New England Patriots: 3 Bold predictions for Week 8 vs. Bills
3. New England has to limit large chunk plays to Buffalo
In the first of two games against the Bills this season, the Patriots will have to once again try and lean on their defense while the offense continues to work through its struggles on that side of the field so far in 2020.
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One thing that New England’s defense will have to do throughout the entirety of the game in Week 8 on the road is try and limit the amount of large chunk plays the Bills are able to rack up on the offensive side of the ball.
So far this season, New England’s defense is giving up 8.6 yards per completion on average, which ranks second-worst in the NFL behind only the Atlanta Falcons (8.7).
The Patriots have managed to limit opposing offenses out of the endzone for the most part, giving up just nine touchdowns through the air, while also recording eight interceptions (tied for third-most).
On the other side of things, the Bills offense is averaging 7.7 yards per catch on average, a mark that is tied for eight-most in the league.
Led by quarterback Josh Allen with 2,018 passing yards (fourth-most among quarterbacks) and new receiving target Stefon Diggs with 48 catches for 603 yards (fourth-most among receivers), Buffalo ranks fourth in the NFL in total passing yards (2,040) with 16 touchdowns (tied for fourth) through the air.
If New England can limit the large chunk plays by Buffalo’s offense, the Patriots could put them in a decent position to come away with the win by the end of the game.