The Buffalo Bills are in a very strange place for a number of reasons. Obviously, the tragic injury to Damar Hamlin at Cincinnati Monday night has made it incredibly difficult for anyone to even think about football. The NFL has already announced that the Bills-Bengals game will not be played this week. There has been no news as to if or when they will finish the suspended game that had so much playoff implication to it. That brings us to the Bills Week 18 playoff scenarios.

From all accounts, the NFL still intends to have the Week 18 schedule go ahead as planned. That leaves the Bills to host their division rival, the New England Patriots. Despite not having completed the crucial game against the Bengals, there is equal importance regarding the playoffs this week.

Buffalo has obviously already locked up the AFC East division. But they likely need to defeat the Patriots if they want any shot at the overall top seed and home field advantage.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are facing a win-and-in situation. If they pull off the road upset, the Patriots will claim the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. However, if they falter, that opens the door for the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and even potentially the Jacksonville Jaguars in a back-door scenario.

Considering all of that, let's take at look at our Bills four bold predictions in Week 18 against the Patriots.

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4. Bills start really slow in first half 

This would probably not come as a shock to anyone if the Bills began the game a little off. I cannot imagine what these players are going through right now. What happened on Monday Night Football is essentially unprecedented, with only one death occurring on the football field during an NFL game. Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes passed away in 1971 due to a heart attack after taking a hit on the field.

You could see how this instance impacted the players on the field.

I don't even know how the Bills' players will even be able to muster enough emotional strength to suit up. But if this game goes on as planned, they will have to find a way.

New England is a run-first offense that likes to eat the clock. I would expect a heavy dosage of Rhamondre Stevenson early, as the Patriots attempt to keep Josh Allen on the sideline. I believe they will be quite effective, as we have seen the Bills rush defense show weakness at times this season.

More than likely, as the game progresses, Buffalo's offense will come to life. But I believe we will see a low-scoring first half, relatively speaking.

3. Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson eats up Bills defense

As I referenced above, the Patriots game plan will be very clear. They want to run, run and run again. Obviously, that's in part to keep the Bills offense off the field. But equally as important is because of their inability to throw the ball downfield. Mac Jones has taken a step back in his second year as a pro.

The Patriots do not have any receivers, which are led by Jakobi Meyers, that scare a secondary. Earlier this season, Stevenson rushed for 54 yards on 10 carries and caught six passes for another 24 yards. Look for him to be very active, especially in the first half. He is currently listed as questionable, but knowing what's on the line, I would be very surprised if he didn't play.

2. James Cook leads the Bills in rushing

As this season has progressed, Bills rookie running back James Cook has taken on a much bigger role. That isn't because Devin Singletary has struggled either; quite the contrary. Singletary has been extremely effective. But Cook has shown a level of burst Singletary simply doesn't have.

He rushed for a career high 99 yards in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears. He did so on just 11 carries. A couple weeks prior, Cook has a breakout game getting20 touches for 105 total yards.

With the playoffs approaching, Buffalo appears to be doing a much better job running the football. Both running backs will get plenty of work, but Cook should have the biggest impact.

1. Buffalo escapes emotional game with close win

There is no doubt that the Patriots are live underdogs. That sadly is primarily due to the likely impact Damar Hamlin's freak injury has had on the team. Bill Belichick is a Hall of Fame coach for a reason. I would expect him to have a solid game plan coming into this contest.

But there is simply too great a disparity of talent to overlook. There is a reason the Bills have dominated this series lately. They score touchdowns. The Patriots are among the worst in the red zone. That will once again show up Sunday as the Bills escape with a narrow, 23-20.