The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots will be locked in a Hagler-Hearns back-and-forth as Josh Allen and Drake Maye try to plant their respective flags atop the AFC East. With how evenly matched these two AFC titans are, it's hard to find factors that can separate them.
Allen and Maye are both elite, which may cancel one another out in head-to-head comparisons. While the Patriots may have the overall defensive edge, the Bills' depth in one area might make them the favorites if they were to square up tomorrow.
Chad Graff of The Athletic wondered if the Patriots have done enough to beef up their pass rush, calling it the team's biggest outstanding question now that the bulk of the offseason is done. Allen and the Bills' offensive line likely won't be challenged by a beat-up and thinner-than-usual attack from New England.
Bills can take advantage of Patriots' lack of pass rush in 2026
Milton Williams proved to be a tremendous free agent signing, but one defensive tackle can only do so much when it comes to beefing up an entire defensive line. Look at the Jets with Quinnen Williams last season. The Patriots did use a second-round pick on Gabe Jacas, but he is in the middle of a contract dispute due to an injury.
Harold Landry proved that he still has some juice left in the tank, but he's also dealt with injuries and is probably a tick or two below what should be expected of a No. 1 pass rusher. Christian Barmore is coming off a rough season, and Dre'Mont Jones is not a needle-moving addition to the rotation. Even a thin Bills team can look down at New England.
The Bills may not be on very firm grounds for mockery in this particular area, as they too have some defensive line issues that need to be addressed. Where Buffalo differs, however, is the fact that they have sunk multiple years of premium NFL Draft picks into this line, giving them much more upside if even one of these players breaks out.
Maye is for real, and even if he takes a step back, Buffalo and New England will likely be neck and neck for the entire 2026 season. Any little iota of advantage the Bills have could be the difference between a home playoff game and difficult Wild Card road affair, and the pass rush certainly qualifies here.
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