Five things to watch: Bengals vs. Bills

2. Stopping the run

While the showdown of transcendent quarterbacks has garnered much of the national attention this week, a key component of the Bills' offense has been its run game. Buffalo ranks seventh in the NFL this season with 142.8 yards per game, and is coming off a season-high 254 yards on the ground at Chicago in Week 16 — their most since 2016. The versatility of their rushing attack is what steers the success, as running backs Devin Singletary and James Cook, along with a dual-threat quarterback in Allen, have combined for 1,998 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.

The Bills will face a Bengals run defense that is seventh in the league, giving up just 106.4 yards per contest. Cincinnati has held three straight opponents under 100, and doing so against Buffalo will be paramount in slowing down one of the league's top overall offenses.

3. Chase closes in on 1,000

Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense will always welcome a superstar performance from wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, but there may not be a game this season where his services are needed more than Monday's. In a matchup of two top-10 offenses potentially trading points, Cincinnati will lean on its Pro Bowl pass catcher to make plays down the field. For Chase, a high level of production will result in his second straight season of 1,000 receiving yards, a mark he is just 40 shy of. He has gone for over 40 yards in each of his last eight games played, and by doing so again he would join A.J. Green (2011-12) as the only players in team history with consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin their career.