Fresh off a dominant win over the Carolina Panthers, the New England Patriots are headed into their first primetime game of the season. It will be a big one: the 2-2 team of head coach Mike Vrabel is traveling
to Orchard Park to take on the 4-0 Buffalo Bills in the two division rivals’ first meeting of the year.
While there is plenty of familiarity between the two clubs, every year and game is different. And so, to get to better know the Bills, here is a brief rundown of what they bring to their Week 5 bout with the Patriots.
Bills key stats
The sample size is admittedly small at this early stage of the season, but two things can be said with certainty: 1.) You don’t go 4-0 by accident, and 2.) the Bills are a pretty good team.
A look at some of their core stats makes this quite clear.
Record: 4-0 (1st AFC East)
Scoring differential: +43 (3rd)
Turnover differential: +3 (t-6th)
Offense: 33.3 points/game (2nd), 404.0 yards/game (2nd), 1 giveaway (t-1st), 0.357 EPA/dropback (1st), 0.091 EPA/run (1st)
Defense: 22.5 points/game (17th), 290.0 yards/game (11th), 4 giveaways (t-14th), -0.023 EPA/dropback (8th), 0.066 EPA/run (28th)
Buffalo is a well-rounded team capable of winning football on both offense and defense. Statistically, however, the unit led by coordinator Joe Brady and quarterback Josh Allen stands out. It is at worst a top-5 unit across the board and has been the most efficient in the NFL in both dropback passing and rushing.
The other side ball has not been quite on the same level, particularly versus the pass, but it simply does not need to be. Then again, there is no question that Buffalo has the quality on defense to also be competitive in low-scoring games.
Bills 2025 season
After going 13-4 last season and earning their fifth straight division title, the Bills have picked up right where they left off — and then some. The team’s 4-0 start is its best since 2020, but there are clear differences between those two seasons: back then, the team’s scoring differential was +23; this year, it’s +43.
Week 1: 41-40 win vs. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Week 2: 30-10 win at New York Jets (2-0)
Week 3: 31-21 win vs. Miami Dolphins (3-0)
Week 4: 31-19 win vs. New Orleans Saints (4-0)
Buffalo opened the season with a shootout against the Ravens, a game decided on a Matt Prater field goal as time expired. The team followed up this high-quality victory with decisive wins over the lowly Jets, Dolphins and Saints. While those last three games did not necessarily feature a murderer’s row of opponents, the Bills got the job done and won all of those contests in convincing fashion.
Bills active roster
(Note: Roster up-to-date as of Oct. 2, 5 a.m. ET; *indicates projected starter)
Quarterback (2): Josh Allen* (17), Mitchell Trubisky (11)
Running back (4): James Cook III* (4), Ty Johnson (26), Reggie Gilliam (41 | FB), Ray Davis (22)
Wide receiver (6): Keon Coleman* (0), Khali Shakir* (10), Joshua Palmer (5), Elijah Moore (18), Tyrell Shavers (14), Curtis Samuel (1)
Tight end (3): Dalton Kincaid* (86), Dawson Knox* (88), Jackson Hawes (85)
Offensive tackle (4): Dion Dawkins* (73 | LT), Spencer Brown* (79 | RT), Ryan Van Demark (74), Chase Lundt (77)
Interior offensive line (5): David Edwards* (76 | LG), Connor McGovern* (66 | C), O’Cyrus Torrence* (64 | RG), Alec Anderson (70), Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (62)
Interior defensive line (4): Ed Oliver* (91), DaQuan Jones* (92), T.J. Sanders (98), Deone Walker (96)
Defensive edge (5): Greg Rousseau* (50), Joey Bosa* (97), A.J. Epenesa (57), Javon Solomon (56), Landon Jackson (94)
Linebacker (5): Matt Milano* (58), Terrel Bernard* (8), Dorian Williams (42), Shaq Thompson (45), Joe Andreessen (44)
Cornerback (7): Christian Benford* (47), Tre’Davious White* (27), Taron Johnson* (7), Dorian Strong (43), Ja’Marcus Ingram (46), Cam Lewis (39), Brandon Codrington (29 | KR/PR)
Safety (5): Taylor Rapp* (9), Cole Bishop* (24), Damar Hamlin (3), Sam Franklin Jr. (28), Jordan Hancock (37)
Specialists (3): Matt Prater (15 | K), Mitch Wishnowsky (19 | P/H), Reid Ferguson (69 | LS)
Any discussion about the Bills needs to start with a player who really needs no introduction. A starter since his 2018 rookie season, Josh Allen is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL today and as dangerous a dual-threat weapon as there is in football.
So far in 2024, the reigning league MVP and two time second-team All-Pro selection, has completed 85 of 121 pass attempts (70.2%) for 964 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. In addition, he has also carried the ball 24 times for 168 yards — an average of 7 yards per non-kneel-down run — and a trio of scores.
Allen is the engine that makes one of the top offenses in the game run, but he is not the only player worth mentioning. There is running back James Cook, for example, who has gained over 100 scrimmage yards in all four games so far and also leads the NFL with five rushing touchdowns. Then, there is the starting wide receiver duo of Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, who are first and second on the team, respectively, in targets, catches and receiving yards.
Buffalo also features a potent tight end duo — Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid — as well as an experienced and well-rounded offensive line that is solid both in pass protection and run blocking.
On defense, the Bills are led by a disruptive defensive line anchored by standout defensive tackle Ed Oliver. An ankle injury kept Oliver out the last three games, but he did participate in practice, albeit in limited fashion, to start the week. Getting the former first-round draft pick back would add another high-quality piece to a front that also features the likes of Greg Rousseau and offseason signing Joey Bosa.
At the second level, Matt Milano is the most prominent player. Even though he has dealt with injuries each of the last two seasons and is also currently limited in practice with a pectoral injury, he remains a core player for what Buffalo does on the defensive side of the ball.
The Bills are also quite experienced in the secondary, with starting cornerbacks Christian Benford, Tre’Davious White and Taron Johnson as well as safety Taylor Rapp all multi-year veterans. Cole Bishop, a second-round draft pick in 2024, is the lone exception but still a high-quality player.
Buffalo does face some questions on special teams. Due to injury, the team is already on its third punter this season, while Matt Prater only joined a month ago after Tyler Bass got hurt; Prater is 8-of-9 on field goals so far, however, and has made all 13 off his extra points.
Bills reserves
Practice squad (16): QB Shane Buechele (6), RB Frank Gore Jr. (20), WR Stephen Gosnell (89), WR Kristian Wilkerson (82), TE Kelekie Latu (83), OL Nick Broeker (63), OL Kendrick Green (53), DT Zion Logue (93), DT Phidarian Mathis (72), DT Jordan Phillips (52), DE Andre Jones Jr. (59), ED Jimmy Ciarlo (35), ED Keonta Jenkins (49), ED Otis Reeese (40), CB Dane Jackson (23), S Jordan Poyer (21)
Practice squad exempt (1): OT Travis Clayton (67)
Practice squad injured reserve (1): WR Gabe Davis
Injured reserve (6): OT Tylan Grable (IR-R), DT DeWayne Carter, CB Maxwell Hairston (IR-R), S Wande Owens, K Tyler Bass, P Cameron Johnston
Suspended (2): DT Larry Ogunjobi, ED Michael Hoecht
The Bills have some big names among their reserves, both on the practice squad and on injured reserve. The first group features former starters Jordan Phillips, Dane Jackson and Jordan Poyer, while the second includes the likes of Tyler Bass and Cameron Johnston; Buffalo’s regular kicker and punter are both out for the foreseeable future.
Bills coaching staff
Head coach: Sean McDermott
Coordinators: Joe Brady (OC), Bobby Babich (DC), Chris Tabor (ST)
One of the most successful head coaches in the NFL today, Sean McDermott is in his ninth season in Buffalo. Since his arrival in 2017, he helped the organization end an 18-year playoff drought, qualify for the tournament seven times, and win five straight AFC East titles. Playoff success has eluded him to a large degree — the team is 7-7 with two trips to the AFC Championship as the high point — but McDermott has helped turn the former laughing stock into a serious contender year in and year out.
His staff, which added Chris Tabor as special teams coordinator this offseason, also features a rather familiar face: Mike Pellegrino, a longtime Patriots assistant and two-time Super Bowl winner, joined the Bills as their nickel coach earlier this year.
