"The Patriots are set to face one of the best offenses of their season so far when they play the Bills for the first time this season on Sunday Night Football. The defense will have their hands full with the AFC Player of the Month in running back James Cook, and one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the last five years, Josh Allen."
"It has been an ongoing issue this season so far, particularly with the linebacker group, which has fortunately seen a comeback from Robert Spillane, as he now leads the team in tackles going into this weekend. He might finally have another consistent producer joining him in the starting lineup soon, as Jahlani Tavai returned to practice on Wednesday since landing on IR during the summer."
"Although he has developed an unfavorable reputation amongst Patriots fans due to comments he made last season, Tavai has been a solid producer since taking on a bigger role on the defense. That's what made his suffering another lower-body injury this past summer even more devastating ahead of this season. He was on pace to be a starter alongside Spillane, which would have been a significant help considering he recorded 115 combined tackles, seven for a loss, five passes defended, an interception, and a sack during the 2024 season."
Patriots will face a top Bills offense led by James Cook and Josh Allen, challenging the Patriots' defense. Tackling has been a persistent issue this season, especially among linebackers. Robert Spillane has returned to form and leads the team in tackles entering the weekend. Jahlani Tavai returned to practice after a summer lower-body injury and could rejoin the starting lineup, potentially improving tackling and consistency. Tavai produced 115 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, five passes defended, an interception, and a sack in 2024. Current linebacker inconsistency has allowed less talented offenses to make big plays and must be corrected as the schedule toughens.
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