FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots’ Week 2 win over the Buffalo Bills was a mixed bag on defense.
The Patriots picked off Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor three times and registered eight combined sacks. Still, Buffalo managed to score 32 points and had a chance to tie things up late.
But Week 2 was a long time ago.
Taylor has the Bills in playoff contention at 5-4, and he has protected the ball much better since that 40-32 loss to the Patriots.
“He’s a guy who can make a lot of good throws in the pocket and he can get out and extend plays,” Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich said Wednesday. “We’ve seen different guys who can do that. It’s not his first year in the NFL. He’s been around. He’s played. So, again, he’s a good quarterback who you have to prepare well for.”
The Bills also have running back LeSean McCoy, who gave New England some trouble in the teams’ first meeting, running for 89 yards on 15 carries.
“Well, (McCoy) is elusive,” Ninkovich said. “He’s explosive out of the backfield and he can hit the edge and he can cut on a dime. So, a guy like that, you have to be aware of where he’s at.”
However, the Patriots have been one of the toughest teams to run on in the NFL since that game. New England has allowed an average of 88.2 yards per game and a total of 794 rushing yards through nine contests this season.
They also trail only the Denver Broncos with 30 sacks this season, a strength that was on full display back in Week 2.
The Bills do have dynamic players on the offensive side, though, and they’ve had time to change things up since the last meeting.
“It’s going to be a little bit of a different wrinkle here or there based on scheme,” Ninkovich said. “So for us, again, it’s doing as much film review as you can, understanding they have a very dynamic running back, a quarterback who can move well and receivers who can get down the field.”
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
