Division games in the NFL are always a tough battle, no matter how each team’s record looks going into the matchup.
We see it all the time where a team that is first in their division, ends up struggling against one of their rivals that isn’t as great as them. It’s not always the case, but it's more common than you may think.
Tomorrow at 1PM, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are back for their third straight home game where they will host the New England Patriots. It will be Buffalo’s first AFC East matchup of the year, and on paper, it’s easy to predict that the Bills will dominate this game. However, I’m here to tell you that just like Week 3, Allen and the Bills may end up facing their biggest challenge yet of the season.
Patriots are coming to Buffalo to play spoiler
Yes, I know that the Patriots look absolutely awful. It's very easy to say that they are a perfect clean-up opponent for the Bills after their undeserving win last week over the Los Angeles Chargers. At the same time, the Bills are entering another trap game. However, this one should mean more to the Bills.
Allen has 9 career victories over the Patriots (which includes the 2022 Wild Card round blowout). Out of those 9 games, only 5 of them have been by double-digit scores, per Pro Football Reference. Allen has 8 career losses against New England, with only two of them being by more than one score.
Now granted, the Patriots team that faced Allen early on his career are way different now. However, there is no denying that since Mike Vrabel took over, the Patriots have become a problem for the Bills.
Last season, the Bills and Patriots split the season series, and the only reason why it wasn't a sweep in favor of New England is because they somehow managed to blow a 21-0 lead and lose 35-31. Like I said before, division games are always tough no matter the records of each team.
Patriots 1-2 record cannot be main focus heading into Week 4
Sure, the Patriots are off to a very bad start. Drake Maye looks horrendous and from an offensive perspective, this is one of the worst offenses in the entire league. However, New England's defense is still playing some solid football.
They currently rank 5th in the league of total yards given up per game (278.3 yards), and are only allowing 170 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, Josh Allen is averaging 262 yards per game through the air in his first three games. If New England's pass-defense continues to play at this level through Week 4, Allen could once again struggle like he did last week against the Patriots.
Last week, had it not been for the Chargers "chargering" and losing a game in which they forced 5 turnovers against the Bills, Buffalo would more than likely be 2-1 coming into tomorrow's game. If Allen and the Bills' offense pick up where they left off last week in terms of their sloppy play, the Patriots will have a great chance at ending Buffalo's undefeated streak early on in the season for a second year in a row.
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