The Buffalo Bills will host the New England Patriots in Week 16 at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills (11-3) and Patriots (3-11) have trended in different directions this season. The Bills have won eight of their last nine games while the Patriots have lost five of their last six.
Even though Buffalo is favored to win the game, there are always a few things that make winning difficult each week. The Bills will need to be wary of them.
Here are three causes for concern for the Bills against the Patriots in Week 16:
Question marks in the secondary
What would make Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s day a bit easier on Sunday would be if the Bills are down members of their secondary. Safeties Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp, along with cornerback Rasul Douglas, all missed Week 15’s win over the Detroit Lions.
Although the Bills won last week, they allowed almost 494 passing yards from Lions QB Jared Goff to go along with five touchdowns.
Douglas, Hamlin, and Rapp all are listed as questionable heading into Week 16. Buffalo’s linebackers are banged up a bit, too. Matt Milano, Dorian Williams, and Baylon Spector all are carrying the same designation.
Containing QB Drake Maye
The Bills have yet to face the rookie quarterback out of the University of North Carolina. Maye has been a bright spot on an otherwise dim Patriots season. He has shown poise and instincts as a young signal caller and he can beat you with both his arm and legs.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott has had success going against rookie quarterbacks in his career with an 8-3 record. Maye is one of the more challenging ones. We’ll see how the Bills game plan for him.
Overlooking an opponent
The Bills are coming off a win over the Lions, whom many consider to be the best team in the NFL. Combine that with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year and the Bills have proven they can beat anyone.
What’s difficult is bringing the same intensity for a Week 16 matchup with the Patriots as you did in a “Super Bowl preview” type of game. The Bills’ discipline and execution will be tested by a division rival looking to play spoiler.
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