Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots: Storylines for Wild Card Weekend

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills (Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports) /

Winning the battle on the ground

This game may come down to which team does a better job on the ground, both running the ball and stopping the run game. In their first matchup, the Patriots ran the ball 46 times for 222 rushing yards for an average of 4.8 yards per attempt. In the second game, the Patriots still ran the ball pretty well with an average of 5.5 yards per attempt and Damien Harris finding the end zone three times.

This will be an interesting test for the Buffalo Bills defense because in the past two weeks, they have done an excellent job against the run. The Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets combined for only 144 rushing yards but neither team is really known for their ability to run the ball.

On the other side of the ball, the Bills run game has gotten better due to the play of Devin Singletary but also with Josh Allen running more. One big injury on the Patriots’ defense that is worth watching this week is Christian Barmore.

Who are the most important Bills in the playoffs not named Josh Allen?. light. Trending

Their starting defensive tackle suffered a knee injury last week but did miss a serious injury however is still not guaranteed to play this week. If he does miss, this should help Buffalo establish a run game on Saturday night.