Bills Fourth Down Conversions 'In Their DNA' Says Commanders' Ron Rivera

The Washington Commanders face a Buffalo Bills team who steadied the ship after their Week 1 loss to the New York Jets in overtime by thumping the Las Vegas Raiders 38-10.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera knows what type of challenge Sean McDermott's team presents, and they aren't one for playing it safe.

Against the Raiders, the Bills went for it on fourth down four times, converting three, and that is something Washington will have to be cognizant of on Sunday. For Rivera, the Bills' want to take risks is part of their DNA and also stated that it's a sign of where the league is headed.

“That's in their DNA, that's becoming more and more popular," Rivera said. "I think people are going back and realizing what Jack Del Rio did in Jacksonville years ago. I took heat because it was like, you can't do that, that's not Madden that you're playing. No, it's prevalent in the league right now. Teams are being aggressive going for it on fourth down, and certainly they have shown that.”

So we can add fourth-down attempts to the long list of things that Jack Del Rio's unit will have to contend with on Sunday.

With the Commanders sitting at 2-0 on the season after wins over the Arizona Cardinals and the Denver Broncos, facing Josh Allen's Bills is a great challenge to see how they stack up against one of the best teams in the league.

Sam Howell has shown good improvement, and the defense has more than done its part in the two wins.

For some, the defense will be key to Washington starting the season with three consecutive wins as the Bills can score at will, as Denver did in the first half last week.

If Washington allows that again, the game could get out of hand and fast.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy stated that getting Howell to own the offense and be comfortable with the game plan that is installed will be beneficial against the Bills.

“Sam is very honest," Bieniemy said. "He's very quiet in a sense, but he has a calm demeanor, but he's confident. So, as we put the game plan together, I want him to have ownership in what we're doing. And so, if he's taking ownership, that's letting him know that he can trust in us that we're giving him the levity of saying, ‘Hey, you know what I like this particular play at this moment.’ And so that's how trust and bonds are formulated. That's how teams are built. And so, we want to make sure that Sam feels comfortable in everything that we're doing, and that's what it's about.”

The Bills will no doubt be Washington's biggest test so far this season, and with a defense playing its tail off and an offense that has shown its ability to put up points in a hurry, Sunday's game might be closer than many think.

A good old-fashioned, offensive shoot out anyone?