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When Chargers have ball vs. Bills

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Against the Chargers’ offense last Sunday, the Seahawks stuck to their basic personality. Three-deep secondary. Keep the ball in front of you. Attack the passer with four rushers.

The Chargers cleaved to their core identity as well, only they performed far better. Philip Rivers sliced and diced with short and medium strikes. Danny Woodhead made clutch plays. Ryan Mathews found a late groove before injuring a knee. When improvisation was needed, Rivers and Antonio Gates rigged up three connections for touchdowns.

Sunday against the Bills, a repeat of that performance – 10-of-17 on third downs, 42 minutes of possession, 30 points – would likely bring victory.

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“Make those same plays and sustain drives and keep that rhythm,” playcaller Frank Reich said Thursday. “Mix things up. Go fast when we can go fast. Slow it down. Throw, run. Just keep mixing it up. That’s what we want to be. We want to be able to keep teams off balance like that.”

The Bills will have crowd noise on their side. The weather will be warm, but nothing like the oppressive heat last Sunday in San Diego. Like the Seahawks, a four-man line is Buffalo’s No. 1 unit. The quartet of right end Mario Williams, nose tackle Marcel Darreus, tackle Kyle Williams and left end Jerry Hughes may be more physical, if not as explosive, than Seattle’s group.

Reich said Buffalo’s line has no weakness. “Four unique-style players,” he said. “We’re going to have to play our best game.” He added, “They’re tough in the secondary.”

If the Bills overplay the shorter passes, the Chargers are prepared to go deep. Against Arizona in Week 1, Rivers had Malcom Floyd open on the post after he’d beaten Antonio Cromartie. Center field was vacant because the free safety jumped a medium route, but Rivers overthrew Floyd.

“We have the kind of quarterback and the kind of players that, as a playcaller, we can have confidence calling those kind of plays,” said Reich, a former Bills backup to Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly.

Mathews’ absence means more work for Woodhead and Donald Brown. But quick-cutting rookie Branden Oliver (5-foot-8, 208 pounds) is expected to join the running back rotation and may return kicks.

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