New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots bandwagon is getting crowded before a seismic Week 5 showdown against the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills are 7.5-point favorites to remain undefeated with a home win on “Sunday Night Football,” but the Patriots are gaining steam as a trendy upset pick. Two analysts provided more Patriots hype entering the AFC East matchup.
NFL.com published a panel of Week 5 bold predictions. While the picks were aimed at offering fantasy football insight, Matt Okada predicted a Patriots triumph when forecasting a huge performance from Drake Maye.
“The NFL’s current leader in completion rate — Maye’s at a pristine 74 percent through four games — faces a tough test in the division-rival Bills on Sunday night,” Okada wrote. “Not only will he pass the test — the second-year pro will complete 30+ passes for 300+ yards and 3+ touchdowns in a 30+ point fantasy day. Oh, and the Pats will earn their third win of the season.”
Meanwhile, Marc Ross expects Stefon Diggs to build on last week’s 101-yard outing. If he’s right, fantasy managers will want the Pro Bowl wide receiver in their starting lineups.
“As a player, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was 16-2 versus the Bills. He brings that magic — with the help of a Stefon Diggs revenge game — to Buffalo on Sunday night, serving up an upset of the undefeated Bills,” Ross said. “Drake Maye earns a signature victory, outdueling Josh Allen, while Diggs torches his former team for two touchdowns.”
Beating Buffalo at Orchard Park won’t be easy. The Bills haven’t lost a regular-season game at home since Week 10 of the 2023 campaign.
Josh Allen has led the Bills to score at least 30 points in all four victories this season. On the other hand, New England’s two victories came against a pair of 1-3 teams (Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers) that missed the playoffs last season.
Mike Vrabel and Co. can make a monumental statement by defeating the Bills on Sunday night. The division clash starts at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
