The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills could not be any further apart at the NFL universe. The 11-3 Bills still have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC - it's not impossible with Patrick Mahomes banged up and the Chiefs closing out the season with Houston, Pittsburgh and Denver - while the 3-11 Patriots appear destined for the third pick in the draft for the second straight year.
Remember the good old days when those roles were reversed? It seems like a generation ago when Patriots Nation took over Highmark Stadium, but when the Patriots head to Orchard Park on Sunday, that won't be the case.
Josh Allen and the Bills have been putting up video game numbers, and the quarterback many are comparing Patriots' rookie Drake Maye to is heading towards an MVP. The signs are pointing to another humiliation, particularly after the egg the Patriots laid in the Arizona desert last week. We should all be hoping New England is competitive and isn't the Mercer to Buffalo's Alabama.
Can the Patriots avoid embarrassment? It's not impossible. These guys need to find their pride. Here's how:
How the New England Patriots can beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 16
1. Drake Maye
It's really simple. Maye is the best player on this team. He's a Mercedes operating with weapons and the power of a Toyota Corolla. But Maye can have a strong game against a Bills' secondary that has been vulnerable. Buffalo has surrendered nearly 230 yards passing per game and has been torched by the Rams and Lions over the last two weeks.
The Patriots' wide receiver room doesn't have the talent the Rams and Lions have, by a long shot. Alex Van Pelt needs to let Maye loose. The Patriots have nothing to lose, which leads to our next point.
2. Don't coach scared
This game has no room for fear, but Van Pelt is slowly coaching his way out of a job. Jonathan Kraft was criticizing the play-calling during last Sunday's loss in Arizona when CBS cameras caught him clearly saying the play-calling has been terrible.
If Maye doesn't do anything more than dink-and-dunk against a middle-of-the-pack secondary, the Patriots might as well leave Van Pelt at the stadium he called home as a player. Fourth and shorts, you might as well roll the dice. You're not winning track meets against the Bills kicking field goals.
3. Turnovers, anyone?
There's no way the Patriots' defense is going to stop this high-powered offense. Let's just be honest about that. The only way the Patriots are going to have any type of chance is to create turnovers. Bills' punter Sam Martin may as well bring his AirPods to the sideline and tune into a podcast because he's not going to see the field much.
That's how abysmal this New England defense has been, outside of Christian Gonzalez. Allen has cut down the penchant for throwing interceptions, so this could be a long day for this defense.
Prediction
If the Patriots are going to lose this game - which they almost certainly will - they need to do so with dignity. A blowout could signify more noise for Jerod Mayo to be fired at the end of the season. The only way the Bills lose this game is if Van Pelt comes off of New England's sideline to replace Allen at quarterback.
Score prediction: Bills 45, Patriots 27