The Buffalo Bills (8-3) visit the New England Patriots (6-5) for a crucial AFC East Thursday Night Football matchup. The Bills enter as 3.5-point road favorites looking to keep pace with Miami atop the division.

The Bills come in with momentum after consecutive wins in Detroit against the Browns and Lions. However, they'll need to clean up their red zone turnovers and adapt to cold outdoor conditions in Foxborough.

Key factors for Buffalo:

• Minimize red zone turnovers
• Get Stefon Diggs and Dawson Knox involved despite tight coverage
• Adjust passing game from indoor to outdoor conditions

The Patriots are coming off a Thanksgiving loss to Minnesota where their defense struggled against Justin Jefferson. They'll need a stronger defensive showing against Josh Allen and the Bills' passing attack.

Keys for New England:

• Maintain consistent running game to control possession
• Get Mac Jones and passing game going, especially to Hunter Henry
• Slow down Bills' explosive offense with coverage schemes

For the Bills to win, they must:

• Find ways to get playmakers open against Patriots' coverage
• Protect the ball in scoring position
• Handle cold weather conditions effectively

For the Patriots to win, they need to:

• Control time of possession with running game
• Generate consistent passing offense
• Limit Bills' offensive possessions

The game kicks off Thursday night at Gillette Stadium with major playoff implications for both teams in the tight AFC East race.

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