Pats Pulpit
The Patriots will go up against arguably the hottest team in the NFL this week.
The New England Patriots know they are in for quite the challenge in Week 16. Playing on the road in a notoriously tough environment, the team of head coach Jerod Mayo will need to bring its A-game in order to stand a chance against the Buffalo Bills.
The difference in record — 3-11 versus 11-3 — already tells the story of the 2024 season for the two AFC East rivals. Whereas the Patriots have struggled to play consistent football on a week-to-week, heck even on a play-to-play basis, Buffalo has been on a heater recently. Yes, they did lose two weeks ago, but their win over the Detroit Lions last Sunday was nothing short of impressive.
As a result, the Bills are entering their first game against the Patriots this season as possibly the hottest team in the NFL right now. So, what does New England need to do to pull off a major upset? It all starts with the game’s X-factors working in their favor, starting with...
Yes, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert are all outstanding quarterbacks, but the title of “NFL’s best QB” at the moment belongs to Josh Allen. The 28-year-old has been the catalyst for the Bills all season, and a reason why they are entering Week 16 off eight straight games of at least 30 points.
A true dual-threat player at the most important position on the field, Allen can put stress on any defense due to his ability to make plays both within and outside structure. He is executing coordinator Joe Brady’s offense at a very high level, and more than capable of going through progressions, making reads, and taking what the defense is giving him
However, where he really shines, and not just from an entertainment value perspective, is backyard ball. His improvisational skills are off the charts, and there is nobody better in the league right now at pulling spectacular plays out of thin air.
“He’s playing at an unbelievable level right now,” said Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo this week. “He’s doing a good job seeing the field, has always been dangerous with both his legs and his arm. Just from watching him, the way he’s seeing the field and going through his reads, and the ability to extend plays and turn to street ball is definitely a problem. It’s going to take all of us on the field to try to slow him down first and foremost.”
Mayo hit the nail on the head with his final sentence: the Patriots need to play team defense in order to be able to slow down Allen and company. In order to do that, the entire unit has to be able to be disciplined — something that has not always worked well this season.
“As a defense, obviously you have to play disciplined football,” defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington explained. “You have to...
