Dissecting Best Individual Matchups to Watch in Buffalo Bills' Week 3 Action

Believe it or not, the Buffalo Bills currently have sole possession of first place in the AFC East. Sure, the season is only two games old. But the Bills shocked the NFL with a 23-20 overtime win against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and rode a jacked up Ralph Wilson Stadium crowd to a 29-10 pantsing of the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.

There is still a long way to go, but these Bills look as deep as they have in quite some time. The Bills will look to continue their early momentum at home in Week 3 when the San Diego Chargers come to town. The Bolts were a playoff team a year ago, and beating them will be a tall order for this young Bills squad.

For the Bills to get past the Chargers, everyone on the team will have to be at his best. But a few individual matchups could go a long way in deciding the game. Let's take a look at a few of the most important player-on-player matchups to watch as the game unfolds.

Antonio Gates vs. Preston Brown

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For those still seeking the Fountain of Youth, you may want to take a closer look around the 619 area code. That's because so far this season, 2014 Antonio Gates has resembled 2004-2010 Antonio Gates. During that stretch, Gates averaged 945 yards and 9.6 touchdowns a year. In two games this season, Gates has 13 catches for 177 yards and three touchdowns.

So far this season, the Bills have had a bit of trouble staying with the opposing team's tight end.

Martellus Bennett, Bears, Week 1	8 catches, 70 yards, TD
Charles Clay, Dolphins, Week 2	7 catches, 31 yards

The Bills cornerbacks will be busy trying to contain Keenan Allen and Malcom Floyd, and since the Bills deployed linebackers and safeties to check Bennett, they will likely do the same with Gates. Therefore, rookie Preston Brown will have his hands full with another big, athletic target.

Da'Norris Searcy is another option to monitor Gates, but he would have a distinct size disadvantage, being that he is 5'11", and Gates is 6'4". At 6'2", Brown is better equipped to try and slow Gates down. And since Brown has played every defensive snap so far for the Bills, per Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com, the coaches are clearly confident in his abilities.

For the Bills to be successful against the Chargers, they must always know where No. 85 is when he is on the field. If Brown can keep Gates from running wild, the Bills will have a much easier time containing the Chargers offense.

Chad Rinehart, Rich Ohrnberger and Johnnie Troutman vs. Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus

As with any quarterback, one way to slow down Philip Rivers is to put pressure on him. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to try to create pressure with his front four, and the Bills have some of the best defensive linemen in the league.

The leader of the defensive line is without a doubt Kyle Williams. The big fella already has a sack and an interception on the season, and the Bills will unleash him and Marcell Dareus on the Chargers' interior.

Ohrnberger isn't the Chargers' original starting center. Starter and team captain Nick Hardwick went down in Week 1 with a neck injury that ended his season. Miami also was on its backup center (Samson Satele), and Williams and Dareus ate up the middle of the Dolphins offensive line.

On that play, Williams was matched up one-on-one against Dolphins right guard Shelley Smith, and Williams wins easily. To borrow from the immortal Bill Raftery, Williams "left a little lingerie on the deck" with that move.

Williams got the one-on-one matchup because the center and guard were busy double-teaming Dareus. That's the headache every offensive coordinator has to deal with: how to stop both Pro Bowl defensive tackles. Ryan Talbot, editor-in-chief of the Bills Mafia Blog, provided a few Pro Football Focus grades after the Week 2 win.

Both Williams and Dareus dominated their matchups against the Dolphins. Williams will have to have another strong game and live in the Chargers' backfield to keep the Bills in the game.

Chris Williams vs. Corey Liuget

One way to slow down Rivers is to pressure him. Another possibly more effective way? Make him a spectator.

If the Bills can control the clock by having success on the ground, they can keep Rivers on the sideline and minimize the damage he can do. In addition, when the Bills get into the red zone, they must convert touchdowns at a higher rate.

Left guard Chris Williams can affect both of those areas. He had a rough day against the Dolphins, via Talbot.

And to put some film to that number, Joe Buscaglia of WGR has this.

Williams' time in Buffalo is off to a rocky start. Considering the team's investment in him (four years, $13.5 million), he needs to provide more returns on the field. Sunday is a good opportunity, considering Liuget combined with Kendall Reyes for a minus-3.6 grade from Pro Football Focus.

The Bills' best chance against the Chargers is to stay committed to the run and punch it in when they get to the red zone. If Williams can move Liuget off the line, it will help the running backs pick up extra yards and keep Rivers helpless on the bench.