The lead up to this game has made one thing abundantly clear; the New England Patriots have re-emerged as a contender in the AFC East and the rivalry with the Bills is as strong as ever.
While this game does have a ton of hype, the Bills will tell you that they are focused on this game just like any other and are taking things one week at a time. The division title is still technically possible, but the Bills are more focused on building momentum heading toward the postseason.
This will be a massive test for Buffalo. Coming off a more complete win against Cincinnati, the Bills have an immediate opportunity to prove to the country and themselves that they are for real and a true Super Bowl favorite in a very murky AFC.
There is one potential problem. The player that has singlehandedly turned the last two games around when the Bills needed a play most picked up an injury this week at practice and is now questionable for the game. With Christian Benford potentially on the sidelines this weekend, the need for another player (or two) to emerge when the game is on the line is critical.
Who must step up should Christian Benford be out?
Joey Bosa
Bosa returns from injury after missing last week's game and it couldn’t come at a better time. From a pure sack perspective, the Bills have been struggling to get to the quarterback (only three total sacks in the last four games).
While the pressure has been there at times, this is a game where finishing the job is a must. Drake Maye has shown a great ability to avoid sacks with his pocket presence and mobility, but the Bills had a solid gameplan for most of their last meeting. In that game, they brought Maye down four times behind the line. However, one of the most memorable plays from that game was a potential sack that Maye fought off and completed an impossible pass that ultimately led to a Patriots victory.
Now back in the lineup, Bosa needs to lead by example against this banged up Patriots’ offensive line. What is the one thing that can help offset the potential absence of your best cornerback? Pressure on the quarterback. Get pressure early and keep him contained in the pocket; that is going to be a key for this Bills defensive line on Sunday, and it starts with Bosa.
Taron Johnson
If Benford does in fact miss Sunday’s game, all of the remaining cornerbacks become much more important, but Johnson stands out to me as being the one with the most responsibility. Although there was some debate of whether or not Benford would actually shadow Stefon Diggs all game, I am going to say that he won’t regardless of if he plays or not.
Diggs has been seeing an increased snap count in the slot this season and I don’t think that will change. Just as he did in Buffalo, Diggs has continued to thrive against zone coverage. His ability to find the soft spots in the defense is at a very high level, and that was on display at Highmark Stadium back in October.
Yes, the Bills are still a predominantly zone playing defense, but they have increased their man-to-man percentage this season. I could see them ramping it up a bit more in certain key situations, and that would likely leave Johnson matched up in the slot with Diggs. Either way, the Bills defense (mainly Johnson) needs to do a complete 180 on their gameplan for Diggs or else this game might have a similar outcome.
There are a lot of other obvious players that will need to bring their A-game on Sunday, but these two playmakers on defense could make all the difference in Foxborough.