The New England Patriots have had a tough start to their 2026 season. While their 1-2 record is easily remedied with a winning streak, the offense looks too aloof to score enough points to go on any sort of run.
The Patriots have the last-ranked offense in football, averaging the same number of points as the Miami Dolphins: a rebuilding team now without their only star. If the team wants any hope of beating the Bills early in the season like they did last year, Drake Maye will have to be at his best.
Unfortunately, Maye has been far from that. His second-quarter touchdown to Eli Raridon in Week 1 is his only touchdown of the season so far, and he's since thrown six interceptions. In 2025, he threw eight across the entire regular season.
The Patriots will need Maye to step up to beat the Bills no matter what, but they'll also need the defense to contain Josh Allen and company. With the unit's numerous injuries, they'll need several depth pieces to step up against the Bills. One player who will need to do his part is Charles Woods.
The Patriots need Charles Woods to be at his best on Sunday
The Patriots will be without both Christian Barmore and Christian Gonzalez on Sunday against Buffalo. In the team's second matchup against Buffalo last season, they were without a pair of defensive standouts, Milton Williams and Robert Spillane.
In that game, Allen, James Cook, and Dalton Kincaid led the Bills to a comeback win, scoring 35 points. At that point in the year, opponents were scoring just 18.5 PPG against the Patriots, and only the Dolphins scored more than 23 points in Week 2.
With Barmore and Gonzalez out, backups will need to step up defensively. While players like Cory Durden and Gabe Jacas can match Barmore's production in aggregate, replacing Gonzalez's production is much harder.
Charles Woods won't be expected to match Gonzalez one-for-one, but if he can slow down the Bills' secondary options, the Patriots will be in a solid spot.
Carlton Davis will defend D.J. Moore, while Marcus Jones will likely see his fair share of Khalil Shakir in the slot. Woods would primarily see Joshua Palmer and Keon Coleman on the outside, but rookie Skyler Bell could also see reps.
Keeping players like Coleman may seem easy, but when third and fourth options get rolling, it can be a long day for opposing defenses. For example, Coleman has recorded 50+ yards in a game on seven occasions in his career, including Week 2.
The Bills average 34.1 PPG in those matchups.
During the Mac Jones era in 2021, the Patriots saw the value of quality depth when the Bills scored 33 points in Foxborough, with Isaiah McKenzie catching 11 of 12 targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. That game accounted for 55% of McKenzie's catches, 46% of his targets, 70% of his yards, and his only touchdown of the year.
Woods will need to help negate any possibility of players like Palmer, Coleman, Bell, or veteran Greg Dortch making an unforeseen impact on the game. While it's not an easy task, Woods proved in the latter half of 2025 that he's more than capable of keeping lower-level receivers at bay.
While Maye's performance will be key to the team having a chance on Sunday, Woods may prove the defense's X-factor.
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