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Prediction we missed: The Bills' defense could take time to get going with a tough early slate.

It's not a surprise that the Bills are having a good season and that this team is among the Super Bowl contenders coming off its bye. Instead, it's the way this team has won games and dominated most of its opponents. Yes, the loss to a good Titans team was tough, but five of the first six games of the season were against teams in the playoffs last year or in contention. Buffalo came away holding two teams scoreless and outscoring other opponents by wide margins. The Bills have unexpectedly shown how dominant they can be and that this defense can be one of the top units in the league, with an easier stretch of games still to come. -- Alaina Getzenberg

When Josh Allen was stuffed on fourth-and-short to clinch a frustrating 34-31 loss to the Titans in Week 6, it put the spotlight on a perplexing issue concerning the AFC East leaders: Why is this loaded offense struggling to tally touchdowns in the red zone? Buffalo is scoring nearly 34 points per game, but the team is 26th in red-zone TD conversion. No team in football made more trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line in the season's first six weeks, but the Bills punched it into the end zone only 55.2 percent of the time. That's down from the 62 percent clip Buffalo posted in its gangbusters 2020 rampage through the league. One can assume this issue was thoroughly investigated during the bye week.

They face the Miami Dolphins in a division game this week, which sure doesn't have the same feel we thought it would before the season. The Dolphins might be the tonic the Bills need to get past the Titans loss.

A bitter loss and bye week in the rear view, Buffalo returns to a three-week murdered row against Miami, Jacksonville and the Jets, who are a combined 3-16 (.158). Great opportunity for Buffalo to create breathing room from AFC pack.

Trick or treat: What's the NFL equivalent of getting a full-size candy bar? Coming off your bye to face the Dolphins, Jaguars and Jets in consecutive weeks. A puzzling late failure in Tennessee is the only thing keeping the Bills from sitting atop the AFC, but that's coming soon. The defense is better than it showed in its last outing, and as long as the offense stays healthy, Buffalo will roll through the AFC East and spend December playing for the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage.