Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots: Wild Card Weekend pregame notes

Inexperienced quarterbacks haven’t faired well against the Bills this season

The Bills have feasted on inexperienced quarterbacks this season. They held the Dolphins to 11 total points in two matchups in 2021 with second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the helm. In Week 4, the Bills shut out Davis Mills and the Houston Texans. And just last week, the Bills dominated rookie Zach Wilson to the tune of eight sacks. Although the Patriots came away victorious in Week 13, Mac Jones only threw three passes. And in Week 16, Bills shut down the Pats offense, holding Jones to 145 yards on 35 attempts, forcing two interceptions.

Since 2011, rookie quarterbacks in the postseason are just 2-9, which doesn’t bode well for Jones. This combination is lethal for the Bills. When teams are forced to throw the ball against Buffalo, the game isn’t going well for the opponent. What’s hurt Buffalo this year is long running plays. And even though the Bills can overcome them, teams who control the ball can force the Bills out of its comfort zone.

New England is capable of running the ball. And in the windstorm in Buffalo in Week 13, they controlled the game and forced Buffalo to match its physical nature. However, in blistering Orchard Park temperatures and a lot less wind, the game script may be a lot different. If the Bills can force the Patriots to play from behind and throw the ball, the Bills could be in for a big performance on defense.