The New England Patriots know they will play the Buffalo Bills this week. What they do not know is which Buffalo Bills they will play.
While there is always an element of uncertainty in preparing for an NFL game, the Coronavirus pandemic — especially now with the recent advent of the Omicron variant — has made getting ready for a specific opponent even more of a challenge. You never know where Covid-19 will strike next, and which players might miss a game because of it.
The Patriots and Bills are both in a similar situation in that regard.