The Buffalo Bills will be facing off against the New England Patriots for the third time this NFL season, as the teams will be matching up on Wild Card Weekend. The teams split their regular-season meetings, as the Patriots won the first one at Highmark Stadium, while the Bills returned the favor a few weeks later at Gillette Stadium.
This is the first time the long-time AFC East rivals will be playing against each other in the postseason. The last time was pre-Super Bowl Era on December 28th, 1963 at War Memorial Stadium. The Patriots won that game, 26-8.
The Bills have not found much success against the Patriots in their history, as New England is 39-23 when hosting Buffalo and 38-23-1 when visiting them. Buffalo is certainly hoping to start flipping that script and it will begin with the matchup this weekend.
What do the Bills need to do to pick up the victory over their rivals this weekend? Here are four reasons that Buffalo will defeat New England and advance to the Divisional Round.
4. Weather Outlook
The first matchup between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills provided some crazy weather conditions. It turned into a throwback game, as the Patriots attempted only three passes yet still came out with the victory.
That weather was definitely an advantage for the Patriots, who were more than willing to run the ball virtually the whole game. That is not what the Bills’ offense is predicated on, so they had a little tougher time adjusting to the weather.
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While things could change, this weekend looks like it will be bitterly cold with some snow flurries but without the crazy winds. If that holds true, it is a big advantage for Buffalo, who likes to air it out with Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs.
If the craziest weather phenomenon when the teams take the field is just a little snow, the Bills will be in good shape.
3. Buffalo Has All The Momentum
The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots went in two different directions at the end of the regular season. Buffalo ended the season on a four-game winning streak, which helped them clinch the division.
New England, on the other hand, backed into the playoffs. They had their bye week following the victory over the Bills but finished the season on a whimper, going 1-3 in their last four games. The only win came against the New York Jets, as the loss to the Buffalo Bills sealed their fate as a wild card team.
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Having just defeated the Patriots handily in the most recent matchup, the Bills have to be coming into this game feeling good about their chances to do it again. Their confidence is riding high from the winning streak and they know they have what it takes to defeat Bill Belichick and his team.
2. Devin Singletary Emerging In Backfield
One of the keys to picking up a victory over the New England Patriots is that you have to bring something new to the table every time you face them. If you found something to exploit against them in a previous matchup, you can be sure that thing will not exist the next time you take the field against them.
For the Buffalo Bills, that wrinkle this time around could be Devin Singletary. Singeltary has taken control of the Buffalo backfield and has emerged as their lead back. As a result, the Bills have finally found some balance in their offense, which will make them even more dangerous.
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Singletary is a dual-threat out of the backfield as he is as good at carrying the ball as he is catching it. He could present some problems for a New England defense that will likely be keyed in on slowing down Stefon Diggs and containing Josh Allen, who is essentially the Bills’ short-yardage back.
Patriots’ rookie Christan Barmore may not be able to suit up this weekend, which would open things up even more for the Bills’ rushing attack.
1. Buffalo Owns Rookie Quarterbacks
The biggest advantage that the Buffalo Bills will have in this game is defensively against the pass. If they can get an early lead and force the New England Patriots to throw the ball more, it is a wrap.
Buffalo has the best passing defense in the NFL, allowing only 163 yards per game and 5.2 yards per pass. Opponents completed only 56 percent of their passes and threw 12 touchdowns against Buffalo on the season.
This is also an opportunistic group, as they recorded 19 interceptions on the season despite not having shutdown corner Tre’Davious White since Thanksgiving when he tore his ACL.
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The Bills have also been dominant against rookie quarterbacks, which the Patriots start in Mac Jones. Jones will be facing off against the Bills for a third time, which could help erase some of the rookie jitters. But, if his performance in the first two games is any indication of things to come, Buffalo is in good shape.
The three-pass attempt game skewed some of the stats, as Buffalo only allowed 91.2 passing yards per game against rookies. But, even when they did throw the ball, they weren’t very successful as they had only 48 percent of passes by rookies completed against them. They totaled six interceptions compared to only one touchdown in the process.
