The Bills come into the game on Sunday looking to avoid losing two in a row for the first time this season when they travel to Jerryworld to square off with the Cowboys who are trying to keep pace with the Giants for the NFC East. “The focus is trying to win a game. … We got everything in front of us — we hold our own destiny in our own hands, so we gotta go take care of business,” coach Chan Gailey said.

Buffalo, who sit at 5-3 tied atop the AFC East with the Patriots and the Jets, failed to take care of any business last Sunday against the Jets. They fell 27-11 and saw their high power offense, which is tied for the highest scoring in the AFC with the Patriots at 27.8 points per game, sputter as the Jets made them look like the one win Dolphins. The Bills went 3 for 11 on third down and turned it over three times.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions and had his worst game of the year going 15 of 31 for 191 yards and a touchdown. ”It was a bad game,” said Fitzpatrick. “We certainly didn’t have our best effort out there, and I think that’s where a lot of disappointment and frustration comes in.”

Fitzpatrick will look to bounce back facing a Cowboys pass defense that’s right in the middle of the pack ranked 16^th giving up 232.5 yards per game. The Bills are led by running back Fred Jackson who is having a career year leading the AFC at 100.4 yards per game and helping the Bills to the 7^th ranked rushing attack with 135 yards per game.

However, the Jets held the team to only 96 yards on the ground and forced Jackson’s first fumble of the year. They will look to get back to the run, as Dallas has struggled lately giving up 401 yards on the ground the past two weeks. Dallas will get Sean Lee back who is their leading tackler and this should help them somewhat.

For Buffalo to keep pace for the AFC East title they’ll have to go at least 2-1 on their three game road trip facing Dallas, Miami, and then the Jets again before heading home to face Tennessee. ”It will be a difficult stretch, but we don’t have to play all three of them at the same time,” Jackson said. “If we go out and continue to make plays like we have been throughout the season, we feel like we’ll be OK.”

Buffalo has struggle so far on the road this year by going 1-2, but the losses came against the Giants and the Bengals, both who are in first place in their divisions. Each loss was only by three points. The Cowboys sit at 4-4, but are looking to make a push in the second half of the season as they benefit from an easy schedule. They also benefit from the first place Giants having a tough stretch over the next few weeks.

After the Bills the Cowboys face Washington, Miami, and Arizona who have a combined record of 6-18. After that, the Giants come to town in what looks to be a pivotal matchup. ”We’ve done a lot of things to build on over the first eight games, a lot we can be positive about. … But we have to get better,” said Garrett

When starting running back Felix Jones got hurt, people expected the running game to take a step back, but the opposite has happened with rookie DeMarco Murray shining rushing for 466 yards in three games. They hope he can keep it up against a Bills run defense that ranks 20^th giving up 120.8 yards per game.

“We are going to have a great 1-2 punch when Felix gets healthy,” Witten said. “It’s going to put us in a great situation.” The Cowboys are a little banged up with Felix Jones still being questionable and wide receiver Miles Austin out for possibly a month after he reinjured his hamstring last week.

With no Austin, Dez Bryant figures to see a lot more targets, along with tight end Kevin Ogletree and wide receiver Laurent Robinson. Buffalo’s defense, while rich with playmaking ability, they lead the AFC with 15 interceptions, isn’t that great. They rank 25^th against the pass giving up 260.4 yards per game.

The game should be a close contest as both teams can put up a lot of points in a hurry. Both teams need to win to keep pace in their respective races, but with the Bills on the road and Dallas’ defense being run by Rob Ryan, Rex’s twin brother, they will see a dose of the same stuff they saw against the Jets. The Cowboys should be able to get a win at home. Final Prediction: Bills 17 Cowboys 27.

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After the Jets celebrated their win over the Dallas Cowboys, it was straight back to work and breaking down the tape of the game. There were some problems but least expected: issues on the the offensive line.

The O-line for the Jets has for years been a strong point of the team, but in the game against the Cowboys’ Sanchez, it was sacked four times and knocked down at least three separate times. If Sanchez is the key to the Jets run at the Super Bowl then the Jets line needs to protect him better.

After the game, Sanchez took concussion tests though he seems to be fine. However, this could turn out to be a bad omen of what might happen if he keeps taking abuse like he did against the Cowboys on a game to game basis. Ryan picked on the offensive line during Wednesday’s meeting and according to players, called out the offensive line for their poor performance.

Now, there are some factors playing into their game. For starters, this isn’t the same line it used to be. Secondly, Sanchez threw the ball 44 times. That is an extremely high number for Sanchez since the Jets are usually a ‘run first’ team. If any QB drops back that many times, he’s bound to get hit at some point.

To protect their franchise quarterback, the Jets line will have to play better — not just on pass plays. Shonn Greene only had 26 yards last week as the Jets ground and pound was pounded by Rob Ryan and his various run blitzes.

This is a line very capable of playing up to the standards the Jets are used to, however the Jets need them to actually play up to those standards if they are meant to have any hope of ending this year with a trip to the White House.

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The AFC North division is one of the most competitive and entertaining in the NFL from top to bottom. Every team has a fierce rivalry with each other. Every game is played with 100% intensity and effort, making watching these games an incredible experience for fans. For a while now Baltimore and Pittsburgh have been the clear frontrunners here. That being said, Cincinnati is perennially a tough team to beat, and usually on the verge of the playoffs come the later weeks in the season. Also Cleveland, who had been at the bottom of the barrel for a while now, has injected some new young talent, and is looking to start their turnaround. The 2011 season could see an even more balanced AFC North than fans have seen in years.

Cleveland Browns: The Browns are at a crossroads. They have a quarterback in Colt McCoy who seems as though he’s ready to lead this team. McCoy has shown both the skill and the intangibles to be a very solid quarterback immediately, and maybe more in the future. I remember watching their game against the Jets last season, seeing Colt drive the ball down field with ease using both his arm and his legs to shred one of the better defenses in the NFL. At that moment I knew that this team was on their way up. McCoy isn’t alone either. He has a stud in the backfield in Peyton Hillis who had an absolute breakout season last year. Hillis racked up 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns, not to mention countless highlights of him leaping over one defender and running over the next. With Rob Ryan running the defense, this team is only a few weapons and some experience away from being a serious contender in this division.

Cincinnati Bengals: Inconsistency is the word. From the playoffs in 2009 to a four win season in 2010, there was a serious drop-off in Cincinnati. The Carson Palmer era seems to be over, and the Andy Dalton years are just beginning. Rumor has it that the starting job is already his. That being said, something about this franchise just screams under-performance. Ochocinco apparently wants out and nobody knows if Terrell Owens will be able to come back from off-season surgery and perform at a high level. If Dalton is relying on Jordan Shipley to be his number one target, there will undoubtedly be another rough season. Even off the field this team can’t win. Every time fans turn around their beloved Bengals are back in the news shining a negative light on the franchise for one thing or another. Maybe new leadership under center will turn things around, but it will take some time. Prepare for some rebuilding years Cinci fans.

Baltimore Ravens: Anquan Boldin came on the scene in 2010 and made a serious impact on this offense. Joe Flacco added a serious weapon to his already bolstering arsenal, and immediately showed good chemistry with Boldin, connecting down-field game after game. I’m shocking myself in writing about a Ravens offense first, but it’s catching up to their powerhouse defense that we have known and loved for years. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed might have some mileage on them, but nobody’s worried, they’re still some of the best in the league at their positions. There really aren’t very many weak links in this Raven’s team, they’re ready now. Year after year Flacco gets better, and fans are just waiting for the year where they can overthrow the Steelers. Could 2011 be the year? I’ll leave it at a maybe, but it’s going to take some big game performances to get the deal done. Their time will come as long as they can get it done before they lose their veteran leaders to retirement. Expect to see them back in the playoffs, and from there you never know.

Pittsburgh Steelers: What’s to say here? Sure, they lost in the Super Bowl, but they were beaten by an excellent team that was on an incredible roll. Mike Tomlin has a resume at 39 that most coaches never will have in their entire career. Big Ben is one of the best clutch quarterbacks in the league no matter how ugly his stats or mechanics may be. The defense is back to the days of the “Steel Curtain.” I could probably go through every single player on the defensive side of the ball and rave about them, but I’ll spare readers the extra words and just tell you they’re all really, really good. They’ve got youth, they’ve got offense, defense, special teams, veterans, coaching, experience, rings…they’ve got it all. I refuse to believe I’ve seen the last of Ben Roethlisberger or Troy Polamalu in the Super Bowl. When it’s all said and done, this team might rival some of the great Pittsburgh teams of the past.

The Steelers are going to be tough to overcome for a long time, but getting out of this division might be their hardest task. Fans better believe that they will be given a run for their money as this division begins to balance out. Hard hits and clutch plays are the name of the game in the AFC North. If you haven’t been watching these divisional games in the past few years, start. Great football, great players, great moments. Whoever is able to come out of this division on top will surely be ready for anyone that gets the tough task of meeting them in the postseason. Be ready for some battles.

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