New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills will participate in perhaps the most telling matchup of their individual seasons on Sunday Night Football.
New England has ridden something of a rollercoaster throughout the first month of the season, but seemingly put everything together in an absolute drubbing of the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. Buffalo is one of just two undefeated teams in football, though some of those wins haven’t come without the club’s obvious holes being targeted successfully by its opponents.
It’ll be quite obvious which side garners more attention going into the matchup, but despite the ultimate result, there are a few storylines worth watching with regard to the game itself and how it impacts each organization moving forward:
Stefon Diggs is starting to come into his own…
Diggs, in his first four games of the season, recorded six, four, three and six receptions for a grand total of 213 yards on 22 total targets — quickly turning himself into the go-to guy for Drake Maye.
The Patriots have all but established him as their primary slot receiver, where his fit within the system seemingly opens things up for other weapons and provides the offense with a legitimate difference-maker in third- and fourth-down situations. New England hasn’t dealt with any of the sideline outbursts or mid-week tantrums that became so common during his stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans, either — though that could soon change.
Diggs will return to Highmark Stadium for the first time since being traded away on April 3, 2024 — and the bright lights will certainly be upon him as the stage, location and meaning of the game could start to bring out some more of that competitive nature that has been handled so poorly in the past.
NBC’s Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth bring a bit more juice than some of the other guys who have been calling this team’s games this season…
I don’t think there’s anything more valuable to learn coming out of this game than the attitude, leadership and overall temperament of Diggs.
The Patriots have had an atrocious time trying to cover tight ends and running backs this season, which is a bit of an issue considering their upcoming opponent.
New England has allowed 426 yards on 45 catches to those position groups this season, with the club’s whole “rally and tackle” mantra serving almost zero purpose as they continue to sit near the top of the league in missed tackles.
Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and James Cook are more than good enough to continue adding to that total this week, with the former and latter on pace to set new career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Christian Elliss has been particularly noticeable in coverage, which isn’t a good thing. Marte Mapu helped settle things down last week, so perhaps his support untied increase with a spotlight on that position group.
