Can Pats win in trenches vs. Bills defensive front?
Win or lose, the Patriots’ Wild Card game at Buffalo will be a defining game.
The Pats successfully embarked on a new era this season by rebuilding behind a rookie quarterback, yet failed to retake the division. If they win tonight in Orchard Park, they’ll be remembered for passing the Bills anyway. If Buffalo triumphs, Josh Allen and Co. can claim the new era actually belongs to them, the established kings of the AFC East.
Before either team can celebrate a victory, they must win four critical matchups tonight. So leading up to kickoff, the Herald will preview one of these matchups each day before Patriots-Bills Part III.
Patriots offensive line vs. Bills defensive line
Among several key matchups, tonight’s Wild Card game will ultimately come down to a battle of the trenches.
Offensively, the Patriots dominated the line of scrimmage in their first meeting in Buffalo. The Bills simply couldn’t stop the Pats from imposing their will on them, as they ran it all over them 46 times in their 14-10 victory. The Bills responded well in the rematch, setting up a third-round winner-take-all that will be as physical as their previous meetings.
“It was definitely a much different ballgame,” Patriots tackle Trent Brown said of the second game, a 33-21 Bills victory. “I think the first time we played them … I think they probably felt a bit embarrassed, but also felt like they probably beat themselves a little bit. I think the second game, they wanted to come out and make a point that they can play the run or whatever. They won, we lost. That’s all that matters.”
Winning the trenches is critical for the Patriots as they head into a hostile environment where weather conditions could dictate a run-heavy game plan. Doing so will allow them to control the clock, keep the ball out of Josh Allen’s hands and help alleviate pressure on rookie quarterback Mac Jones.
It certainly won’t be easy. The Bills’ front has been one of the best in the NFL over the last month, with a league-leading 19 sacks over the final four weeks, with defensive tackles Ed Oliver and Harrison Phillips emerging as destructors on the interior. The Pats will have their hands full in finding success on the ground, and buying time for Jones to make plays when he needs to.
“It’s a talented group that really plays hard,” Pats offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo said. “They’re one gap, they want to pin your ears back and cause destruction in the backfield as best as possible. Oliver, Phillips, the linebackers can run … it’s a really good front seven and offers a good challenge. Obviously having played them two times in the last month is a unique challenge in that regard. We obviously have to bring our A-game.”