New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills: Scouting Report
By Hal Bent
When the Bills run the ball
The Bills have leaned heavily on the running game in 2019, joining the Baltimore Ravens as a run-heavy offense having success in what is supposed to be a passing league. Buffalo has three rushers with 450 or more yards on the ground already.
Rookie Devin Singletary flirts with being the top back, but his propensity to fumble (four in 11 games) forces Buffalo to continue to lean more on 36-year-old Frank Gore more than they would want to. Singletary is a playmaker who averages 5.4 yards per carry and can contribute in the passing game as well.
Gore has struggled down the stretch as Singletary’s role has grown. However, Gore may only be averaging 3.6 yards per attempt, but he does not put the ball on the ground. However, in the last three games, Gore has just 32 yards rushing on 23 carries, not even averaging two yards per rush.
New England has struggled at times against the run in 2019, as Buffalo moved the ball on the ground with Frank Gore topping 100 yards rushing in Week 4 and Cleveland’s Nick Chubb topped 130 yards on the ground in Week 8, but the Patriots still won those games. The Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson churned through them for over 200 yards on the ground, but until last week against Cincinnati, most teams struggled against New England on the ground.
Quarterback Josh Allen may not be a 1,000-yard rusher like Jackson, but he is on pace to top 500 yards rushing this season. Allen has over 100 rushing attempts, and Buffalo will use him on options and other designated quarterback running plays.
The Patriots have attempted to use just two down linemen and mix in four linebacker/edge rusher types and an extra safety or cornerback in the secondary. Against Cincinnati, the run defense improved dramatically when the Patriots went back to having three big bodies up front as Danny Shelton, Lawrence Guy, and Adam Butler slowed Joe Mixon when all three were on the field together.
The Patriots will have to keep their big bodies on the field and work in thumpers Ja’Whaun Bentley and Elandon Roberts, as well as trust their talented secondary to slow the Bills’ pass catchers. New England’s best chance is to slow the running game early, take the lead, and force Buffalo to be one-dimensional trying to come from behind.