Bills Central

3 bold predictions for Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots in Week 5

The Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football, and could improve to 5-0 if these three bold predictions come true.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks downfield to throw while avoiding New England Patriots safety Brenden Schooler.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks downfield to throw while avoiding New England Patriots safety Brenden Schooler. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

This weekend brings a long-anticipated game as the Buffalo Bills face the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.

What makes this game so appealing for Buffalo fans is the debut of their new Rivalries Uniform. The 'Icy White' alternatives have been met with praise, and will stand out under the bright lights during the prime time showdown.

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New England will try to ruin the night by handing the Bills their first loss, but that's going to be hard to do if the following three bold predictions come true.


Buffalo sacks Drake Maye 5 times

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye fumbles the ball during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye fumbles the ball during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

New England quarterback Drake Maye has been fantastic this season. The second-year quarterback is completing 74 percent of his attempts and has 988 yards with seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. If there's any flaw in his game to expose, however, it's a tendency to take sacks.

Maye has been sacked 13 times this season, with the Steelers recording five on him in Week 3. The only week he didn't suffer multiple sacks was in Week 4, but that was a 42-13 blowout win against the Carolina Panthers, who don't have a great pass rush.

Buffalo has no shortage of players who can get after the quarterback, and this game isn't going to be a blowout win for New England. That means they'll have to drop back to pass often, allowing Buffalo's front seven to shine with five sacks.


Bills shut down Stefon Diggs

For the first time since the Bills' 2023 divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Stefon Diggs will be back in Western New York. Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans in 2024, but saw that season end early due to a torn ACL.

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This offseason, he signed a three-year deal with the Patriots and is off to a decent start with 19 receptions for 213 yards. He's also going to have revenge on his mind when he faces his old team.

The Bills have had their share of issues in coverage, but overall, they've done a great job. Entering Week 5, they're first in the league with just 503 passing yards given up. This week, they'll be determined to keep Diggs bottled up, which is what happens in this bold prediction. Look for Diggs to gain fewer than 50 yards receiving while being kept out of the end zone.


Josh Allen throws for 350 yards

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws downfield during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws downfield during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

This has been a masterful season for Josh Allen, but the Bills signal-caller has topped 300 yards just once, doing so in the Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens. That could change this week with New England coming into the game 26th in yards surrendered through the air.

While the Patriots have struggled against the pass, they've been elite at stopping the run. Through four games, they're second in the league with 310 yards and are giving up just 3.3 per attempt. That means Buffalo will need to lean on Allen, who rises to the challenge and throws for 350 yards.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.