MDS's take: The Falcons are 3-0 but they're a dropped touchdown pass in Chicago and an overturned touchdown pass in Detroit from being 1-2. If this game were in Buffalo I'd take the Bills, but I'll pick Atlanta to win a close one at home.
MDS's pick: Falcons 24, Bills 21.
Florio's take: The Bills have been playing better than expected, and the Falcons could easily be 1-2. But they performed well in their new stadium, and they're back for their second regular-season game there. The Julio Jones back injury could be a problem, but if he plays this one ends up being not necessarily easy but nevertheless a fourth win.
Florio's pick: Falcons 27, Bills 17.
The Falcons will be at home, where their offense is a completely different animal. That said, I think the Bills' defense will weather the storm well enough, forcing Atlanta coach Dan Quinn to settle for numerous field goals. This will be a Matt Bryant game. Buffalo's defense has allowed all of two touchdowns in three games. Atlanta's defense must stop LeSean McCoy so that Bills coach Sean McDermott -- who, having served as Carolina's defensive coordinator from 2011 through '16, is all too familiar with these Falcons -- can't slow this contest down to a run-based, defensive slugfest. The Bills' rush offense is down from 164.4 yards per game in 2016 to 111.3 this season, while the yards-per-rush mark has sagged from 5.3 to 3.4. They've only rushed for one touchdown, too. #BUFvsATL. Atlanta 26, Buffalo 17.
The Buffalo Bills are a really solid football team. They don't have any glaring weaknesses, but then again, they don't have any overwhelming strengths either.
Buffalo is headed into a rough environment. The Atlanta Falcons may be the fastest team in football, and playing on the turf at home gives them a huge advantage. Against Atlanta's quick defense, the Bills could have difficulty scoring points.
Now, Buffalo did play an aggressive defense against Denver last week, but the Bills also benefited from multiple Broncos mistakes.
The Falcons, on the other hand, should be able to score. The Bills have a good defense, but they don't have cornerbacks who are well-suited for man coverage. Buffalo *has *to be able to give at least the occasional man look. Otherwise, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are going to find holes in the zone and pick it apart. Falcons 31, Bills 27
The Bills could legit be 3-0 right now. But the Falcons *are *3-0 and already have one of the best home-field advantages in the sport. ATLANTA FALCONS (3-0) over Buffalo Bills (2-1)
Falcons 30, Bills 17
Falcons 34, Bills 17
Falcons 30, Bills 23
