Several former Bills players and coaches will be on the Patriots’ sideline in Week 5 matchup.
The Buffalo Bills play host to the New England Patriots in an AFC East matchup for Week 5 of Sunday Night Football. A win will give Buffalo a lot of breathing room in the division and a 5-0 record, while a loss will put New England right on their heels and in control early of the division tiebreaker. In looking at the Patriots’ sideline there are quite a few familiar faces from Bills’ history, some recent… and others a bit further back.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs will play his first game in Highmark Stadium since being traded before the start of the 2024 NFL season. In his four seasons with Buffalo, Diggs had four straight Pro Bowl appearances. Quarterback Josh Allen and Diggs formed one of the best QB-WR duos in the NFL, but the team still couldn’t get over the hump in the postseason. Whatever happened behind the scenes caused the team to move in a different direction, with Allen responding by winning NFL MVP in 2024.
Through four games, Diggs has made 19 receptions (22 targets) for 213 yards with a long of 33 yards, providing nine first downs for New England.
Another receiver who’ll be making his first return back to Western New York is Mack Hollins, who became a fan favorite last season in his only season with the Bills. Whether it was walking around and to the stadium barefoot or making great blocks on the field, Bills Mafia embraced Hollins, and were disappointed when it was announced he was signing with the Patriots. Although Hollins only had 31 catches, he had five touchdowns last year which led the receivers.
In three starts with New England this season, Hollins has just seven receptions (9 targets) for 42 yards and two touchdowns. He’s proven to be a reliable red zone target, and also someone quarterback Drake Maye can count on to gain first downs (4 total).
Patriots cornerback Alex Austin was actually a seventh-round pick of the Bills in 2023. In two starts this season, Austin has nine tackles (7 solo), one tackle for loss, and one pass defense.
Then, there’s the coaching staff where an infamous face in Bills history walks the sideline for New England. It’s not head coach Mike Vrabel or offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, of Bill Belichick fame. It’s the one and only Doug Marrone, who was head coach for Buffalo from 2013-2014, now the offensive line coach for the Patriots. Things seemed to go well in Marrone’s final season, as the Bills had their first winning record since 2004. However, when founding owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. passed away and new owners Terry and Kim Pegula bought the franchise, it triggered a clause in Marrone’s coaching contract that gave him the chance to opt out. It rubbed a lot of players the wrong way, but the reality is that without that happening Buffalo might now have head coach Sean McDermott today.
New England also has Scott Booker in the role of safeties coach. Booker served as a senior defensive assistant in Buffalo during the 2024 NFL season.
Category: General Sports
