FOXBOROUGH, MA — The Patriots are looking to right the ship after a demoralizing loss in Week three as they head to the new home of their biggest division rival.
The 1-2 Patriots will take on the 3-0 Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park NY this Sunday in a pivotal early-season contest.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, New England is a 6.5-point underdog against Buffalo. Traditionally, home teams are usually handicapped three points in matchups that are not considered one-sided toward one team. The Pats were only 2.5 point underdogs in Jacksonville last week and are reeling after a game in which they lost by 29 and failed to find the endzone. Quarterback Drake Maye continued his alarmingly poor start to the season, with another three-turnover performance. Following the game, he was asked if a shoulder injury he suffered during last year's postseason is still lingering and causing issues.
"I wouldn't say there's a problem with my shoulder," Maye said directly after the loss to the Jaguars. I think there's times where I think you look back on the playoff run and that Denver game and when I took the hit and to now, I felt good during training camp and you continue to let it loose."
Following those comments, Maye appeared on the team's injury report with a right shoulder injury, and the team reportedly said the QB suffered the injury during the Jaguars game. However, Maye is a full participant in practice and is slated to start on Sunday.
"I'm gonna go out there and compete. I'm gonna leave it all out there. And I know that, and that comes with, competing comes with being confident and being confident in this league and realizing that, these mistakes, you gotta bounce back and at the same time you gotta eliminate them," Maye said. "So the more that we get out of our own way, the more the confidence in myself and this team will build."
Speaking of the injury report, this week's list is unfortunately a long one. Defensive stars Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore both did not practice this entire week due to shoulder injuries of their own, and Head Coach Mike Vrabel confirmed neither player will suit up during his Friday press conference.
Vrabel confirmed that those two players are the only ones who have been ruled out so far, with other crucial players remaining with the questionable designation.
The undefeated Bills are coming off a home victory against the Los Angeles Chargers where they turned the ball over five times, but still managed to win by eight points. The Patriots are hoping to be able to turn over Quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook and capitalize on any mistakes they force.
New England shocked the NFL world with a week five victory at Buffalo last year and went on to take the division crown from them. The team and the fans are hoping for an upset of similar proportions this time around.
How To Watch The Game
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Network: CBS
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
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