The Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots may have entered the season in a battle for AFC East supremacy, but they're headed in opposite directions. The Bills look like a true Super Bowl contender, while the Patriots are on the verge of a complete collapse.
With the two division rivals facing off in Week 4, the Bills were already heavy favorites. But after updates on some of New England's injured players, Buffalo has no excuse to lose this game.
Per Adam Schefter, both cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive tackle Christian Barmore will miss the game with shoulder injuries. Meanwhile, the Bills are entering the weekend looking generally healthy.
Bills have clear advantages over Patriots with Christian Gonzalez, Christian Barmore out
New England's offense has struggled so far this year, but its defense is still the talented unit that the Bills faced in 2025. The Patriots rank 11th in EPA per play allowed, seventh in success rate allowed, fourth in yards allowed per game, and sixth in points allowed per game.
Sure, they're 1-2, and Drake Maye's head is spinning, but the defense can still go toe-to-toe with anybody, even Josh Allen and the Bills.
Without Gonzalez and Barmore both out, it's a different story.
The Patriots are now without a lockdown cornerback. Even at his best, Carlton Davis II can't shut down his opponent's top receiver the way that Gonzalez can. Gonzalez could have followed D.J. Moore throughout the game, taking his explosive potential off the table. Now, Moore can be a viable receiving threat.
New England doesn't have much cornerback depth to replace Gonzalez. Charles Woods and rookie Karon Prunty will now have to play significant snaps after serving minor roles in the first three weeks of the season.
Barmore's absence weakens the Patriots' interior defensive line, giving the Bills a clear advantage in the trenches. If Buffalo's offensive line can create space for James Cook to work with, the Bills can control the pace of the game and prevent an upset.
Buffalo's early-down run game has already been one of the best in the NFL so far. The Bills rank second in both EPA per rush and rushing success rate on early downs, per SumerSports. Without Barmore in the game, Cook should have no problem picking up solid yardage on first and second downs, keeping the Bills' offense on schedule.
Assuming Maye's early-season downfall continues against Greg Rousseau and the Bills' defense, Buffalo should be set up to push their undefeated start through another week.
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