FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The headline here in Foxborough this morning is that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is armed with a multi-year contract extension that he signed before the start of the season.
NFL Network was the first to break the news.
The timing is convenient, to say the least with the Patriots struggling to a 1-5 start and the heat under Belichick's seat at an all-time high. New England has never started 1-5 during his time as head coach.
He needs help where he can get it these days.
There are a number of reasons... injuries are a major factor to be sure, but the structure of the roster with a lack of explosive talent to begin with, plus a struggling quarterback in Mac Jones are high on that list.
It all presents the Bills with a very good opportunity to extend a four-game win streak in this series against the Patriots.
The Bills have their own issues to work through. Significant injuries on defense and a struggling offense have been areas of focus. Sunday night's 14-9 win over the Giants that followed a 25-20 loss to Jacksonville in London has raised questions about to what degree they'll be true contenders. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey is on the receiving end of plenty of criticism.
Having said that, this is shaping up to be and really should be, a get-right game for Buffalo, especially on the offensive side. New England is down edge rushers Keion White and Josh Uche to injuries. Linebacker Matthew Judon is on injured reserve. The Patriots' ability to pressure and contain Josh Allen will be compromised, to say the least. Belichick has listed 19 players as questionable on the injury report during the course of the week.
New England has dropped three in a row, giving up an average of 31 points per game during that stretch. It's a situation where the Bills, who've scored just seven points combined in the first halves of the last two games, can take advantage early and often.
After New England dominated the AFC East for so long under Tom Brady and Belichick, Buffalo has won three straight division titles. They've beaten New England in four straight games and six of seven in the series.