Bills' position group holds key to beating Patriots

The Buffalo Bills are coming off of their greatest performance of the season when it comes to their tight end group.

Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes combined for 11 catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns in their Week 14 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. That should pose as a bit of a challenge for the New England Patriots defense that has to face them in Week 15.

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"We have a lot of different ways," Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said about defending the Bills tight ends. "[Dalton] Kincaid and [Dawson] Knox will all be tough, and then we know how [Jackson] Hawes blocks and what he can do. So, we'll have to certainly defend the tight ends that have played really well for these guys."

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Bills pose challenge for Patriots' defense

The Bills found a way to improve and enhance their offense against the Bengals, but it remains to be seen if that will carry against the Patriots. The Bengals are notoriously bad at defending tight ends this season, so that could have been part of it, but the Patriots have had their fair share of trouble against tight ends this season themselves.

Back in Week 5, when the two teams met for the first time this season, Kincaid had six catches for 108 yards to lead the Bills offense. While Kincaid had success, other aspects of the Bills' offense did not, which led to the first Buffalo loss of the season.

Since that game, the Patriots have not lost while the Bills have gone a respectable 5-3. It's a good record, but it doesn't match that of a team with Super Bowl hopes and dreams.

If the Bills are going to beat the Patriots, they are going to need the offense to step up and perform better than it did last time around. That could mean leaning on Kincaid and the rest of the Buffalo tight ends to play their part.

Kickoff between the Bills and Patriots is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET inside Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Fans can watch the game on CBS or stream it on Paramount Plus.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid is all smiles after scoring a touchdown early in the first quarter. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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