For the third time this season, the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills will be squaring off on the field, this time in an all-important, win-or-go-home playoff game. Will the Patriots advance to the next round? Or will the Bills send Bill Belichick and the Patriots packing for an early vacation? Check out our preview below of this Patriots-Bills AFC Wild Card game.
Is there a reason to be seriously concerned about the Patriots’ form? They have lost three of their last four games, and that includes their 33-24 defeat on the road against the Miami Dolphins in the regular-season finale. Their only win during that four-game stretch was over the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Nevertheless, a Bill Belichick team is always going to be ready for the playoffs. Having been in the postseason for most of this career as head coach of New England, Belichick gives the Patriots the head-coaching advantage over the Bills. He had already embarrassed Buffalo with his tactics back in Week 13 when he instructed the Patriots to run the ball as though their life depended on it on their way to a 14-10 road win. In that game, the Pats rushed 46 times and tallied 222 rushing yards and a touchdown. New England did not have the same approach in the rematch with the Bills weeks later, and if the Pats are to eliminate Buffalo this weekend, it’s likely going to be because of their defense that finished the regular season second in the NFL with just 17.8 points allowed and no. 1 in interception rate.
The Patriots are 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 playoff road games.
The Bills could be catching New England at the perfect time, with the Patriots seemingly on a slump. Buffalo, on the other hand, is on a roll, having won all of its last four games of the regular season. Among those wins were their 33-21 takedown of the Patriots in Foxborough. In that game, Josh Allen brought his best form, passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions on 30/47 completions. He also rushed 12 times for 64 yards. They also rattled Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who threw two picks and zero touchdowns on just 14/32 completions. The Bills made Jones feel hell, and their defense is looking to do the same on the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback in this AFC Wild Card game. Just like the Patriots, the Bills have a stout defense – a stingier one in fact based on their league-best 17.0 points allowed per contest. Their offense also ended the regular season third in the NFL in third-down conversion rate and seventh in red-zone touchdown scoring percentage.
The Bills are 3-1-1 against the spread in their last 5 games as a favorite.
