Bills vs Patriots: Five players to watch

Aug 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback

(28) is tackled by Cleveland Browns wide receiver

(11) after an interception during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Ronald Darby

After an up-and-down preseason, Ronald Darby had an excellent regular season debut against the Indianapolis Colts. If truth be told, it was most probably better than many people expected.

The rookie cornerback finished the game with six tackles (five solo) and two pass defenses, while dealing with cramps. More importantly, he picked off a Luck pass, which led to the first points of the game, and Buffalo never looked back.

You know Brady and the offense are going to target Darby all day long, and look for ways to exploit him. The question, is, can he hold his own – even more important, given the single coverage scheme often employed in the secondary by Rex Ryan’s defense.

For his part, Darby knows the Patriots will be gunning for him, as he told Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News: “Each week I’m going to get tested due to the fact that I’m a rookie…I know I’m going to make mistakes at times, but I’m going to continue to get better.”

The 2015 second round draft pick isn’t lacking for speed, but his achilles heel is a penchant for losing sight of the ball, when it is in the air. Whatever happens in this game, he will learn an important lesson and pick up some valuable experience against a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Next: Do whatever it takes to stop this guy