The New England Patriots held Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to one touchdown and 10 total touchdowns Monday night. And they did it without one of their best and most versatile defensive players.
Starting safety Kyle Dugger was unavailable for the AFC East matchup after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week, removing a key piece from New England’s secondary. Dugger entered Week 13 as the Patriots’ leading tackler, having played 81.3% of their defensive snaps.
The Patriots don’t have a 1-for-1 replacement for Dugger on their roster — no one can replicate his rare blend of athleticism and physicality — and filling his void wasn’t a one-man job.