The New England Patriots have been rolling along this season with no one putting up much of a fight in the first three weeks of the season. Can the Buffalo Bills offer the Patriots some tough competition in Week 4?
According to recent history, the Bills have little to no chance of pulling off the upset. However, lost among the Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs of the world, the Bills also sit at 3-0 on the season.
It should be mentioned that Buffalo hasn't looked unbeatable in their first three games but they are noticeably better than they've been in recent years. Sean McDermott has his squad playing physical football on both sides of the ball to begin the season.
The Patriots have had Buffalo's number since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick began wreaking havoc together in the NFL in 2000. Over his first 19 years in the NFL, Brady has won 30 of the 33 games that he's played against the Bills (most wins against any team in his career).
On top of all of that, the last time that Buffalo took down the Patriots; Jacoby Brissett was starting while Brady served his four-game suspension for ‘Deflategate'. Therefore, their last valid win over a fully-loaded Patriots team came in 2011.
This year, the Bills are a vastly different team though despite their first three wins coming against teams with a combined record of 1-8. Just three weeks into the season, Buffalo boasts the fifth-best rushing offense in the NFL.
Josh Allen has shown some improvements as a passer as well with 750 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions this season. Along with the offense, they have the sixth-ranked defense in the NFL.
With that being said, will that be enough for them to be competitive with the proverbial Goliath of the NFL this Sunday? Looking at their current roster, there is absolutely a chance they can keep this game close.
There are two ways that have proven to be effective in taking down the Patriots over the years. First and foremost, creating interior pressure on Brady can cause issues for New England's offense.
In light of that, Bills' starting defensive tackle Harrison Phillips was just placed on injured reserve. At the least, Buffalo still have their first-round pick, Ed Oliver on their defensive line.
Getting interior pressure on Brady is easier said than done though with the veteran quarterback getting rid of the ball quickly. Due to the difficulty of getting to the ageless signal-caller, the Bills may want to resort to the other way of winning this game.
Another way to defeat New England is to keep Brady and the Patriots offense on the sideline. Luckily for the Bills, they have a rushing offense that can control the time of possession.
On the other hand though, the Patriots currently have the best run defense in the NFL; allowing just 36.7 yards per game. On Sunday, something has to give. Either the Bills will have success running the ball or they will be stymied as the other three teams that faced the Patriots were.
Considering all of this, the Bills are going to have to be on their ‘A-game' in Week 4 if they hope to improve to 4-0. The Patriots have trampled on the first three teams they have played against but Buffalo will have something to say about that this Sunday.
Of course, there's a legitimate chance that the Patriots walk into New Era Field and knock the Bills down to size in Week 4. But there is the glimmer of hope that they are going to make it competitive against the reigning Super Bowl champs.
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