Pressure on Bills to match predicted trade-deadline moves by first-place Patriots

After a 4-0 start that had NFL experts speculating about an undefeated and penciling them into Super Bowl LX, the Buffalo Bills' stranglehold on the AFC East is suddenly being threatened. Entering Week 9, in fact, the five-time reigning division champs find themselves trailing the upstart New England Patriots.

While the 5-2 Bills host long-time nemesis Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday afternoon in the NFL's marquee game of the week at Highmark Stadium, the 6-2 Pats host the 3-4 Atlanta Falcons in Foxboro. The Falcons could again be without starting quarterback Michael Penix, who missed last week's game with a knee injury.

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So, yeah, it's not far-fetched that the Pats win, the Bills lost to the NFL's hottest team and entering Week 10 it's a two-game gap between the teams in the AFC East. Yikes, indeed.

In fact, some experts are already handing the division to the Patriots, leaving the Bills as a Wild Card.

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The Bills can do something about their standing in the division when they play at New England in Week 15. And they can make a move or two to upgrade their roster before Tuesday's trade deadline. They need to. Because the Pats clearly smell blood and are making deals to go for the division here and now.

Jakobi Meyers | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Curiously, the Pats have been sellers before the deadline, making trades to send defensive end Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers and safety Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They also this week signed cornerback/kick-returner Marcus Jones to a long-term contract.

Patriots projected to make deadline deals

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter believes the Pats are just getting started, and predicted they will make a trade for a running back before Tuesday.

“I can see New England saying, ‘Hey, we’re in this great spot right now. We got a chance to beat Buffalo for the division," Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show. "We got a chance to host a home playoff game. I wouldn’t be surprised if New England made a move here before the deadline.”

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With the Pats coming for them, Bills' general manager Brandon Beane has to be pro-active. Whether it's for a receiver such as former Patriot Jakobi Meyers, a defense star like the Titans' Jeffery Simmons, the Bills need to be buyers at the deadline.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, running with the ball, gets brought down by Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane in Week 5. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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