Falcons at Bills: 3 Matchups to Watch

Can Buffalo clamp down on Cordarelle Patterson and get explosive passing game going?

Judging by the line coming out of Las Vegas, the Buffalo Bills should have an advantage in most matchups against the visiting Atlanta Falcons, who are 14½-point underdogs for Sunday's game.

The way we see it, though, there are some that can go either way. Here are the top three that are expected to go a long way toward determining the outcome.

Bills safeties vs. Falcons QB Matt Ryan

Ryan has been slinging the ball since 2008. He has four Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro selection under his belt and is approaching 60,000 career passing yards to go with 366 touchdowns. He's been to a Super Bowl.

What it all means is that there's nothing he hasn't seen, as Bills coach Sean McDermott discovered while going against him twice a year in the AFC South as Carolina's defensive coordinator for six seasons, during which the Falcons went 7-5 in those matchups.

"He's as good as advertised and he was a headache for me in the division and for us, quite honestly," McDermott said. "And there's a reason why he's been there for so long. He's a tremendous player, class act, and a lot of respect for him. It'll be a big challenge for our defense this week."

Ryan is one of the few quarterbacks on Buffalo's schedule that actually brings more experience and savvy than Bills safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer to the weekly chess match.

Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds vs. Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson

Patterson is a giant who's a matchup problem for anyone because of his combination of power and size. He started out in the NFL as a wide receiver and ace kick returner in 2013.

As a running back with the Falcons at age 30, he's on pace to finish with more yards from scrimmage than his previous best two seasons combined.

"Just one of those guys that whenever the ball is in his hands, he's hard to bring down," Hyde said. "You really have to gang-tackle him. Solo tackling is really not an option because he's electric when the ball is in his hands and you always have to know where he's at."

Bills OL vs. Falcons LB Foyesade Oluokun

Oluokun is an ascending, fourth-year player with athleticism and a Yale education who's always around the ball. He has two sacks and two interceptions and his 166 combined tackles rank second in the league.

Last week, his second interception of the season at the goal line sealed a 20-16 victory over Detroit. His first interception was pick-six in an eight-point win at Carolina two weeks earlier.

"With a guy like Foye, as he's continued to play, he's really taken charge of this defense," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said, per Gwinnettprepsports.com. "He runs the show out there. He's embraced his role and run with it this year. It's fun to watch his progress."

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.