When the Patriots (8-4) travel to take on the Bills (7-4) to close Week 13 in the NFL on “Monday Night Football” (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN2) they will be looking to build on their newfound old-school status as the would-be No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. The Patriots will be hoping for a big road win to take control of the division down the stretch, while the Bills would like to get on track to repeat in the East.
This is an extremely hard game to predict. Both teams are strong and are going in a right direction. Patriots reminded us on their glory days with winning 6 in a row, at this moment look unstoppable . On the other side Bills want to repeat what they achieved last season but after a great start 4-1 now they play hot and cold recently.
The Patriots come in as the hottest team in the league after beating the Tennessee Titans 36-13 for their 6th straight win. The Bills are coming off a dominating 31-6 win of their own over the Saints on Thanksgiving night in New Orleans. This game features two of the highest rated defensive units in the league, ranking #1 and #2 in points allowed. They will meet again in New England less than three weeks after this game and if either is able to win both games it should be enough for the division crown.
The Buffalo Bills have alternated wins and losses in their last 6 games after winning four straight. Offensively the Bills are led by Josh Allen who is able to get the job done with his arm and his legs. Allen has already thrown for over 3000 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while adding 383 yards and an additional 3 touchdowns on the ground. Buffalo is a pass heavy offense overall as they have only run the the ball 285 times while opting to throw 418 passes.
Coming into the season many had Allen picked as one of the favourites for the MVP, however, things haven’t quite worked out for him. Unlike the 2020 season, Allen has struggled for consistency and hasn’t been able to make the key throws that he has in recent years.
So far this season Allen has thrown for 3,071-yards and 25 touchdowns which looks good on paper but when he has needed to make a throw to win his team a game he hasn’t done so. He is also a dual-threat quarterback and has rushed for 383-yards and three touchdowns. His mobility is something that the Patriots will need to keep an eye on. His ability to extend drives for the Bills with his legs adds another dimension to their offense.
The poor performances from Allen have left Buffalo with very little room for error if they want to reach the playoffs for the third straight season.
Prediction: New England Patriots ML