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_{Posted Friday at 1:30 PM EST}

4:05 PM EST. If the Bills are getting attention on the national stage, it’s usually not a good thing, and this week is no exception. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott surprised the football world by benching starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor in favor of rookie pivot Nathan Peterman. While the Bills were destroyed at home by the Saints last Sunday, they are still 5-4 and in possession of the second Wild Card. That Buffalo benched its starting QB while holding a playoff spot has been the main talking point for the pundits. Taylor’s benching might seem like an overreaction, but ol' “Car Parts” has been a total junker this season. Taylor is in the bottom half of the league in total quarterback DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) and 21st in DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) at just 160 yards, putting him behind Eli Manning and Blake Bortles, both of which would have been replaced too if their teams weren’t paying them so much money to start or had a better option. While we don't know much about what Peterman is capable of on the pro level, in practice. Bills' safety Micha Hyde calls him Nate "Favre" and it's not because he has a fondness for Crocs. Peterman is a gunslinger who teammates have called, "smart", and they love his fire in practice because he never backs down from a throw.

The Chargers had the Jaguars dead to rights last Sunday but gave it away after a Philip Rivers interception in overtime led to the game winning field goal. If you're wondering what L.A.’s mindset might be after a loss like that Rivers said it best, “We found another way, crazy”. Those five words pretty much sum up the Chargers at this point. This franchise has a stink on it that still lingers in San Diego. The market perception on the Chargers is that they are a tough luck team that loses close games. We’ve read more than once this week that L.A. is better than its 3-6 record shows, but we’re not buying it. The Chargers are sandwiched between the Texans and Titans in total team DVOA (18th) and they are 31st on special teams. They are what their record says they are.

The Chargers opened as -4½-point favorites after Buffalo made the QB swap and that line is now -5. More importantly, Buffalo’s blowout loss to the Saints last week has been pounded into this market’s head because New Orleans went off for 298 yards on the ground and six rushing TD’s. Combine that result with Buffalo’s loss to the Jets two weeks ago in prime time and throw in a rookie QB to boot and of course there is an overreaction. The Buffalo Bills have gone over the Falls in a barrel, which opens the door for us.

This market is so focused on fading the Bills that they have ignored that few teams in recent memory have taken as many gut punches as the Bolts and the latest may have been the worst (a game they had in the bag, not once but twice). Home field is no advantage either, as the Chargers prefer the road anyway. It's hard not to question what the Chargers have left in the tank at this point and a team coming off such an embarrassing loss is not what the doctor ordered. Keep the points.

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