Week 5 Preview: New England Patriots

Matt Hylen
Oct 4
4 min read

Credit to Leanna Puccio/New England Patriots

After a dominant win last week against the Carolina Panthers, the New England Patriots will look to keep the ball rolling in their biggest test of the season against the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo, led by reigning MVP quarterback Josh Allen, is coming into this primetime matchup with an undefeated 4-0 record. Meanwhile, New England will look to get above .500 for the first time this season, coming into the contest with a 2-2 record.

After the way the Patriots handled business last week, can New England make this a competitive game? Can Drake Maye show once again that the hype behind him is real? Let's get into what this week could look like.

Injury Report

Credit to NBC Sports Boston via nbcsportsboston.com

Everyone who was on the injury report this week, besides Milton Williams and K'Lavon Chaisson, was a full practice participant by Friday's practice. This includes OG Jared Wilson, who missed last week's game due to an ankle/knee injury. Here is a detailed look at Friday's report from the Patriots (updated Saturday, October 4th):

OUT

LB K'Lavon Chaisson (Knee)

QUESTIONABLE

DL Milton Williams (Ankle)

LB Jahlani Tavai (Calf)

CB Carlton Davis III (Illness)

UNSPECIFIED

S Jaylinn Hawkins (Hamstring)

DL Christian Baramore (Non-Injury Related)

OG Jared Wilson (Ankle/Knee)

OT Will Campbell (Shoulder)

LB Marte Mapu (Neck)

OG Mike Owenu (Shoulder)

Those who are marked as unspecified are most likely to play this week. The only real concern would be Milton Williams and Davis III, whose status are still in question.

As for the Bills, this is what their Injury report looks like as of Saturday, October 4th:

OUT

CB Dorian Strong (Neck)

LB Dorian Williams (Knee)

QUESTIONABLE

OT Spencer Brown (Calf)

DL Ed Oliver (Ankle)

OLB Matt Milano (Pectoral)

DT T.J. Sanders (Knee)

My 3 Keys to Victory

Credit to article written by Matt Youmans via vsin.com

First off, the Patriots have to take care of the ball again. They did a great job of this in Week 4, which is a huge reason why they won in the dominant fashion that they did. We have also seen on multiple occasions that Buffalo will capitalize on turnovers. That is how they were able to beat teams like the Ravens and the Dolphins. If New England wants a shot at this one, they cannot give Josh Allen extra opportunities, or else it could get ugly real fast.

My second key to victory for the Pats is that the pass rush needs to get to Allen without the use of blitzing. That means the likes of Harold Landry, Christian Barmore, as well as Milton Williams (if he plays) need to apply pressure to Allen multiple times in this game. Allen is at his best when he is attacking the opposition's blitz schemes, so it is unlikely the Patriots will send the house many times. New England can't let Allen get outside the pocket either, making it all the more important to get that pressure as soon as possible with the defensive line. It is not an easy ask, especially with Buffalo's solid O-line, but it is a necessity if the Patriots want to throw Allen off his game.

Last but certainly not least, Maye needs to respond to whatever Allen does all game long. Buffalo is the better team on paper and is favored for a reason. Buffalo's offense is among the best in football, with a balanced attack that can hit you in any facet. If Allen leads a TD drive, Maye needs to as well; it is the only way New England wins this game. If the defense makes a stop, Maye needs to capitalize. Of course, easier said than done, but Buffalo's defense has shown vulnerabilities this season, so it is not impossible. Bottom line, Maye will need to play as well as, if not better than, Allen if the Pats want any chance of winning this primetime game Sunday night.

Who Wins?

Credit to Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via boston.com — Credit to *Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via* *boston.com*

Though I am much more optimistic about this matchup due to the confidence I have in Drake Maye, I think Buffalo will be a little too much for New England to handle. It is a primetime game, which adds pressure as it is, but Allen is just too good at picking apart defenses. So, with the Patriots' secondary being extremely spotty, Allen should not have too many problems picking apart the Pats' defense. Again, I think Maye and the offense will make things interesting, keeping things in striking distance the whole game. Yet, when it comes down to crunch time, Allen and the Bills should prevail on Sunday night.

I also see this game being a high-scoring affair. Both offenses are cruising right now, while the defenses have been vulnerable in both the pass and run game. So, even though I think Buffalo wins this game, Maye and the Pats will show that they can compete with the best, creating even more optimism as the season progresses.

For a final score, I am going to go 31-21 Bills.