A lot of pressure on Owens against the Bucs, plus prediction

353 yards passing to go along with 462 yards in total offense. Those are the numbers Tony Romo (career high) and the Dallas offense gained on the Buccaneers last week in 34-21 win. As the headlines in Dallas read that Romo passed his first test without Owens, the headlines for T.O. in Buffalo were much different.

The Bills lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Pats. Owens only had 2 catches for 46 yards, then pissed off the Buffalo press core by not talking after the game. Then Wednesday came and ESPN decided to make up their own conclusions from the Owens press conference, by making Owens out to be someone who spoke up against Obama’s health care plan.

Owens isn’t stupid. He knows he’s facing an opponent that his last quarterback had a career game against. He knows if the Bills offense struggles, the anti-Owens contingent of ESPN and others, will be on his ass. The headlines will read how Owens struggled against a defense that Romo had torn up a week earlier. Owens will have his work cut out for him facing all-pro Ronde Barber. Owens has played Tampa Bay 4 times in his career, averaging 5 catches and 76 yards. Not exactly eye popping numbers for Owens.

The Bills should have a different game plan going into this game than last week. The Bills can take chances going down the field without worrying about Tom Brady capitalizing on Bills mistakes. If Barber is on Owens, look for the Bucs to double Evans in trying to take away the top wides for the Bills. It’s the same way the 49ers, when they had Deion Sanders would defend teams with two elite wide outs. If that’s the case the Bills need to get Josh Reed involved in the game.

I had wrote in the preseason that Reed was going to be the guy who would benefit the most with Evans and Owens on the team. He didn’t exactly take advantage of his opportunity last week, scoring a goose egg in the stats column. Reed has to take advantage of the constant double teams Owens and Evans should be receiving during the year. If he doesn’t, then all the improvements he has made over the last couple of years will be for not.

I think this is going to be a tough match-up for the Bills. To be honest all match-ups in the beginning of a season normally are, because teams are adjusting to their new players and getting film on the opposition. I think Fred Jackson and Josh Reed will have big games. And plus, home field advantage doesn’t hurt either.

Look for Owens to have a better game but not by much (predicting 5 catches for 65 yards). But don’t worry T.O. fans, the Saints are coming to town next week, which should be a shoot-out for both teams. But for Bills fans, the team should win their first game of the year.