Getty Kyle Dugger looks on during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Buffalo Bills could be handed an unexpected break headed into the critical Monday Night Football matchup against the New England Patriots.
The surging Patriots have surpassed the Bills as top team in the AFC East, going into Monday’s game with a half-game advantage in the division and all the momentum on their side. The Patriots are winners of six straight games, while the Bills have failed to win back-to-back games since October as the offense has been inconsistent. But that offense could now be handed an advantage as one of the top Patriots defenders may not be available for the game.
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Patriots May Lose Defensive Star
On Wednesday, the Patriots announced that starting safety Kyle Dugger was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, putting his status for Monday’s game in doubt. As Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire noted, his vaccination status will now determine whether he is eligible to play on Monday. If he is vaccinated, he could come off the list with a pair of negative COVID-19 tests a day apart. If unvaccinated, Dugger must remain out a minimum of 10 days, and potentially longer if he remains symptomatic.
With game day approaching, signs don’t look good for Dugger. He remained on the reserve list and did not practice on Saturday, and Thomas Carannante of Fansided’s Musket Fire said it appears likely he will be out. ESPN’s Mike Reiss said there was a “growing likelihood of his absence on Monday night” as the days pass. As Reiss noted, losing Dugger would be a major blow to New England’s secondary.
Notes from a brief peek at Patriots practice on Saturday:
🏈 Still no sign of safety Kyle Dugger and J.J. Taylor, both on the reserve COVID list
☁️ Weather: Cloudy, 39 degrees
👀 Rookie LB Ronnie Perkins and LB Dont’a Hightower not spotted in short media-access period
“The Patriots are one of only two teams in the NFL to have three primary safeties (Devin McCourty, Dugger, Adrian Phillips) average more than 80% playing time, which reflects how the three-safety package is their base personnel (Washington is the other). The drop off after that trio — with Myles Bryant likely the next safety up, and then Joejuan Williams bumping to the third corner spot in Bryant’s place — seems major. Especially against a pass-first team like the Bills.”
Patriots Worried About Bills Pass Attack
The Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick are well aware of Buffalo’s strong passing game. Quarterback Josh Allen leads one of the league’s top passing offenses, one that blew out the Patriots in their last Monday Night Football meeting at the conclusion of last season. In the December 28 game, Allen threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Bills to a 38-9 win, one of their largest ever in Foxboro.
Josh Allen: Most 30+ yard completions this season (14)
Belichick was full of praise for Allen ahead of this week’s game, saying it’s remarkable just how much he has improved over the course of the last four seasons. He also praised Allen for his control of the Bill offense, saying they rarely make mistakes with him at the helm.
“They obviously have a lot of confidence in him,” Belichick said, via Pro Football Talk. “He handles it well at the line. Rarely run a bad play or where they run into a bad look or a blitz or something like that. He doesn’t get fooled much by anything. It’s really impressive to watch how he’s developed there.”
While the Patriots could be without one of their best defensive players, the Bills just got two critical starters back. Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and offensive lineman Spencer Brown returned to practice this week after missing two games each on the reserve list.
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