New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills Preview & Prediction | PFF

New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills Preview & Prediction | PFF

Sunday Night Football this week, we’ve got the New England Patriots traveling to Buffalo to take on the Bills. Now, some might look at this game and and scoff a little bit, be like, “Ah, no, it’s another easy victory for the Bills.” I’m not so sure about that. But before we dig into it, our guy Terron Armstead is back with us for a trench preview here. We’re going to be talking about Will Campbell versus Joey Bosa. Let’s take a listen. Back with our guy this week, Terron Armstead for another trench matchup preview. And we got a fun one. As a as a draft guy, I can’t wait to ask Terron all about my guy Will Campbell, who I loved coming into the draft. People were like, “Oh, is he a tackle? Is he a guard?” I don’t care, man. He’s a football player. I know he’s going to be a good one wherever he ends up. He’s starting at offensive tackle for the New England Patriots. They are going up against Joey Bosa. And I think that that is the matchup that we want to preview here. So, Terron, how we doing, my friend? Doing well, man. Doing well. Good morning. Uh, so I want to first take it back 2013, a young rookie Terron Armstead. And I want to ask you about what it’s like playing as a rookie on the offensive line in the NFL. First and foremost, I’ve had former offensive linemen tell me that it’s like trying to, you know, drink water through a fire hose. You’re just you’re trying to master your own game. You’re trying to learn other pass rushers games. and sometimes just really difficult to balance all of those things specifically in the trenches where you have like a split second to get it right or wrong. What was it like playing as a rookie as a as a as a young future allpro guy in the NFL? Take me back to that first season that you had in 2013 and just the first couple of years that you had in the NFL adjusting to life in the trenches. Uh my situation was different, Trevor. My my situation was different than Will Campbell who’s coming in as a day one starter, high first round draft pick. I was a third round draft pick out of University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. So, a small school guy. I had a more of a learning curve and um I didn’t start my first majority of my rookie year and toward until towards the end. And once I got that first start, it’s really um you get thrown to the wolves in a sense like you’ve been playing football for so long. you’ve been doing X, Y, and Z for so long, but you’re inserted now into a world that is the elites, the top of the top, the best guys in the world that’s rushing the pass or that’s playing a run. So, it’s a learning curve and it’s really that like you’re in a race to learn. You’re in a race to improve. Uh you will have growing pains. Every single young player, every single young lineman will take losses, will get beat with his hands or taking the wrong step, wrong footwork. It’s just so many things to learn and um you want to be one of those guys that don’t make the same mistake twice. So, if you can accelerate that process, that learning process, go through the growing pains, use the growing pains as a as a way to improve and get better, then we start to see guys that um start off their career at a at a high level. So I I want to ask you specifically, you talked about some of the ways that you know you struggle and you you make mistakes. You don’t want to make the same mistake twice. So when you were coming in and when you did eventually get into that starting lineup, my question for you is what were some of those things? We’ve talked about, you know, making sure that you handle your anchor and you handle power first and foremost, but you were one of the most athletic offensive tackles to ever through come through the combine. So, I know they were excited about getting you out there and we knew that we were you were the athlete to be able to play the position, but what were some of those early growing pains that you went through as a young rookie offensive tackle? Oh, man. It’s it’s so many that before we even start playing actual football is is the issue that that I had an issue with my first start. So, my first start was is New Orleans Saints versus Carolina Panthers for the division title. And um like I said, I didn’t realize that was your first I didn’t realize that was your first start. That is that is truly to the Wolves right there for a division title. No, listen. Seriously. And it’s um I’m blocking all pro Greg Hardy who’s had like 16 17 sacks that year. Something crazy. And um I came from from Arkansas Pine Bluff, so I never dealt with crowd noise before. So, my biggest issue, Trevor, was listening to the play, like trying to hear the play and getting off the snap at the right getting off at on the ball at the right time. That was my issue. It wasn’t necessarily like the football aspect of it. It was before we even got to the line of scrimmage. That was the hardest part. Like hearing Drew Brees say the play because of the crowd noise. I’m like, man, this is crazy. Like, so, um, it was a couple times that I I heard the play wrong, so I went the wrong way. A couple times I was laid off the ball. I gave up a sack in the first half, maybe even two in the first half. Like my first start, my first half was it was forgettable. I It was not, you know what I mean? It was not um my best showing. Second half, I was on one balling. I was balling. I I I locked in, was able to learn from those mistakes, and um that that really jumpst started my career. I love it. Well, we love we love the early bounce. Like I said, like you were very clearly the athlete to be able to play into the pros and uh it makes sense that you were able to make the adjustments that you were cuz you had that athletic baseline and it was kind of just getting those reps down. Speaking of getting those reps down, I know you watched Will Campbell when he was throughout his preseason. You watched him a little bit here into the regular season. Thoughts overall on him? Man, I I I understand that there may be a little bit of physical deficiencies with him, certainly with the length. talked about that a lot before he got drafted to the New England Patriots. And there was talk of is he an offensive tackle? Is he an offensive guard? Could he be a center? Like what is he in the NFL? And just the mentality of how he approached the position. Just listening to him talk about the game even before he puts the helmet on gave me a lot of faith that he would kind of do what you were talking about where it’s like, “All right, yeah, he gets a couple of his lumps here and there as a rookie, but you felt good about just how he approached the position.” And so early thoughts here with him after watching him in the preseason, then a little bit of him here in the regular season. Just your thoughts overall on Campbell as a player. Yeah, you you said it, Trevor. Uh soon as we started the show today, you you said he’s a football player and that’s exactly what he is. He’s he is a guy that this is what he does for a living. He was made to do this and he plays the game that way. He’s physical. He’s tough. He’s a finisher. He may have his limitations, but that that’s not stopping him or slowing him down at all. I’ve been impressed with Will Campbell. He he’s starting his career at a much different spot than I did. Like he’s way past anything I was as a rookie. So to see him right now just four weeks into the NFL season, I’ve been impressed. He had a he had a pretty stellar performance last week against the Carolina Panthers. Really strong hands. He might not have great length, but the timing of his strike. He’s getting his hands on guys before they touch him. And that’s the that’s the goal. That’s the key. So, he’s understanding his strike zone, and he’s taking advantage of it. Strong anchor. Uh, man, I’m not I’m not seeing many issues with with this young man right now. Yeah. Something that uh I love about offensive linemen is when they take the fight to defensive linemen. You know, they don’t just sit back and wait to react. Those guys who are able to, like you said, you know, sort of dictate that contact are are the guys who can really be big difference makers. I know you’ve gone up against Joey Bosa throughout your career. The last name Bosa, man, whether it’s Joey or Nick, I mean, these are some of the best in the NFL over the last decade when they’re playing at their prime. And all right, maybe Joey’s not quite in his prime like he was a couple of years ago, but this is still a formidable edge rusher, especially for a great test uh in a rookie offensive tackle. So talk to me about Joey when you have planned for him and gone up against him throughout your career. What are the things that you’ve noticed about him? I I would say Trevor, he’s looking more in his prime than we have seen in recent years. He’s healthy. He he he really likes that that Buffalo Bills scheme. Um the way that they run coverage, they they typically rush for and run coverage with seven. So that makes the quarterback hold the ball a little longer than than uh other defensive schemes. He looks more in his prime than we have seen in years. Um explosive and he look like he’s taking his brother’s powers. Like since Nick is out right now, the the great Nick Bosa, Joey had a couple bull rushes last week against the New Orleans Saints that were like, “Oh my goodness, it looked like he looked like Nick.” I’ve known Joey for being more of a hands guy, working edges. Um, and Nick will run like right down the middle of you and make you stop it. But Joey is doing all of it. He He looks He looks Man, he looks incredible right now. He’s playing at a very high level. He’s been a great addition to that Buffalo Bills defense. For me, when I was in in at at left tackle, I hated to see the veterans. I hated to see the guys with 80 plus sacks because they just know how to do it. Like, they know how to read sets. They know how to look for tendencies. They know how to, you know, swipe hands and all those things. Give me, give me a a young first round pick. Give me the top pick. Give me him all day. He don’t know what he’s looking for. I’m switching up sets. I’m kicking his ass. But the the veterans, bro, I hated to see a Justin Houston, James Harrison. I I those guys just they always gave me problems. James Harrison’s terrifying because he he’d win with the wisdom, but he’d also I mean, I don’t know if you’ve seen some of the offseason workout videos this dude has done. I mean, he he’s still pushing sleds with like a,000 pounds on it. I mean, he is uh yeah, he’s he’s a pretty crazy one. I’m excited to see this matchup and how Will Campbell deals with Joey Bosa’s power here in prime time on Sunday Night Football. It’s going to be a great matchup. Obviously, the Bills have been rolling, but the Patriots, man, they’ve had a couple of games where they look pretty good, too. So, I’m excited to watch it. I know you are too, Terron. Appreciate it, my friend. Appreciate you. Thank you. Appreciate Terron as always for giving us that uh trench expertise there. It was uh you know, it was it was kind of funny to hear him talk about like going from Arkansas Pineluff to the NFL. And it’s like, oh, you know, what was what was it like your first half? He’s like, I couldn’t hear like I just I wasn’t used to that many people in the stands. And I’m not going to lie, doll, like sometimes I hear about that. We hit that in college more than the NFL. You know, like some of these guys, especially with the transfer portal the way that it is right now, you go like, “Oh, you for example like um uh oh, the Old Miss quarterback who the Trinidad Chamblas.” Trinidad Chamb Yes. Trinidad Chamblas. He’s coming from Ferris State and they were like, “Oh, yeah, there were like 2,000 people in the stands when he was playing at F State and now he’s in front of, you know, like 80,000 in SEC stadium.” I always think that’s kind of like a footnote. Like it’s like, “Oh, okay.” Like that’s cool. But Terron saying, “No, no, no. That was an actual factor. I had to get ready for that.” But what he talks about with Will Campbell versus Joey Bosa, obviously that’s a big time matchup. Where do you want to start with this one? What’s the matchup that you want to focus on for Bills and Patriots? That’s actually exactly where I’m going. I I was going to go there anyway with Will Campbell and and with Morgan Moses, the veteran on the other side. You look at these two and look, this New England offensive line is a lot better. They poured a ton of resources into it this offseason. Garrett Bradberry’s been good at center. Jared Wilson was out last week at left guard, but he’s been good. But I want to focus on the two tackles. Campbell, like you guys were just talking about, and Morgan Moses. In their two wins against Miami and against Carolina, the Patriots tackles, Campbell and Moses, have a 76 pass blocking grade and have combined to allow just one pressure. All right. In the two losses against Vegas and against Pittsburgh, 56.6 pass blocking grade from those two guys with a combined 15 pressures allowed. So you’re seeing right now if they can pass protect and obviously last year it wasn’t a question if if they could pass protect because they just couldn’t. This year the games where they’re pass protecting they’re winning. Drake May looks comfortable. They’re getting something going in the run game. Stefon Diggs started to break out last week against Carolina. So I think you’re starting to see this offensive line as it continues to gel. It’s giving them a shot to win games whereas last year it didn’t. But I think the entire matchup of Will Campbell and Morgan Moses against, yes, Joey Bosa, who’s been spectacular this year, but also against Greg Rouso. Moses is going to see a lot of him and AJ Epanessa, those are the three main defensive ends there for Buffalo, that matchup is going to tell you a lot about how this game goes. If those three guys can make Drake May uncomfortable beating these tackles, then it’s really going to tilt Buffalo’s way. If New England can protect and make and continue to play as efficient as he has been, he’s leading the league in completion percentage right now. He looks really good when he is clean back there in the pocket. Then New England’s got a shot to win. I think that matchup that you guys talked about along with Morgan Moses on the other side of the line at right tackle, that’s a big big factor in this game. So when you look at the Bills schedule, the teams that they have played so far, you see the Ravens, it’s the Saints, it’s the Dolphins, and then it’s the Jets. In three of those games, you had rushing threats at the quarterback position. Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, and Spencer Rattler. isn’t quite what those other guys are, but Spencer Rattler, you mentioned when we were talking about the Saints, like he’s been scooting a little bit, you know, like he’s he’s been able to be a weapon with his legs and pick up some first downs and keep defenses honest there. Tua, not really so much. I mean, he’s much more of a pocket passer. So, I wanted to look at what the Bills have been like when defending quarterbacks on the run because that’s a major part of what Drake May wants to do. They want to sort of call the offense to where yes, it’s a drop back passing system with May, but they give him the freedom to say like, okay, if the first or the second progression really quickly aren’t there, you could take off with your legs. And we saw that against Carolina. We’ve seen that when this offense is having a lot of success, Drake May as a rusher is a big reason why. So, when you look at those three games they played against the Jets, the Ravens, and the Saints, specifically for Buffalo’s defense, just a 47.7 run defense grade against those quarterbacks specifically a 0.60. No, it’s it’s actually a 0.6. Yeah, 0.606. I said that right the first time. Uh, zeros and sixes messed me up there. EPA per rush allowed. So basically all of that to say the Buffalo Bills have been susceptible to giving up yards, big plays, and I will say important plays when it’s come to quarterbacks being able to pick up yards uh and first downs with their legs. And I think that they have another option here that they really have to think about here with Drake May. 66.1 rushing grade so far this season. And it’s just a big part of what they want to do to keep moving the ball on offense. They’re giving Drake May that freedom and it’s containing him is going to be a big part uh of of what they need to do to be successful in this game. I think this game’s going to be a lot closer than people maybe give it credit for. Uh the Patriots are getting eight and a half in this game. I think that’s a lot of points, man. I know that the Bills are good. I do. But man, I I think that I think New England’s going to give them at least a test here. I I think the Bills will win this one. 31 to 27 is the score here that I have. So very clearly comfortably taking those eight and a half points and feeling pretty good about it. That that is a good call. The Bills are giving up over nine yards a carry to quarterbacks right now. It’s an issue and late in the play they’ve given up the fifth most yards on scrambles. So I think even on pass plays you mentioned Drake May and using his legs. A I think down in the red zone he’s a really big threat especially you saw him score a touchdown rolling out on the bootleg last week and B it gives him an outlet to not put the football in danger. I think Josh McDaniels is telling him, hey, if you have a choice between running for six yards and throwing the ball into a tight window, take off running, live to play the next down. And I think that’s part of May’s efficiency and not putting the ball in danger. When this Patriots team hasn’t turned the ball over, they’ve looked really good on offense. We’ve just seen in all four in all four of their games, we’ve seen that be the difference. They don’t turn the ball over against Miami and Carolina, they win. They do against Pittsburgh and Vegas, they lose. I know that goes so often for so many teams, but for the Patriots, they don’t have that margin of error and the weapons to work with to overcome those mistakes yet. But I’m with you. I think you got a competitive game here. I think New England is a lot better than last year. They’ve shown that so far, especially in the trenches. I do think Josh Allen finds a way to win this game because he’s the ultimate Patriot killer ever since he’s been in the league. Bills 27, Patriots 20. Fun one we have there in Buffalo.

PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema preview the matchup between The New England Patriots and The Buffalo Bills.

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