Buffalo Bills: New England Patriots game picked as most important in 2020
CBS Sports picked the Week 8 game against the New England Patriots as the most important game for the Buffalo Bills. They picked it for a reason other than the obvious one.
The 2020 season is supposed to be the one that the Buffalo Bills surpass the New England Patriots for the division title, something the Patriots have owned almost every season for nearly two decades. The departure of Tom Brady and the rise the Bills have had under Sean McDermott feels like the stars have aligned for this finally to happen.
It would certainly make sense then that the Buffalo Bills most important game this coming season would be one of the two against the New England Patriots. If they truly hope to stake their claim as the best team in the AFC East then they need to beat that team in a game.
However, one aspect that John Breech talks about that may not be considered is that this game is important for Josh Allen‘s development. The third-year quarterback has struggled against Bill Belichick and this Patriots’ defense.
"Basically, Allen hasn’t been able to do anything against Bill Belichick’s defense, and since Belichick is still in New England, it won’t be surprising if Allen continues to struggle. A win over the Patriots in Week 8 would prove that the Bills should be taken seriously to win the AFC East, a division they haven’t won since 1995."
The former first round pick is 0-3 against the Patriots in his career. In those three starts, Allen has completed only 48.42% of his passes, 578 passing yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
The positive for Allen is that the last game he played against the Patriots was by far his best with 208 passing yards and two touchdowns. It was also the first time Allen hasn’t turned the ball over against the Patriots.
One of the things that the Patriots have done well is they have been able to limit the threat of Josh Allen on the ground. In the three starts, Allen has had rushing yard totals of 30, 26 and 43 with only one rushing touchdown.
Next. Projections for Stefon Diggs in 2020. dark
There is no question that the Buffalo Bills need to get past the New England Patriots this year if they hope to earn their first division title since 1995. However, the one player that will be under the most pressure will be quarterback Josh Allen.