Patriots look to punch postseason ticket in Buffalo

Patriots fans need no reintroduction to Allen, who has often looked unstoppable against New England in recent matchups that saw him throw 15 touchdowns and no interceptions in the last five meetings. The last time he threw a pick to the Pats was in November 2020. For a defense that prays off turnovers and this year especially, defensive scores, it’s been hard for the Patriots to find their stride against Allen. But his fumble in Week 13 might be cause for hope and possibly show a way to slow down the runaway freight train with a rocket arm. With 13 fumbles and 13 interceptions, Allen has made his fair share of mistakes this season. The Patriots just need to figure out how to force more of them and therein lies their path to playoffs.

The Bills had had success checking down to their backs against the Patriots, taking advantage of mismatches against some of New England’s linebackers. Rookie James Cook is coming on lately, while Devin Singletary remains a thorn in the Patriots’ sides and will be problems for the defense to contend with. The running back duo combined for 105 rushing yards in Week 13, while Cook added another 41 receiving yards that came on six catches. With the Patriots likely to give extra attention to the Bills’ receivers due to their cornerback issues it could leave the underneath coverage exposed, while also affecting how many guys New England can put in the box to stop Buffalo’s unique running game that produces key plays when you least expect it.

Like Allen, the Patriots haven’t had many answers for Stefon Diggs. His performances over the last five games vs. New England: nine catches for 145 yards, four catches for 51 yards (2021 wind game), seven catches for 85 yards, three catches for 60 yards, and finally, seven catches for 92 yards this year. That kind of consistent production has been a thorn in the Patriots’ side, as Allen has had similar success targeting his other wideouts. But it’s clear that the…