Buffalo before, considering they're 2-0 at Bank of America Stadium. The last road meeting came in 2009, with the Bills winning 20-9. Jerry Hughes gave some insight on how McDermott is using his past experiences to help the team prepare.
"He's been in Carolina, so he has us hydrated now rather than waiting for Thursday. We understand that it's going to be warm out there," Hughes said.
The forecast for Sunday in Charlotte is going to feel much like a Western New York summer, with temperatures well into the 80's.
3 - Incognito on offensive team of the week
After making the Pro Bowl in each of his last two seasons, Richie Incognito got off to a strong start in his 2017 season. According to ProFootballFocus, his pass blocking efficiency was perfect at 100 percent.
The 34-year-old has proved his best years have come here in Buffalo. On Sunday, he allowed no pressure on 33 pass blocking snaps. He had a dominant run blocking performance too, and his only flaw on the day was his two holding penalties.
Incognito was the highest graded lineman on the team of the week, with an 89.3. He topped Joe Thomas (86.9), Alex Mack (86.5), Zack Martin (87.2), and Ryan Schraeder (85.9).
The Bills' stout offensive line carried them in Week One, allowing the team to rush for 190-yards. They'll look for some more of the same in Week Two.
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