What experts are predicting for Sunday’s Patriots-Bills game
The Patriots are a 14-point underdog for Sunday's game in Buffalo.
COMMENTARY
The Patriots might win three games this season. Their fans are mostly resigned to the fact that the imbecilic hiring of head coach Jerod Mayo won’t be rectified because team owner Bob Kraft will look bad if he pulls the plug.
Um, dude; might want to take the temperature of the room.
Even Kraft has to be aware of the vitriol that has become the defining emotion of the Patriots’ 2024 season thus far. If he isn’t, Jonathan is seemingly doing his best to let his father know what he thinks of his father’s vision in Jerusalem. Jonathan also seems like the kind of guy who would run his operation with a blueprint, a team-building plan I’m not sure the Patriots have ever utilized.
But if the most compelling reason for keeping Mayo as the head coach for 2025 and beyond is his friendship with Robert, then Jonathan needs to take the keys away.
We’re glossing over the most important piece, though. No matter what happens to the state of the team and its relevancy in the NFL, it’s of utmost importance that Robert’s ego isn’t damaged. How will it look one year later after spewing all that nonsense of the lineage of head coaches he’s responsible for? Mayo? Great guy. Give him a job upstairs. Hell, give him Eliot Wolf’s job. Just keep him away from the sideline.
The Patriots are the burning dumpster meme with no direction and possibly the next Matthew Stafford in Drake Maye, a tantalizing talent on a team that doesn’t matter.
The Patriots have one shot to alter that plan. One more year of this to appease the owner’s feelings is not going to fly.
This week’s predictions
Globe staff: All Bills (-14).
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Bills 36, Patriots 17. “The Bills are riding high coming off their impressive victory over the Lions. Now back home after two road games, they get a New England team that isn’t playing well. Look for Josh Allen to keep the MVP push going as he lights up the Patriots.”
CBS Sports staff: One of the eight goes with New England (+14).
NFL.com staff: Bills x 5 (Buffalo -14).
Jimmy Kempski, PhillyVoice: Buffalo. “The Bills’ three remaining games: Patriots, Jets, at Patriots. Pencil them in at 14-3.”
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times: Bills 31, Patriots 20. “Josh Allen wraps up the MVP award if he hasn’t already. The Patriots are playing above their heads, but they’ll have a tough time against these Bills. Beating Detroit was a boost for Buffalo.”
Vic Tafur, The Athletic: Bills (-14). “Josh Allen is Superman. Who doesn’t want to lay 14 points with Superman? The Bills have scored 30-plus points in eight straight games, tying four teams for the longest such streak in a single season in NFL history. The Patriots have one really good defensive player in cornerback Christian Gonzalez and that’s it. The Bills defense is nothing special, but the Patriots offensive line is a good notch below that so Drake Maye is going to have a hard time keeping pace with Allen. The public is obviously on the Bills and normally 14 points with such company would scare me off, but I took the Ravens laying 16 points last week and it was a pretty delightful experience.”
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: Bills 41, Patriots 10. “ills have very little chance to catch K.C. for No. 1 AFC seed and in wake of that thrilling shootout win over Detroit could face a letdown here. But home crowd and division foe should prevent that. Buffs offense is en fuego with Josh Allen now a clear MVP fave. Bills have totaled 125 points in past three games, and four of Pats’ losses have been by 14-plus points.”
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: Bills 38, Patriots 10. “Josh Allen is on an unprecedented heater, taking over games by doing things that no one has seen from a quarterback in the modern era. He won’t be easing on the gas pedal with a lost New England defense coming to town. Allen has already fast-tracked toward his first NFL MVP, and now it’s time to avoid a trap.”
Bill Bender, The Sporting News: Bills 31, Patriots 13. “This is a huge line, but the Bills’ offense is clicking. Buffalo is averaging 41.7 points per game over its past three, and Josh Allen is making a run at the NFL MVP award. The Patriots have lost four games by 14 points or more this season, and the Pats have allowed 30-plus points in two of their past three games. Buffalo has won the past two home meetings by an average of nine points.”
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: Bills 42, Patriots 13.
Chris Simms, Pro Football Talk: Bills 34, Patriots 14
It says here: Bills, 56, Patriots 10. If the Bills are still somehow involved for the No. 1 seed when they again play the Patriots in Week 18, the spread might be 20 points.
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