RDS and RDS Direct present the playoff game between the Patriots and the Bills.
SUMMARY
The Bills take a 27-3 lead in the 3rd quarter.
SEE PIERRE VERCHEVAL’S PRE-MATCH ANALYSIS
SPECIAL COLLABORATION
We’re in for a playoff clash between section rivals on Saturday night, as the New England Patriots will be the visitors in Buffalo against the Bills. In the regular season, the two formations had obtained a victory each on the enemy ground. That of 14-10 of the Pats at Orchard Park on a super windy evening (virtually a hurricane) had marked the spirits, when they had attempted 46 runs and they had relied on the aerial game only three times in 60 minutes.
Three weeks later, the Bills had their revenge by winning decisively, 33-21, in Foxborough. In short, we are in the presence of two clubs that do not know each other well.
There’s no denying the fact that the Bills finished the schedule with more confidence, with a four-game winning streak. The Pats had a few hiccups for their part, as evidenced by their 1-3 record to conclude. At times, we felt things were getting more complicated for rookie quarterback Mac Jones.
I won’t be original, but in my opinion, this is the element that stands out the most; this battle of quarterbacks. On the one hand, a rookie who is climbing the ranks well but still learning, and on the other, Josh Allen who is practically Superman week after week for the Bills. So will Allen’s night go, so will the Bills.
This attack is really the Josh Allen Show. He is the one who throws the ball, but he is also the most effective ball carrier. If they want to give themselves a chance of triumphing, the Pats must find a way to neutralize it, otherwise their evening will be long. It starts with managing to keep it in the protective pouch. When he manages to escape, this is where a new world of possibilities opens up for him, since he is at ease when it comes to reaction games, those famous improvised sequences. It’s nearly impossible to cover all the Bills receivers when Allen starts moving out of the pocket.
Through it all, we have to keep him from hurting us too much with structured racing games. The Pats know Allen can pick up big chunks of ground with his legs.
The Bills must present themselves with the same attitude as during the 2nd duel, that of week no. 16. They were physical, combative and aggressive. They showed up at Gillette Stadium to win. They blitzed the Patriots’ ground game and were bold in leaving their offense on the field three times on 4th Down in the 1st half alone. Sean McDermott and his men had shown the slightest hesitation. They wanted to dictate the tone of the match and did it superbly, after being pounded on the body in the 1st meeting.
In defense, Buffalo must do everything in its power to ensure that the attack is in the hands of Mac Jones. How to achieve it? Obviously, you have to manage to stop the ground game, even if it means allocating a lot of resources to it. We have to challenge Jones to do damage with his group of receivers, who we hear are not very talented. A hot start from the Bills’ offensive unit would also be welcome, as it would force the Pats to play catch-up football. This is how Bill Belichick’s troupe will be forced to throw the ball more frequently than they want. In Game 2, Jones had one of his worst performances of the year (leaving Game 1 aside), completing just 14 passes for 145 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
This is the formula to recreate on the side of the Bills. And let’s not forget that the last rookie quarterback to win a playoff game was Russell Wilson, in 2012. The trend is not favoring Mac Jones.
*Comments collected by Maxime Desroches
