Bart Scott is fairly confident he knows what the Patriots’ defensive plan of attack will be Monday night at Highmark Stadium.
In turn, the NFL linebacker-turned-analyst believes there’s a way Buffalo’s offense can make things difficult for New England in Week 13.
“…This is going to be a testament to see, like, if Bill (Belichick)’s going to put that eighth man in the box,” Scott said Thursday on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “We know what they’re going to do, right? They’re going to try to take away the passing game. I think the difference is going to have to be Josh Allen, his ability to run the football, make them play 11-on-11. If Bill decides to play two-man and try to double Stefon Diggs, that means he’s allocating more people to the pass game. Or, is he going to try to put J.C. Jackson on him? I think you move Diggs around so they can’t take him away and then Josh Allen hurting the defense with his legs.”
In a normal situation, the Patriots probably would feel comfortable putting an extra man in the box. But Kyle Dugger, who’s best served in a strong safety role, might not be available for New England on Monday. The second-year safety on Wednesday was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
As such, running lanes very well could be open for Allen on a regular basis. And if the dual-threat quarterback routinely takes advantage of them, the Patriots could be in trouble.
