3 New England Patriots players that need to step up against the Bills

It’s safe to say the New England Patriots upcoming contest with the Buffalo Bills is their most important of the season. With each passing week, the Patriots games have been increasing in importance, and it’s all built up to this. Patriots vs. Bills, with the top spot in the AFC East on the line. You can’t ask for much more than that.

This will be the second time this month these two teams have crossed paths, but it’s clear this game will be much different than the last one we saw. The extreme winds in Buffalo that night forced both teams to run the football more often than they probably would have liked, and the Patriots were barely able to squeeze out a 14-10 win despite throwing the ball just three times. This time around, Mac Jones will likely surpass that number midway through the first quarter.

It’s going to be a completely different game with a completely different meaning to it. Whoever wins this game will almost certainly win the AFC East. The Patriots would win the division this week if they beat Buffalo and the Miami Dolphins lost to the New Orleans Saints. The Bills would reclaim the top spot in the East with a win, and considering their final two games are against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets, they would likely hold onto that spot the rest of the way out.

Simply put, the division is on the line, making this an extremely important game for the Patriots. Everybody is going to have to step up, but there are going to be individual matchups that determine who wins this game. Let’s take a look at three players on the Patriots who will play a pivotal role in those matchups that could end up deciding the outcome of this game.