The overwhelming belief among analysts and fans heading into the Week 5 matchup between the Patriots and the Bills is that New England has almost no chance of leaving Buffalo with a win, despite their impressive performance against the Panthers last week. For the most part, it makes sense, given they're playing the reigning divisional champions.
However, some are speculating that the matchup could be a potential trap game for the home team, which might overlook just how sneaky good the Patriots could be, even in a hostile environment like Buffalo.
While it might be a minority take, it isn't one that is being completely overlooked. In fact, NFL analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky said as much during an appearance on NFL Live last week, suggesting this could be a more dangerous game for the Bills than most want to admit.
“First of all, I think this is a very dangerous game for the Bills. Their defense is struggling right now, so I think it’s dangerous.”
Perhaps it's being overly optimistic, or maybe he's trying to be a devil's advocate: you can never tell when analysts discuss games and who might win. But Orlovsky's take isn't entirely out of the realm of possibilities, especially if you look at most score predictions.
The Bills-Patriots game on Sunday Night Football is expected to be a solid football showing, and not a blowout
Over the last five years, the Patriots have become such an uncompetitive team that it was nearly impossible for anyone to favor them in a game against a powerhouse like the Bills, so it's not entirely unexpected that most of that remains the same this season.
However, there is a noticeable shift in score predictions, as most analysts seem to believe the game will be a close one, with the Bills coming out the victor (of course). That's significant for a rebuilding Patriots team, considering just how much of an underdog they have been in their matchups with the Bills in recent years.
Picks for @SNFonNBC.
— Michael Rodnick (@MJRodnick) October 2, 2025
I can't complain about it. Buffalo is experienced and the home team. If the #Patriots take care of their own business, they'll make this a very good game. pic.twitter.com/SppgjGx2c0
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It's certainly not fun to go into a game that a majority of the football universe doesn't believe your team has a chance to win. But it's refreshing to see they have made enough strides over the past year to make them a more competitive team against one of the best in the league.
That could mean they are much closer to retaking the AFC East than anyone would like to admit outside of New England, even if it isn't something that happens immediately.
What we see from this roster on Sunday Night could dictate how far they will go this season, as some still believe they could be a sneaky wild-card team by season's end. That might be looking too far into the future, but if they fare well against a consistent AFC contender, then a playoff push might not be out of the question.