After an exciting slate of football in Week 14, the Patriots are set to return from their bye and prepare to face off against the Bills for the final time this season. They already beat the reigning AFC East Champions in Buffalo earlier this year and hope to sweep them for the first time in six years next Sunday, which looks possible based on how both teams have been playing.
There will, however, be a massive change for the Patriots since they last met, as they have dealt with crucial injuries to important starters. The most concerning absences are starting left tackle Will Campbell and starting left guard Jared Wilson, both of whom suffered leg injuries against the Bengals.
Although their replacements, Ben Brown and Vederian Lowe, fared well against the Giants last week, there are growing concerns about how well they will do against tougher teams, especially with the Bills next on the docket.
That's a big concern for NFL analyst and insider Jeremy Fowler, who worries about the Patriots' chances for the rest of the season, as the playoffs become more real the rest of the way.
Jeremy Fowler's concerns about the Patriots injuries are valid and could impact their playoff chances
While discussing the current state of the NFL in Week 14, ESPN's Fowler wrote about his concerns regarding the Patriots' injuries and how they could impact the offense before they return.
He gave credit to Brown and Lowe for their performance last week, but isn't sold on that being maintained in some tough matchups to finish the season.
"The Patriots have injuries to two key players -- defensive tackle Milton Williams (high ankle sprain) and rookie left tackle Will Campbell (knee sprain) -- that loom large. Williams has validated his massive free agent contract with impressive play, and Campbell has ferociously protected Drake Maye's blind side. Both should be back before the playoffs, but how New England holds up in the meantime bears watching."
Given their role on the offense, it's understandable why Fowler wouldn't exactly feel confident about the Patriots without Campbell and Wilson. It's also fair to question if Brown and Lowe can uphold their end of the bargain in the meantime, particularly when reflecting upon the offensive line's performance from last year.
However, if they can play how they did against the Giants the rest of the way, those concerns quickly disappear, and the Patriots become more of a threat in the playoffs than anyone could have imagined.
On the flip side, though, if Brown and Lowe can't protect Maye adequately, their chances of winning more games to end the year appear much more questionable. Although the quarterback dealt with a far worse offensive line grouping last year and overcame the odds, he shouldn't have to deal with that this year, especially with how much the team has accomplished so far.
We'll have to see if they can replicate their Week 13 performance against much tougher opponents like the Bills and Ravens, or if Mike Vrabel and Co. might want to change the starting lineup again, or even look for more help on the practice squad or among free agents.