The Buffalo Bills are set to meet a familiar foe on Sunday night, as the New England Patriots are coming to town. It’s the first time these two clubs are meeting this season, and it’s the final first-time
divisional contest for the Bills.
Buffalo has already beaten the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins, and now not only are they seeking a 3-0 start in the AFC East, but also the second 5-0 start in franchise history. The only other time the Bills achieved the feat was in 1991, when they began the year 5-0 on their way to a 13-3 record and a berth in Super Bowl XXVI.
Before the Bills can worry about Super Bowls, though, they’ll need to take care of business in the games leading up to that very big game. A 5-0 record with a 3-0 divisional record would give the Bills a tremendous cushion in the early going, especially given that, with a win on Sunday, the closest team to the Bills would be tie between the Patriots and the Dolphins, who could notch their second win of the season on Sunday if they manage to beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bills need to prevent New England from earning its third win of the season. To do so, they’ll need big games from their big players. Here are five Bills we’re watching this Sunday night.
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QB Josh Allen
Hopefully, this is something we can all file under the category of “this writer is overanalyzing things” once Monday comes, but the last time Allen faced off against a team that rostered his former No. 1 target, Stefon Diggs, he played arguably the worst game of his career. Allen forced the issue repeatedly last year against the Houston Texans, completing just 9-of-30 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.
Was he so off because he was trying to prove that he would be just fine without Diggs when his former teammate was right across the field from him? Did the Texans just come up with a great game plan to stop Allen? Did Allen actually suffer a concussion and fool the independent neurologist, checking himself back into the game when he should have sat?
Look, the past is in the past, and Allen has nothing to prove to anyone. However, anyone who’s ever been a competitor knows that there are just certain people you want to prove things to for a multitude of reasons. Allen has found himself caught up in trying to assert dominance, so to speak, in games before. He’s largely left those moments behind.
If he plays within himself as he’s done all this year, he’ll be just fine. The Bills could certainly use a strong performance out of No. 17 on Sunday night.
RB James Cook
The AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September has been a one-man highlight reel. He’s run tough between the tackles, shown burst outside the tackles, and even looked good in pass routes.
Cook is a dynamic runner, but the Patriots under new head coach Mike Vrabel have been fantastic against the run this year, allowing opposing teams to average just 3.3 yards per tote so far. Cook is averaging 5.3 yards per carry so far this season.
The Bills aren’t going to shy away from the run game, and the Patriots are dealing with some injuries up front, as Milton Williams and Christian Barmore are dealing with injuries that could either keep them out of the game or limit them this week. Letting James Cook is going to be a big part of the game plan, and if he can maintain his success, it could lead to a long night for the visiting squad.
DT Deone Walker
The big man has quickly become one of my favorite players to watch on a weekly basis, as he just wins reps through sheer force and solid technique. Is he perfect? Of course he isn’t. However, he’s looking like an absolute steal in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
He’ll slot right into the starting lineup next year alongside Ed Oliver, and for now, he’s a great rotational piece to work in with Oliver and DaQuan Jones. Since the former has been injured, Walker has been starting next to the latter, and he’s performed quite well, totaling seven tackles and two tackles for loss. Those aren’t huge numbers, but for a rookie defensive tackle coming off a back injury, it’s less about his total numbers and more about his overall impact up front.
He’s been one of the better players on Buffalo’s defensive line, and this week would be a good time for him to notch his first career sack.
LB Matt Milano/Shaq Thompson
Who’s going to play this week? It doesn’t look like it’s going to be Dorian Williams, who hasn’t practiced this week thanks to a knee injury. It could be Milano, who has been limited with a pectoral injury. It could also be Thompson, the veteran who has made some splash plays on defense in limited reps. Either way, I assume that the Bills will call up a linebacker from the practice squad this week to help out on special teams after not doing so last week.
If Milano plays, they’ll surely want to monitor his reps, and the same goes for Thompson, who tore his Achilles last year while with the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots love to use the middle of the field in the passing game, as tight end Hunter Henry and old friend Stefon Diggs are the team’s top two receivers, and both operate frequently from the slot.
Whichever linebacker is next to Terrel Bernard in zone coverages will play a big part in the defense’s success or failure this week.
CB Tre’Davious White
The veteran cornerback led the Bills in tackles last week with seven, as he was solid in run support. He was also flagged twice for holding, and while one of those flags looked to be a pretty poor call, White is no longer the coverage stud that he was before ACL and Achilles injuries combined with Father Time that sapped some of his athleticism.
White rotated snaps with rookie Dorian Strong last week, but with Strong appearing on the injury report with a neck injury, it’s possible that it could be the Tre’Davious White show exclusively at CB2 across from Christian Benford this week. Whether White is lined up across from Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, or our other old friend, Mack Hollins, he’ll need to be a little less handsy and a little more active with his feet in coverage.
I don’t think they’ll treat Hunter Henry like they used to treat Travis Kelce, but if they do, White would be a good choice to cover the big tight end if necessary, as he has experience mixing it up with another talented tight end.
