Over the last five years, there wasn't much the Patriots could do to take down their biggest rival, the Bills. Even if the reigning divisional champions had an off game or didn't have a widely considered impressive roster, they always had the Patriots' number and demolished them far too often for fans to be thrilled about.
That is not expected to be the case this season, however, as the Patriots have made significant strides to improve their roster from top to bottom, not to mention the coaching staff upgrades. Many analysts predict they won't be a bottom-of-the-barrel team anymore and could sneak into a wildcard spot, since the Bills are projected to remain superior in the division.
It doesn't mean the Patriots don't have what it takes to give them a run for their money, though. The players they have added to the offense will inevitably help Drake Maye have an even more productive season than last year, and the defense is equipped to be more dominant than they have been in many years.
Those will be key in the Patriots' efforts to, at the very least, split the season with Buffalo, which might be easier based on the latest prediction of what their biggest weakness will be this fall.
The Bills have one fatal flaw that the Patriots are built to destroy in 2025
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports described the biggest red flags for every contender going into the upcoming season, which, of course, mentioned the Bills. Although they should feel good about their chances in the AFC, especially since they have Josh Allen under center, Benjamin isn't so sure they should be optimistic about their defensive outlook.
In fact, the analyst believes that will be their biggest red flag, even more so in big-time moments, and relying on players like Joey Bosa is not a great plan to maintain their status in the division, and it certainly won't help them against the Patriots.
"It's popular (and mostly fair) to critique the Bills for giving Josh Allen a slew of serviceable rather than spectacular pass catchers. Besides the archrival Kansas City Chiefs, however, Sean McDermott's defense might be the biggest impediment to a long-awaited Super Bowl run.
This group's pass rush is setting up to be quite dependent on Joey Bosa, whose injury concerns have already carried over into Buffalo. And the secondary's trajectory could hinge upon either a rookie in Maxwell Hairston or an aging familiar face in Tre'Davious White."
RELATED: AFC East projections have Patriots fans dreaming and Bills fans panicking
The addition of Will Campbell at left tackle, veteran Morgan Moses at right tackle, a new starting center who is yet to be named, and a returning Mike Onwenu gives the Patriots an upper hand over a potentially questionable Bills' defense.
That combination of players should make it far more difficult for Buffalo's pass rushers to break through to Drake Maye, on top of their run defenders creating a problem for running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson. It's the kind of protection that the team wasn't afforded last season, leading the rookie quarterback to scramble far too much and costly mistakes by the backfield.
A beat-up Bosa is not a scary sight as he once was, and their secondary, while still led by an impressive Tre'Davious White, isn't as intimidating as other groupings across the league, but especially in the AFC East. That's even more true now that Maye will have better weaponry to work with, starting with Stefon Diggs and rookie Kyle Williams.
While none of this means a whole lot when being discussed in July, it could be on par with what we should expect when these foes match up in Weeks 5 and 15. They could become games that are far more fun to watch than what has been seen in recent years, and could be even better if the reigning division champs don't live up to the hype (again).