Are you ready for some football?
How about arguably the most important regular season game of the Sean McDermott era?
I know that sounds heavy, but it's where I stand heading into Monday night.
The Bills entered this season as a Super Bowl contender.
At times they've looked the part.
Others, not so much.
The ups and downs of this team have allowed a once left-for-dead former king to once again get a sniff of the crown.
Now it's time for a face-to-face counter attack.
This primetime stage can shift the spotlight back to the Bills and their stake to claim that times have changed in the AFC East.
And if they don't, the enemy shifts to a large group of armies fighting for the postseason.
Let's dive into *bum bum bum bum* Patriots and Bills.
Life Without Tre
Monday night's game will be the Bills first without Tre'Davious White, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL Thanksgiving night against the Saints.
His absence is huge blow to not only the defense, but the team as a whole.
Everyone who was asked about moving on said the same thing.
No one person can replace Tre'Davious White.
Still, one person does slide into his starting spot and that is second-year corner Dane Jackson.
The 2020 7th round pick made some splashes as a rookie, elevating from the practice squad to play in five games with two starts. He managed to grab an interception in that short order while also showing the ability to more than hold his own.
While there's no doubt teams will test Jackson, beginning with the Patriots, I think the biggest impact will be felt by the fantastic safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.
Leslie Frazier has been able to use Hyde and Poyer in so many different ways because White was able to hold his own so often without safety help.
Now each may be forced into giving aid to Jackson as well as Levi Wallace on the opposite side.
There's also more pressure on the defensive front to produce pressure, something they've been inconsistent at best at this season.
Mac Attack
Facing Mac Jones and the Patriots may be something like a soft launch for the Bills and operating without White.
I think the criticisms of Jones have gone a bit far by some.
While he is not lighting the world on fire and slinging it all over the place, he is doing what is asked of him very well.
Jones' 70.3% completion is third in the NFL. He's topped the 70% completion mark in eight of the 12 games he's played.
Only two of his eight interceptions this season have come over the last six games, so the rookie is improving taking care of the ball.
What stands out to the critics, though, is how Jones isn't pushing the ball down the field.
His 7.54 average yards per pass is 20th in the league.
Jones average length per completion is just 5.44 yards, 26th in the league. I will add that number is actually higher than Aaron Rodgers (5.21) and Patrick Mahomes (4.91).
New England is rolling with the same principal it did for two decades with Tom Brady at QB - short and quick passes.
Let's see if Frazier and the Bills D brings more people up to force Jones to hold onto the ball a little longer and throw it more down the field.
Pats on the Ground
Based purely by the numbers, the Patriots run game is slightly above average at 115.3 yards per game (12th in NFL).
It's how they operate the ground attack that may be of some concern.
McDermott used the word "physical" and added they're "beating people up by how they play."
Two other teams have been very physical with their run game against the Bills.
Tennessee and Indianapolis and we know how those two games went.
Of course, those two teams have arguably the two best running backs in the NFL in Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor.
Damien Harris is a good back, 14th in the league with 643 rushing yards. Still, he's only produced 4+ yards per carry in six of the 11 games he's played.
Fourth round pick Rhamondre Stevenson's started splitting carries a bit with Harris, rushing for 277 yards at 5.43 YPC over the last four games.
The Bills run defense still rates good, sixth in the NFL in allowing 96.6 YPG.
They've only allowed more than 80 yards rushing in three of their 11 games, with Kansas City the other.
Star Lotulelei was out for the Colts crushing, but is in line to return Monday night after missing the last three games because of COVID.
We'll see if there's any sort of pitch count with Lotulelei as his conditioning may not be fully back, but whatever the Bills get from their best run defender will be a bonus.
Allen Managing Mistakes
The Bills ups and downs have kind of been in sync with those of Josh Allen.
He had just three INTs through the first seven games of the season.
Since, he's thrown seven over the last four games, including multiple in three of those four.
This is a tough team to turn that trend around against.
The Patriots are tied with the Bills for second in the NFL with 25 takeaways. Their 19 INTs were tops in the league entering week 13.
J.C. Jackson is second in the NFL with seven INTs. Safety Adrian Phillips is tied for seventh with four.
Allen's coming off the best performance he's ever had against New England, throwing for 320 yards and four touchdowns with no INTs during the week 16 route last season.
However, the four games against the Pats prior to that had Allen averaging 183 passing yards on 50% completion, with three TDs to six INTs.
Allen said this week he knows Bill Belichick's going to try and take away what the Bills do best while also throwing things at Allen he's likely not expecting.
If the turnovers continue to tally up, the Bills cannot win this game.
Wicked Weather
The biggest factor of this football game may not have anything to do with football.
Winds are expected to be sustained between 25-40 mph, with gusts possibly approaching 60 mph.
Oh, and lake effect snow is in the mix too.
Even if things taper off a bit as the game gets going, there's no doubt the play on the field will be affected in some capacity.
If this becomes more of run-heavy game script, I give the advantage to the Patriots.
On the Line
BUF (-2.5)
O/U: 41.5
**Caesars Sports Book**
Injury Report
PATRIOTS
QUESTIONABLE: C David Andrews (Shoulder), DL Christian Barmore (Knee), LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (Ribs), RB Brandon Bolden (Knee), OT Trent Brown (Calf), K Nick Folk (Left Knee), WR Gunner Olszewski (Ankle), LB Ronnie Perkins (Illness)
BILLS
QUESTIONABLE: OL Cody Ford (Bicep), FB Reggie Gilliam (Ankle), DL Efe Obada (Hip)
Prediction
Bills win 20-14
It's not pretty. It's certainly not easy. However, the Bills answer the bell behind a surprising performance from the running game and the secondary showing out for Tre White with a few turnovers. On the flip side, Allen's turnover streak ends and adds a TD toss to Dawson Knox.
**Make sure to tune into Spectrum News 1 immediately after the game for "Buffalo End Zone." Our LIVE postgame show brings you highlights, instant team reaction, and analysis. Join Kevin Carroll, Jon Scott, and Buffalo Bills radio sideline reporter Sal Capaccio for their thoughts only on Spectrum News 1.**