80.65
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has completed 80.65% of his passes on third down for 298 yards and three touchdowns. New England is fourth in the NFL in expected points added per third-down pass, according to Next Gen Stats, even though Maye has been pressured in those situations more than all but nine quarterbacks. The Buffalo Bills’ defense ranks 25th in third-down defense, though they are eighth in EPA per pass allowed.
21.7
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New England’s defensive line looks improved with the addition of Milton Williams, but this matchup will be the most difficult it has faced. Josh Allen has been pressured less than any quarterback in the NFL, in large part due to an offensive line that is also responsible for blocking for the league’s best rushing attack. The Bills rank first in rushing yards per game (163.5) and rushing touchdowns (9), while their 16 rushes of 10-plus yards are tied for fourth-most in the NFL. James Cook has 401 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 75 carries.
1
Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell, the fourth pick in the draft, has allowed just one sack on 159 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. His run-blocking grade on the website, however, ranks 25th among 58 offensive tackles who have played at least 50% of their team’s snaps. None of the Patriots’ offensive linemen have a run-blocking grade higher than 67.2%. The matchup in the trenches will be important to watch this week.
40
Special teams is an area of focus for the Bills as they prepare for this game. The Patriots are the only NFL team to return a punt and kickoff for a touchdown this season. Cornerback Marcus Jones had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown in Week 4, and running back Antonio Gibson had a 90-yard kickoff return in Week 2. New England has two kickoff returns of 40-plus yards, and Jones has two punt returns of 40-plus yards. The Bills will use their third punter this season on Sunday night. They are 25th in net yards per punt, but only two teams have punted fewer times than Buffalo.
− Lance Lysowski, News Sports Reporter
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Lance Lysowski
News Sports Reporter
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