New England (2-2) at Buffalo (4-0)
Sunday 8:20 p.m. EDT, NBC
BetMGM NFL Odds: Payments by 7 1/2
Towards the unfold: Payments 2-2; Patriots 2-2
Collection file: Patriots lead 79-51-1
Final assembly: Patriots beat Payments 23-16 in Foxborough, Mass. on Jan. 5, 2025.
Final week: Patriots beat Carolina 42-13 at dwelling. Payments beat New Orleans 31-19 at dwelling.
Patriots offense: general (14), rush (25), move (7), scoring (10t).
Patriots protection: general (16), rush (2t), move (26), scoring (10t).
Payments offense: general (2), rush (1), move (6), scoring (2).
Payments protection: general (11), rush (31), move (1), scoring (17).
Turnover differential: Patriots minus-3; Payments plus-3;
Patriots participant to look at
WR Stefon Diggs. This marks Diggs’ first aggressive return to Buffalo since being traded to Houston in April 2024, following 4 prolific seasons with the Payments. He had six catches for 101 yards final week towards Carolina, marking the thirty seventh profession 100-yard receiving recreation of his profession and first as a member of the Patriots. If he reaches 100 yards this week, will probably be his first recreation with back-to-back 100-yard receiving outings since a four-game run in 2023.
Payments participant to look at
RB James Cook dinner. The fourth-year participant has topped 100 yards from scrimmage in all 4 outings, ranks second within the NFL with 401 yards speeding, and scored a league-leading 5 TDs speeding coming into Week 5. His 21 speeding touchdowns because the begin of 2024 lead the league.
Key matchup
QB Drake Maye versus Payments defensive entrance. Buffalo’s struggles towards the run this season embrace having issue defending towards cell quarterbacks. The Payments have allowed QBs to realize 199 yards speeding by way of 4 outings, together with 70 by Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. Maye ranks second on the Patriots with 98 yards speeding and leads the group with two TDs speeding.
Key accidents
Patriots LB Okay’Lavon Chaisson (knee), Milton Williams (ankle), CB Carlton Davis III (sickness), LB Jahlani Tavai (calf) are the one gamers listed as questionable. … The Payments are getting more healthy with beginning DT Ed Oliver (ankle) and beginning LB Matt Milano (pectoral) each returning to follow this week. The 2 are listed as questionable, as is beginning RT Spencer Brown, who missed one recreation with a calf harm. Two backups, CB Dorian Robust (neck) and LB Dorian Williams (knee), have been dominated out.
Collection notes
The tables have very a lot turned since Tom Brady left New England following the 2019 season. After the Patriots dominated the collection by going 33-4 spanning 2001 and 2019, the Payments have gained eight of the previous 11 — together with a 47-17 win within the 2021 playoffs. Buffalo is 5-1 at dwelling towards the Pats since 2020, with their solely loss a 14-10 choice on a chilly, gusty evening by which then-New England quarterback Mac Jones accomplished 2 of three makes an attempt for 19 yards.
Stats and stuff
The Patriots wish to win back-to-back video games for the primary time since 2022 once they gained three straight. … New England’s 42 factors towards the Panthers have been probably the most the Patriots scored in a recreation with out Invoice Belichick as coach since 1996. … If New England scores at the very least 30 factors towards Buffalo, will probably be the Patriots’ first back-to-back video games with at the very least 30 factors since 2020. The earlier time they’d 40 factors in consecutive video games was in 2015, when the group adopted a 40-32 win over Buffalo with a 51-17 win over Jacksonville. … Maye is coming off his third consecutive recreation finishing at the very least 75% of his passes and throwing two or extra landing passes. Solely Brady, within the first 4 weeks of his 2007 MVP season, has an extended single-season streak in NFL historical past. … CB Marcus Jones was the AFC Particular Groups Participant of the Week after an 87-yard punt return for a landing within the first quarter final week. The Patriots have by no means had consecutive video games with punt return touchdowns. … LB Robert Spillane completed with 15 tackles final week, his second straight week with double-digit tackles. … The Payments have gained 14 straight regular-season dwelling video games, a run going again to a 24-22 loss to Denver in November 2023. Buffalo’s streak is one wanting matching the group file set spanning the 1990-91 seasons. … The Payments have an opportunity to open a season 5-0 for the primary time since 1991, and fourth time in group historical past, together with a 9-0 begin in 1964 as an AFL franchise. … Buffalo has scored 30 or extra factors in every of its first 4 outings for simply the third time in group historical past (1975 and 1992). … Josh Allen threw his first interception of the season final weekend, and second in 13 begins, together with playoffs. He’s 45-27 when committing a turnover. … Allen had his forty fifth recreation with at the very least one TD passing and speeding to match the file held by Cam Newton. … Cook dinner set a group file by scoring a TD speeding in eight straight video games, going again to final season. … The Payments have scored a TD on every of their 4 game-opening drives, and improved to 11-1 when doing so because the begin of final 12 months. … Second-year S Cole Bishop had his first profession interception by selecting off Saints receiver Chris Olave’s move try on a trick play. … Regardless of permitting a median 164 yards speeding per outing, the Payments have held their previous three opponents to fewer than 300 yards. It’s the group’s greatest stretch because the last 4 video games of 2023.
Fantasy tip
Relating to Cook dinner, don’t be scared away by New England’s protection tied for second within the NFL towards the run. Three of the Patriots’ first 4 opponents enter Week 5 rating twenty first or decrease in yards speeding, with solely the Raiders (14th) within the high half of the league. Cook dinner’s utilization in each the run and passing recreation are a plus, too.
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