How we see it: News' writers predict Bills-Patriots III in wild-card playoff game

Jay Skurski: Make no mistake: All the pressure is on the Bills in this one. They are the team that was a popular Super Bowl pick. They are the team with an established franchise quarterback, not the one with a rookie making his first postseason start. They are the ones who will undoubtedly be viewed as a disappointment, should they lose. I don't see that happening. The Bills' offense has discovered a running game at the right time. That's a big deal, because it could take just a bit of the pressure off quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills' defense needs to do what it did in Week 16 against New England: Force Mac Jones to beat them. I don't think he's up for the challenge. The Patriots are 1-3 in their last four games, while the Bills are riding a four-game winning streak. We'll see how much momentum means. Bills, 27-19.

Katherine Fitzgerald: Far be it from me to count out a Bill Belichick-coached team, but I think the second meeting between these two teams was far more telling. The first game was simply too weird to replicate. I don’t think it was a really illuminating showing for either quarterback, given how unusual the weather was. If you’ve read anything about the Bills this week, you know that weather will also be a factor Saturday, but with a different forecast. It should be colder and less windy, the latter a boost for Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense. While Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has gone up against the Bills twice already, I think the Buffalo defense finds ways to rattle the rookie. I imagine it will be closer, but with the Bills giving the largest home playoff crowd in decades a reason to celebrate. Bills, 20-16. 

Mark Gaughan: The Bills are the better team, by a little. Obviously, the fact that the greatest coach of all time is on the other sideline is the big worry. The other big worry is how much will the weather negate the Bills’ passing-game advantage? Josh Allen played an A-plus game at New England three weeks ago. Can the Bills beat the Pats if Allen plays a B-plus game? I’m not worried about Allen. He will be able to throw, since the wind will be light. Allen passed for 314 yards on a 37-degree day in Foxborough. There’s no way he can pass for that much on a single-digits day. The Bills will need Allen to make some plays with his legs, and the Bills’ defense needs to play a big game. You have to think in a game this cold there will be some random turnovers. Who knows which way the ball will bounce? Nothing comes easy against a Bill Belichick team. Bills, 23-22.

Jason Wolf: Bill Belichick is one of the great coaches in NFL history, but as Stefon Diggs recently put it, the outcome of a game often depends on the Joes, not the Xs and Os. Let’s not overthink this. The Bills have the better quarterback, the better defense, more recent playoff experience and are playing at home. Yes, the Patriots won a close game in Orchard Park in December by almost exclusively running the ball, while their rookie quarterback attempted just three passes, because of gale-force winds. That was fluky. It’ll be below freezing on Saturday night, but wind shouldn’t be a major factor. Bills, 17-13.

Rachel Lenzi: It’s round three of the Patriots-Bills series this season, and this is more than a rubber game – it’s a matter of which team continues its pursuit of a championship. This is where Josh Allen has to break out of a stretch in which he’s thrown three interceptions in his last two games – great players elevate themselves and their teams when the stakes are high. The Bills' defense continues to be stout, but needs to put extra pressure on Patriots quarterback Mac Jones as a means to disrupt a middle-of-the-pack offense. The Patriots come in having lost three of their last four games, including losses to the Bills and the Dolphins. The Patriots are either on a downward slide or ripe for a win. The Bills are a championship-caliber team, and they’ll take a step in proving that by ending the Patriots’ season. Bills, 21-17.