Buffalo @ Carolina Game Overview

The Buffalo Bills, on the other hand, have experienced some unexpected glitches.

On Sunday, the Bills will try to alter the course of their season -- and that of the Panthers, as well -- when they travel to Charlotte.

The Bills (4-2) lost two straight games before a week off. When coming off an open date, Buffalo is 8-0 in the next game since 2017.

"We're looking forward to getting back on track," Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. "We don't have to do a complete overhaul. I think it's very correctable."

Carolina (4-3) has won three games in a row and is above .500 at any point in a season for the first time since 2021.

"We have not seen our best football," Panthers coach Dave Canales said. "We have seen glimpses of it."

Veteran Andy Dalton is slated to start at quarterback due to Bryce Young missing the entire week of practices due to a sprained right ankle.

"Obviously, you hate that Bryce got hurt, but I get to be in there and get to be a part of it and impact the game, so every chance you get you look forward to it," Dalton said.

Young was injured in the third quarter of Sunday's victory against the New York Jets.

Dalton, a 15-year veteran, threw for 60 yards in relief of Young. Dalton started six previous games with the Panthers and had a 1-5 record.

The Panthers, who are 3-0 in home games, have nobody else in jeopardy of missing the game.

Buffalo coach Sean McDermott, a former defensive coordinator with the Panthers, said the Bills are anxious to get back on the field, particularly with a week off following two defeats.

Allen, who has never lost three straight games as a starter, has thrown for 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. His 254 rushing yards are the second-most for a quarterback this season.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Allen said. "But this is a team that wants to do that work."

Two of Allen's top four receivers have missed time recently. Tight end Dalton Kincaid has dealt with an oblique injury and missed Buffalo's most recent game -- a 24-14 loss at Atlanta on Oct. 13 -- and is questionable for Carolina, according to McDermott on Friday. Joshua Palmer (ankle/knee) exited the Atlanta game with an ankle injury and was ruled out of Sunday's game.

The Bills placed safety Taylor Rapp (knee) on injured reserve Friday, while McDermott said defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (calf) will miss Sunday's contest and that linebackers Matt Milano (pectoral) and Terrel Bernard (ankle) are questionable.

Both teams rate high in rushing offense this season. The Panthers went with Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle alternating series last week against the New York Jets with Hubbard back from a two-game injury absence. Canales said there's no rush to sort out the running back position.

"I liked that we went into the fourth quarter with two physically fresh backs," the coach said.

Buffalo's James Cook is averaging 89.5 rushing yards per game, ranking second in the league.

The Bills could restock portions of their roster with defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and defensive end Michael Hoecht eligible to return from six-game suspensions for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. McDermott was noncommittal on whether Ogunjobi and/or Hoecht would play this week. Ogunjobi played collegiately for Charlotte.

First-year Buffalo linebacker Shaq Thompson makes a return to Charlotte, where he played his first 10 NFL seasons with the Panthers. He posted a season-high 10 tackles in the Atlanta game.

Quarterback Mike White is on Carolina's practice squad after spending 2024 with the Bills.

"There's no secret code involved here," Canales said. "He's a Panther right now, so trying to get as much info as we can."

Buffalo is 6-2 all-time against the Panthers, including 2-1 in Charlotte.

--Field Level Media