Here are my five takes on the Buffalo Bills’ game Monday at 8:15 p.m. against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
1. One last reminder of the identity of the new king of the AFC East.
Maybe there would be more incentive to throttle the Patriots if they hadn’t already been bounced from the postseason.
Maybe the fact they no longer are Tom Brady’s team and Bill Belichick’s coaching genius looks a lot less imposing when he doesn’t have a great quarterback or other key pieces make this just another game, rather than one deserving of a large red circle.
The prime-time stage might provide a little extra juice, but there’s no pretending this game is something other than what the Bills’ 11-3 record and the Patriots’ 6-8 mark say it is: a matchup of a have against a have-not.
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All that is left for the Bills to do, besides continue on the road to securing the No. 2 playoff seed, is deliver resounding reinforcement to their status at the top of the division. Though they officially claimed it with last weekend’s win at Denver, the Bills had, for all intents and purposes, effectively knocked the Patriots from their perch weeks ago.
The Patriots have won 35 of the last 41 meetings and haven’t been swept by a division rival since the Jets and Dolphins did it in 2000, an NFL record 19 consecutive seasons.
2. Take advantage of the declining version of Cam Newton.
This should be a big night for the Bills’ defense.
The Patriots are expected to start Newton at quarterback. As beat up as he has been, his effectiveness likely will be minimal, even if he does give New England a better chance to win than Jarrett Stidham.
It did take Justin Zimmer to force Newton to fumble late in the game for the Bills to secure a 24-21 victory on Nov. 1 at Bills Stadium, but Buffalo’s defense isn’t likely to allow the Pats to hang around that long this time.
The Bills are performing significantly better on D, and don’t be surprised if they generate multiple turnovers and eventually force Belichick to pull Newton for Stidham.
3. Let the stat-padding commence for Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley.
All three should be able to add to their impressive numbers, especially with the Patriots losing cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a season-ending knee injury.
Allen, Diggs and Beasley love the national spotlight. Allen especially enjoys showing the many detractors he had before the 2018 draft and through much of his first two NFL seasons how wrong they were to doubt his ability to achieve elite status.
It would make sense for the Bills to come out slinging on offense, grab an early lead and sap the Pats of whatever will they have while contemplating offseason plans.
In the latest edition of One-on-One Coverage, The Buffalo News spoke with Roberts about his Pro Bowl selection, heading to the playoffs and more.
4. Brian Daboll’s auditioning continues.
The Bills’ offensive coordinator already has established himself as one of the hotter candidates for one of several head-coach openings that will begin to be filled next month.
His game-planning and play-calling against Denver, Pittsburgh and San Francisco the past three weeks might very well have solidified his being a top choice for more than one team.
But Daboll can enhance his credentials by having blowout-type success against Belichick’s defense.
5. Stay healthy.
Perhaps it’s too obvious and needless to mention, but it’s going to be listed anyway.
The worst outcome for the Bills is not losing the game. It is emerging from it with an injury or injuries that prevent a key player or players from being available for the playoffs.
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Game details
TV: ESPN. Steve Levy (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), Brian Griese (analyst).
Radio: Bills Radio Network. Buffalo-WGR 550 AM; Toronto-Fan 590 AM; Rochester-WCMF 96.5 FM and WROC 950 AM; Syracuse-WTKW 99.5 FM and WTKV 105.5 FM. Announcers: John Murphy (play-by-play), Steve Tasker (analyst).
Series history: The Patriots lead the series, 76-44-1 (including postseason).
Bills injury report: Out: TE Reggie Gilliam (knee/hamstring). Questionable: S Jaquan Johnson (ankle), OT Ty Nsekhe (groin).
Patriots injury report: Questionable: C David Andrews (calf), LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (shoulder), DL Tawshawn Bower (ankle), DL Adam Butler (shoulder), LB Shilique Calhoun (knee), LS Joe Cardona (ankle), DL Byron Cowart (back), OT Jermaine Eluemunor (ankle), K Nick Folk (back), DL Lawrence Guy (shoulder), RB Damien Harris (ankle), OL Justin Herron (ankle), CB J.C. Jackson (knee), LB Anfernee Jennings (shoulder), CB Jonathan Jones (neck), G Shaq Mason (calf), WR Donte Moncrief (thigh), DE John Simon (hamstring), WR Matthew Slater (knee), RB J.J. Taylor (quadricep).
Point spread: The Bills are a 7-point favorite at vegasinsider.com.
Did you know: Since Week 7, the Bills have outscored opponents by 79 points. That’s the second-largest differential in the NFL over that span, behind the New Orleans Saints.
Next: The regular season comes to a close next Sunday when the Bills face the Miami Dolphins, who after their dramatic last-second win against the Raiders are looking to join Buffalo in the postseason.
