REAL MEASURING STICK FOR DEFENSE
Still concerned about the Patriots defense? Here’s the glass half-full perspective: Yes, they’re allowing 25.6 points per game, which puts them 20th in the league. They got lit up in the second half by the Chiefs, but hey, they won the game. And it’s the Chiefs: Everybody gets lit up by them.
The Pats limited Miami and Indianapolis to a combined three first-half points. They struggled to contain Mitch Trubisky’s mobility, but their performance at Chicago wasn’t as poor as the scoreboard indicates. Patriots turnovers gifted the Bears two short fields — starting at the 24-yard line and the 36-yard line — which were converted for touchdowns.
The Pats have actually done a nice job generating pressure, using a variety of defensive back blitzes and unconventional looks to confuse opposing quarterbacks. With all that said...
If the Patriots struggle to contain the Bills on Monday night, then even the most optimistic viewpoint must be adjusted.
Then there’s reason for genuine concern.
The Bills are the worst offense in the league, and it’s probably not all that close. They mustered five points against the Colts last weekend. At quarterback they’re rolling with Derek Anderson, who hasn’t been a regular NFL starter since 2010. Running back LeSean McCoy, who is virtually Buffalo’s entire offense, is dealing with a concussion. The Bills don’t do anything well offensively.
Their average of 129 passing yards per game puts them on pace to be the worst passing offense since the 2005 49ers, who averaged 118 passing yards per game. That, of course, was in a different era. In 2005, the Cardinals led the league averaging 277.3 passing yards per contest. This season, that figure would put the Cardinals at No. 12 in passing offense. Buffalo’s statistics in 2018 are borderline unbelievable.