Although the New England Patriots' current set of passing targets shouldn't instill fear into the Buffalo Bills defense, starting slot cornerback Taron Johnson will still have his hands full with wide receiver Julian Edelman.
The matchup between two inside players performing at a very high level will be crucial in deciding whether Buffalo, once again, shuts down the Patriots offense.
What seemed like a rare bad performance by the Patriots offense in Buffalo earlier this season has now become one of many bad showings from the unit. New England's offense has scored 22 points or less in five of the last six games.
Tom Brady has looked like a 42-year-old quarterback who is throwing to many uninspiring wide receivers such as N'Keal Harry, Philip Dorsett, and Jakobi Meyers.
Brady's favorite target in Edelman, however, has still been a problem for opposing defenses. The veteran receiver has already surpassed 1,000 yards along with six touchdowns on the season.
In three of the last four games, Edelman has at least six receptions and over 90 yards.
While the Patriots' top target has been heating up over the last month, so too has Johnson.
Since Week 11,Pro Football Focus has Johnson ranked ninth in yards per-coverage snap at 0.92. The slot cornerback has been an underrated, yet crucial piece to a Bills defense that has been one of the top units in the NFL.
Against a weapon like Edelman, who is a quick-twitch, top-tier route runner with great understanding of leverage, Johnson knows his fundamentals will be key.
"I'd say just making sure I'm playing my fundamentals," Johnson said after practice on Wednesday. "Having good eyes, if you play with good eyes and fundamentals everything should work itself out."
The Bills held Edelman to just 30 yards during their Week 4 matchup at New Era Field in Orchard Park.
If the secondary, especially Johnson, can limit him again, Buffalo could have a shot at pulling off the upset in Foxboro.
