Patriots vs Bills: 4 Essential Questions in a Tough Test
Patriots vs Bills puts a struggling New England offense against the NFL’s highest-scoring team on Sunday, Oct. 4. The Patriots (1-2) visit the unbeaten Bills (3-0) at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
Patriots vs Bills game information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Venue: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.
- TV: CBS
- Forecast: 66 degrees, 25% chance of precipitation, per ESPN
Patriots vs Bills by the numbers
Through three games, Buffalo averages 33.7 points and New England averages 12.0, according to ESPN’s season statistics. CBS Sports reported that the Patriots have scored 29 points on 30 drives, the NFL’s lowest conversion rate through three weeks.
- Total yards per game: Buffalo 401.7, New England 307.0
- Rushing yards per game: Buffalo 155.0, New England 109.3
- Yards per carry: Buffalo 5.2, New England 3.9
- Third-down conversion rate: Buffalo 54.5%, New England 32.5%
- Takeaways/giveaways: Buffalo 3/5, New England 3/8
- Turnover differential: Buffalo -2, New England -5
- Sacks made/allowed: Buffalo 9/8, New England 7/9
Can Drake Maye stop the turnovers?
Quarterback Drake Maye has completed 51 of 80 passes for 585 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions. According to CBS Sports, three of those interceptions came in the season-opening loss at Seattle, and he threw two more interceptions and lost a fumble in a 35-6 loss at Jacksonville last week. New England has given the ball away eight times and taken it away three times.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson has 116 yards on 31 carries, and receiver Mack Hollins has 12 catches for 156 yards. Neither has been enough to offset the turnovers, and New England is converting just 32.5% of its third downs.
Buffalo’s pass rush meets a patched line
The Patriots have allowed nine sacks, tied for the fourth most in the league, per CBS Sports. Buffalo linebacker Greg Rousseau has six sacks and three forced fumbles, and the Bills have nine sacks as a team.
New England’s offensive line is also in flux. The Patriots lost right guard Mike Onwenu to an ankle injury in Week 2, and his replacement, Greg Van Roten, went on injured reserve with a thigh injury this week. That leaves New England set to start its third different right guard in three weeks.
How the Bills attack
Quarterback Josh Allen has completed 56 of 86 passes for 786 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Running back James Cook III has 346 yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries, including 154 yards against the Chargers last week, CBS Sports reported. Tight end Dalton Kincaid leads Buffalo with 14 catches for 263 yards.
Patriots vs Bills injury report
ESPN lists 10 players as questionable, five for each team. Buffalo’s group is cornerback Christian Benford, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, safety Sam Franklin Jr. and receivers Keon Coleman and DJ Moore. Buffalo acquired Moore from Chicago in a March trade.
New England’s questionable players are cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Channing Canada, tight end Eli Raridon, defensive end Dre’Mont Jones and fullback Reggie Gilliam. Final participation will be sorted out closer to kickoff.
What to watch
New England ended Buffalo’s five-year run of AFC East titles last season, and we covered how the Patriots won the division. Buffalo also rallied to beat New England in December, which we recapped in our story on the Bills’ comeback victory.
Patriots vs Bills carries early-season weight in the division. A Buffalo win would put the Bills three games ahead of New England in the standings, while the Patriots, 0-2 on the road this season after going 8-0 away from home last year, would keep the race close. Buffalo is 9-4 against New England since 2020, including the playoffs, according to CBS Sports.
Records, statistics, injuries and the forecast come from ESPN’s official game data. Additional reporting from CBS Sports.