What you need to know to watch Falcons vs. Bills

The Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills haven’t played since 2013, the year when everything that had gone so right for the Mike Smith Falcons started to go so wrong. They did end up winning a wild one in Toronto (?) against these Bills, but both teams are obviously very different than they were four years ago.

This time around, the Falcons will welcome Buffalo to Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 3-0 record to their name and one of the NFL’s better rosters. They’re just a week away from an early bye and thirsting for a 4-0 start that would put them in stellar position the rest of the way, and all that stands between them and that goal is Buffalo. After the offseason that team put together, you could be forgiven for thinking this should be easy.

It won’t be, in all likelihood. The Bills have yet to play a team that can consistently gain yardage and score—seriously, they’ve only faced off against the Jets, Panthers and Broncos--but they’ve proven themselves to be a dangerous defense. The offense is just good enough with LeSean McCoy and Tyrod Taylor at the helm that they can keep Buffalo competitive, and they’ve racked up nine sacks and four picks in three games while allowing just 36 total points. Atlanta’s offense will be tested.

That said, the Falcons have been tested repeatedly this year and have emerged with wins, and I’m hopeful the result will be the same here. Their offense is orders of magnitude better than the other teams on that list, and their defense has played well enough to think they can hold a so-so Bills offense in check. Here’s what you’ll need to know in order to watch the game and find out for yourself.

Falcons vs. Bills Week 4 key info

Time: Sunday, October 1, 1:00 p.m. EST

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Channel: CBS

SB Nation Site: Buffalo Rumblings