New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills: Wild Card Stat Primer

Saturday night will feature two AFC East rivals duke it out to see who will represent the division in the next round. 

Playoff record since 2017 for each team

• NE: 5-2
• BUF: 2-3

Bill Belichick’s record on the road in postseason: 4-5

• This will be the first time in his career in which Bill Belichick is coaching on the road in the Wild Card round

Belichick vs McDermott H2H

• Belichick leads 7-3
• McDermott’s Bills have taken 3 of the last 4 matchups

Last meeting in Buffalo

• NE 14 BUF 10
• 25-35 mph winds for that game (Saturday night’s forecast is expected to be a high of 10 degrees with 10 mph winds)
• Mac Jones: 2 for 3 with 19 yards
• Josh Allen: 15 for 30 with 145 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 fumble
• Patriots rushing attack: 46 carries for 222 yards and 1 touchdown

Patriots rushing attack features two physical backs 

2021 Season: 

Mac Jones in the 2021 CFP (2 games)

This may be the first time Mac Jones is in the NFL playoffs, but it will not be his first time in a nationally televised playoff game. 

• 61 for 75 (81% completion percentage)
• 9 touchdowns
• 761 yards
• 0 turnovers

Stefon Diggs’ numbers since joining Buffalo (36 games)

Since getting traded in the 2020 offseason, Stefon Diggs has been consistently dominant during his time in Buffalo. 

• 250 receptions
• 3,071 receiving yards
• 20 touchdowns
• Has not missed any games
• 22 games with either 100+ receiving yards or at least 1 receiving TD

Who will be the 2nd receiving option for Buffalo?

2021 Season: 

*Isaiah McKenzie had 11 catches for 125 yards and 1 TD against NE in Week 16

Bills rushing attack

• Despite having just two players rush for 100+ yards in a single game, BUF ranks 6th in total rushing (2209 rushing yards)
• This ranks ahead of teams known for a fierce rushing attacks such as: NE, SF, DAL, and LAR
• Josh Allen as a rusher: 122 carries for 763 yards and 6 touchdowns
• Devin Singletary total stats in last 4 games: 76 carries for 323 yards (4.25 ypc) and 6 touchdowns

J.C. Jackson’s impact since arriving in Foxborough

• 5+ interceptions in three consecutive seasons
• His emergence as a shut-down corner was one of the factors that led to Stephon Gilmore being traded to Carolina in October
• 2021 stats:
• Led the NFL in passes defended this season with 23
• Ranked 2nd in interceptions with 8 on the year
• Allowing a 46.8 passer rating when targeted

Who will walk out of Buffalo as the true king of the AFC East? Let me know on Twitter @James_Costanz.