Buffalo Bills 'Thankful' to Have Short Week vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After a disappointing loss on Sunday, the Buffalo Bills are eager to have a short week with a chance to get back on track sooner.

This week, the Buffalo Bills are one of the "lucky" teams to play on Thursday Night Football as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium.

After a back-breaking loss to the AFC East rival New England Patriots on Sunday, one may think that the short week would be a hinderance for Buffalo. However, the Bills don't see it that way. Throughout the week, Bills coaches and players have emphasized the benefits of having such a quick turnaround after a loss.

"The first 24 hours are tough going into a short week because you're short on rest but I think at the end of the day, it's how you approach it," coach Sean McDermott said. "It's a mental challenge and you got to look at it like, this is a great opportunity for us and we approach it with great energy and we look forward to playing at home where we've played well this year and in front of our fans."

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (left) and Bills quarterback Josh Allen (right) / FanStreamSports.com

A common theme in the Bills' remarks is how the short turnaround improves focus. With a full week in between games, a loss like the one the Bills just had can linger and leave a dark cloud over the team. With the short week, though, the feelings from that loss fade away as the Bills prepare for their next game.

“It is, honestly, a great thing. As a competitor, you hate losing,” offensive tackle Dion Dawkins said. “I’m thankful that we have a short week.”

Now sitting at 4-3, the Bills have significant work to do to prove themselves as legitimate contenders once again. A win over the Buccaneers on Thursday won't solve all their problems at once, but it would be a very good start.

"You can get out there Thursday night and you can get playing and get a win under your belt and get that bad taste out of your mouth way sooner than a Sunday game," safety Micah Hyde said.