The New England Patriots have their biggest challenge of the season against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football in what could be the Patriots’ final game at Highmark Stadium. While the Patriots are implementing a new offense and building an identity, the Bills are a well-established football program that has been at the top of the AFC East since 2019 and is led by the reigning MVP in Josh Allen.
One of the first things that head coach Mike Vrabel said to his team when he was hired was that winning the division is a goal for the team. He now has an opportunity to have Patriots fans feeling similarly confident, and that will require a strong defensive performance in Week 5.
Patriots' D-Line Must Step Up vs. Bills in Week 5 SNF
Although the Bills owned one of the NFL's top offenses, entering Week 5 with 404.0 total yards per game. They've been generating 163.5 rushing yards per game, with running back James Cook gaining 5.3 yards per carry and 100.3 yards per game.
That said, the Patriots have a top defense against the run this season. They’ve only allowed 77.5 yards per game, which ranks third in the NFL after four weeks.
The Patriots' key to victory will be to limit Cook and the run game. That’s going to be easier said than done, but it’s not impossible for this defense that is excelling against the run and has already limited a set of good running backs to minimal games of less than 50 yards rushing.
- Week 1: Ashton Jeanty, 38 yards on 19 carries
- Week 2: De’Von Achane, 30 yards on 11 carries
- Week 3: Jaylen Warren, 47 yards on 18 carries
- Week 4: Chubba Hubbard, 49 yards on 10 carries
The big challenge that Buffalo poses that some of these other teams don’t is the incredible versatility and strength from Allen as a runner. He’s averaging 39.8 rushing yards per game and has scored three touchdowns on the ground.
To limit Allen and Buffalo's offense, it’ll be important for the Patriots’ defensive line to get into the backfield and wreak havoc. The Bills are coming off a game last week where they allowed three sacks on Allen, and it makes seven total after four games.
Allen has been sacked in every game this season, and the Patriots have a great opportunity to add to that by attacking and making things harder for him this week, as they already have 10 sacks and once led the NFL in sacks this season.
The Patriots' defensive identity is led by the front line, with defensive tackles Christian Barmore and Milton Williams being one of the best tandems in the NFL. Not only do they play key roles in stopping the run, but they also contribute to the pass rush.
Barmore currently leads all defensive tackles with a 16.1% pressure rate, and Williams ranks fifth with a 13.5% pressure rate, according to NextGen Stats. Together, they’re a top interior pass-rush duo in the NFL this season and the leaders of the defense. It’ll be up to them to stop Cook from getting to the second level through the inside of the defense.
It’s worth noting that although this is the biggest challenge of the season for the Patriots, the same can be said for the Bills, who are going up against a Patriots defense that excels at stopping the run and has a top QB on the other side of the ball to pair with it.
New England had a complete effort in all three phases of the game last week against Carolina, receiving contributions from players all over the roster for the entire game. It’s easier said than done, but the Patriots will need that same type of effort and finish in Week 5 to stop the run against the Bills.