As the Buffalo Bills prepare to face the New England Patriots for the second time in three weeks, they could do so by playing all three quarterbacks. The team signed Mike White to their active roster, paving the way for White to potentially see a little bit of playing time this week. White could be joined by several backups/practice squad players this week as the starters rest for the playoffs. Linebacker Terrel Bernard was already ruled out for this week, and safety Damar Hamlin will see playing time for most of the game.
This game is fascinating in many ways despite not seeing the star power we’re used to seeing from Buffalo. Buffalo’s backups still match up well against New England’s starters, which could end up being a shootout between the two teams. Buffalo’s pass rush can still give Maye fits, as guys like AJ Epenesa (six sacks) will play and cause havoc to a weak Patriots offensive line. Now, let’s take a look at two bold predictions for this matchup.
The Bills backups hold the Patriots under 200 passing yards
This is a crazy prediction depending on who you ask. Buffalo’s backup secondary hasn’t played very much this season, and we haven’t gotten a good look at them since the preseason. Now, we’ll get a good look at Kaiir Elam, JaMarcus Ingram, and a few other players. The last time these two teams faced off, Drake Maye threw for 261 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Now, Maye is dealing with an injury to his throwing hand and is listed as questionable for the matchup. Maye is still expected to play, but it won’t be 100%. Buffalo’s backups should be able to get their hands on a few passes this week.
Ty Johnson and Ray Davis combine for 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns
James Cook likely won’t play much if at all this week, leaving the duo of Ty Johnson and Ray Davis as the only two active Running Backs. Johnson and Davis have both found success this season, with Johnson rushing for 200 yards on 39 attempts, and Davis rushing for 378 yards on 98 attempts. Johnson has been explosive on the limited rushes he’s had this season, and Sunday’s game is when he’ll have a big workload. The Patriots' rushing defense ranks 25th in the league, according to Fox Sports, paving the way for a big day from these two players.