Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills will get their first up-close look at a revamped New England Patriots team in Week 5, now featuring head coach Mike Vrabel and the return of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator. This first of two-annual games will be decided in Orchard Park, NY, as the Bills complete a three-game homestand in the early part of their season.
This game could also serve as the Buffalo return for wide receiver Stefon Diggs who signed with the Patriots in the offseason. That, of course, will depend on how his rehab progresses from a torn ACL.
The Bills and Patriots usually play each other hard, try as Bills Mafia might to push aside New England’s chances — especially after a down season in 2024. Quarterback Drake Maye is about to enter his second season behind center and now he has McDaniels to help him along the way. But which McDaniels offense will Buffalo see? Is it the one that brought all of those championships during the Tom Brady era, or the sub-par offense that was led by the likes of Jacoby Brissett and Cam Newton?
When it comes to reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, it seems to be a mixed bag when he plays New England’s defense. Allen is 7-6 in his career against the Patriots, with 19 touchdowns to go with 10 interceptions. His past two full games (only played one snap in Week 18 of 2024) were ugly by Josh Allen standards. He had passer ratings of 53.3 and 67.3 while failing to complete more than 55% of his passes.
New England’s defense can be stifling mainly because they know how to play Allen. While Bill Belichick was the head coach, he made it a point to keep Allen in the pocket and only allowed him to roll out to the left. Expect more of the same with Vrabel now leading the charge.
