Howard Simon said in last week's edition of "Howard Picks the Bills" that if you don't beat the New England Patriots now, when are you ever going to?
While New England made things interesting, the Bills managed to get a late forced fumble from defensive tackle Justin Zimmer that was recovered by safety Dean Marlowe to preserve a 24-21 win in Orchard Park. For the Bills, it was the first home win over the Patriots since Sept. 25, 2011, and it helped Buffalo improve to 6-2 through the halfway point of the 2020 season.
While the Bills are 6-2 to start a season for the second-consecutive year, the second half of the 2020 schedule seems daunting with five of the last eight games featuring teams with a .500 record or better.
There are some areas of concern for the Bills heading into the second half of the season. The offense has taken a step back in production from the first four games of the season, while the defense still struggles to stop the run on a consistent basis. The final eight games of the season will certainly test the Bills as they attempt to prove to the NFL that they are serious contenders for the playoffs and beyond.
This upcoming week could be an offensive shootout at Bills Stadium with the 6-1 Seattle Seahawks coming to town.
Seattle offense ranks third in the entire NFL in offense, averaging 414.4 yards per-game, while quarterback Russell Wilson is playing like a MVP candidate this season with an average of 307.3 passing yards per-game and a league-high 26 touchdowns.
However, the Seahawks defense is abysmal, ranking worst in the league in average yards-against per-game (460.9) and average passing yards-against per-game (358.7). In addition, Seattle is averaging 28.4 points-against per-game this season, while the Bills are averaging 24.9 points-per game this season.
If the Bills are going to properly match up with the Seahawks this week, Josh Allen and the offense will likely need to match them blow-for-blow throughout the day.
Heading into Week 9, the Bills still sit atop the AFC East at 6-2, but the Miami Dolphins are certainly making things interesting right behind them at 4-3. If the Dolphins continue to win and stay in the race, the Week 17 matchup with the Bills in Orchard Park could take on a whole new meaning.
Back to last week's picks, Howard saw the Bills finishing the 2020 season still at 10-6 and likely winning the AFC East for the first time since 1995.
Follow along on Twitter for the latest picks from Howard by using the hashtag #HowardPicksTheBills. You can also track all of Howard's picks throughout the season with Brayton Wilson's picks tracker on Twitter: @BJWilsonWGR.
You can listen to the latest edition of Howard Picks the Bills below: