3 Reasons Why The Bills Must Win Against The Raiders

After an extremely terrible game in week 1 against the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills get back to work on Sunday, September 17, 2023, against the Las Vegas Raiders and the stakes for the hometown team are higher than most people realize.

Can The Bills Bounce Back Against The Raiders?

Even though the Bills did not play well at all against the Jets in week 1, all signs point to Buffalo performing very well against Las Vegas.

In addition to the game being the Bills' home opener, they are also 9-point favorites to win with a majority of the national sports pundits in agreement that Buffalo is just flat-out a better team.

While the #BillsMafia would truly enjoy winning the home opener, especially after such an abysmal showing last week, there are 3 reasons that the Bills truly need to win this game.

The Fans Need The Moral Boost

Whether you like it or not, the heartbreaking loss in New Jersey took a lot of energy away from the Mafia, and Buffalo needs to see the Bills win at home. A loss in Orchard Park will cause a lot of fans to flex-it-to-the-exit and no one wants that to happen.

Buffalo Can Take The Lead In The All-Time Standings Between The Two Teams

Both the Bills and Raiders were established in 1960 as two of the 8 founding members of the American Football League (AFL).

Over the last 63 years, Buffalo and Oakland Los Angeles, Las Vegas have played each other 42 times, 40 of those games being during the regular season and two in the playoffs.

The record between the two teams is 21-21, with the Bills winning their very first meeting, 3 of the last 5 meetings, and their most recent of which occurred in 2020  and ended with the Bills winning 30-23.

The team that wins this game will take the all-time lead.

Teams That Start 0-2 Don't Typically Make The Playoffs

Historically, teams who begin their seasons 0-2 do not have a very good chance of making the playoffs.

According to a recent report from Empire Stakes who did some number crunching, only approximately 9% of teams who start 0-2 make the playoffs, with an even smaller percentage making the Super Bowl.

With that knowledge, the Bills must win in order to have the odds in their favor to make the playoffs again.