You might see a new face patrolling the New England Patriots’ secondary Saturday night in Buffalo.
With Jalen Mills and Shaun Wade both on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Patriots elevated veteran cornerback De’Vante Bausby for their wild-card playoff matchup with the Bills at Highmark Stadium.
Though third-year pro Joejuan Williams is the most likely candidate to replace Mills in the starting lineup, Bausby could help fill that void against a Bills receiving corps that ranks among the NFL’s deepest. Mills is a significant loss for New England, having started all but one game during the regular season and allowed just 1.4 catches and 19 yards per game since Week 9, per Pro Football Focus.
Who is Bausby? Here’s a quick introduction to the 29-year-old cover man:
— Bausby is a journeyman, appearing in 26 games across stints with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He’s also logged two brief stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, one with the Las Vegas Raiders and another with the San Antonio Commanders in the short-lived Alliance of American Football.
Ten of Bausby’s 26 career appearances came with the Broncos last season, including one against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
— The Patriots signed Bausby to their practice squad on Oct. 27, shortly after losing slot corner Jonathan Jones to a season-ending shoulder injury. He’s been with the team ever since, but this is his first gameday elevation and his first appearance of the 2021 season.
— Listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Bausby mostly has played as an outside corner in his NFL career, which has been Mills’ primary position this season. Bausby lined up there on 277 of his 250 defensive snaps last season, per PFF.
— Bausby played one game against Buffalo in 2020. It … did not go well for him.
Quarterback Josh Allen targeted Bausby 13 times in coverage, resulting in nine completions for 141 yards and a touchdown, per PFF. He also was penalized twice as the Bills rocked the Broncos 48-19.
The bulk of that damage, however, came while Bausby was matched up against All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs (eight targets, seven catches, 115 yards). He’s unlikely to see many 1-on-1 matchups against Diggs on Saturday, as those responsibilities should fall to Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson when the Patriots deploy man coverage.
Diggs got the better of Jackson when the Bills won at Gillette Stadium in Week 16, beating him for a touchdown and a fourth-down conversion and finishing with seven catches for 85 yards. Safety Adrian Phillips said a rematch with Diggs is “exactly what (Jackson) wants.”
“He wouldn’t have it any other way,” Phillips said this week.
Rounding out the Patriots’ available cornerbacks are Williams, Myles Bryant, Justin Bethel and practice squad call-up D’Angelo Ross. Williams was a healthy scratch for three of New England’s final four games; Bryant and Ross are slot/safety hybrids; and Bethel rarely plays outside of special teams.
Buffalo is expected to have its full complement of wideouts Saturday night, with Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie complementing Diggs. The Bills utilize three or more receivers more often than any other NFL team, which will test New England’s cornerback depth.
— Saturday is Bausby’s 29th birthday. He wears No. 13 for the Patriots.
