Examining what happens, win or lose to the Bills<\/b>
\nThe Patriots showdown with the Bills is mindful of an old TV game show: It\u2019s \u201cTruth or Consequences.\u201d Win, and the Patriots have life. They come off life support, and crawl back into the AFC East race with 10 games remaining. That\u2019s the narrative Bill Belichick & Co. are banking on. The Patriots are trying to show their truth isn\u2019t as bad as everyone seems to think. And they\u2019ll live to fight another day. Lose? That will mean they are truly bottom-feeders the year after Tom Brady, and there will undoubtedly be consequences for that. Right now, they\u2019re jugular is exposed. If the Bills are up for the moment, which is debatable given past history, and are finally able to deliver a knockout blow to the perennial division champs, the ramifications for the Patriots will be endless. It starts with the quarterback position, and moves on out, especially if Belichick decides to be a seller before Tuesday\u2019s 4 p.m. trade deadline. So a lot depends if the Patriots can get up off the mat, and even then, questions will persist about the future of the team as the season moves along. What to keep an eye on? 1. The quarterback position \u2013 If Newton\u2019s woes continue, do they just flip to Jarrett Stidham the rest of the year, to see what they have in the second-year quarterback? Based on events of the offseason, and training camp, it\u2019s possible they already know the answer to the Stidham question. The former fourth-round pick certainly doesn\u2019t appear to be the long-term answer at the position. He just hasn\u2019t done much to take advantage of the opportunities presented. It still might behoove the Patriots to play Stidham, have him prepare as a starter, and see where it goes from there. Now, if Newton plays well, and the Patriots lose, they\u2019re likely to stick with him the rest of the way. Belichick and Josh McDaniels also need to discover if Newton can be salvaged, particularly in their offense. Newton is still playing for his future. He\u2019s still trying to resurrect his football life. If he continues to struggle, he might once again be faced with no takers in free agency. While he continues to take responsibility and say his recent performances have been \u201cunacceptable,\u201d he knows he must improve for the team\u2019s sake, as well as his own. If he rises to beat the Bills, he\u2019s back in business. \u201cI\u2019m all about putting the team in the best situation to win,\u201d he said Thursday, \u201cand that\u2019s what I have to do moving forward.\u201d The way it\u2019s trending, however, the long-term answer at quarterback for the Patriots lies in a future draft, perhaps 2021. 2. Stephon Gilmore as trade chip \u2013 Between all the rumors, his house being for sale, and him being downgraded to out for Sunday\u2019s game, it would be an upset if Gilmore was kept at the trade deadline. But, then again, stranger things have happened. The Patriots top cornerback reportedly had an MRI for a knee problem that was deemed \u201cmild\u201d during the week. His being out appears the biggest tip-off the Patriots have plans for him to play elsewhere. If the Patriots beat the Bills, and get back in the division race, it might not make sense for the Patriots to deal their best player. Not yet anyway. Belichick, however, has never been one to keep high-priced players past a certain point, unless they\u2019re named Tom Brady. Belichick has a reputation for dealing players a year ahead of time. Will he do the same with Gilmore, who still has another year left on his contract? It sure looks that way. The Patriots do have a good cornerback stable. J.C. Jackson should be a starter, and moving Gilmore at some point would slide him into that role. 3. Julian Edelman\u2019s football future \u2013 With the wide receiver having a surgical procedure done Thursday to help alleviate his troubled knee, it\u2019s possible the Patriots might want to shut him down the rest of the way, especially if they lose. Knowing Edelman, he\u2019ll want to return, but that remains to be seen. If there\u2019s something to play for, and the knee improves, getting a healthier version of Edelman back would help the Patriots make a run for the division, assuming they beat Buffalo Sunday. On Friday, Belichick didn\u2019t rule out an Edelman return, although it appears he\u2019s headed for injured reserve, which would keep him out at least the next three games. \u201cI don\u2019t think this is a season-ending situation,\u201d said Belichick, \u201cbut we\u2019ll see. I\u2019m not a doctor. We\u2019ll see how it goes here.\u201d 4. Will Joe Thuney be one tag and out? \u2013 The left guard and versatile offensive lineman could be dealt, but chances are, he stays put. He has an expiring contract, but it\u2019s possible there\u2019s another franchise tag in his future. The Patriots just aren\u2019t going into the monetary stratosphere that would get him to sign a long-term deal. Thuney, who is their best offensive lineman, has leverage where the money is concerned. Top linemen are getting paid. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how it plays out. Along with Thuney and Newton, among notables with expiring contracts are James White, Lawrence Guy, David Andrews, John Simon, Jason McCourty and Rex Burkhead. 5. Youth could be served \u2013 If the Patriots lose, it might make sense to get the rookies and second-year players out on the field a little more. There\u2019s no reason not to play Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings on defense to get them more experience in the system and get a better feel for what they\u2019re capable of if Buffalo slams the door on the Patriots. Ditto for rookie tight ends Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, who have made no impact with limited reps. Dugger, along with rookie offensive lineman Michael Onwenu and Justin Herron have shown the best from the 2020 draft class. As for the 2019 draft class, aside from Chase Winovich and N\u2019Keal Harry, who have been starters, Joejuan Williams needs to do more than special teams. Running back Damien Harris is getting a good look at this stage. Same with defensive lineman Byron Cowart. The Brady Chronicles Tom Brady earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors, after completing 105-of-159 passes (66.0%) for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns, with just one interception. He also had a 110.0 passer rating. Not bad for an old man. And, the Bucs are adding Antonio Brown into the mix. While Brady has been evasive in talking about his role in bringing the troubled receiver into the fold, others in the Bucs coaching staff have vouched for the move. Harold Goodwin, who is an assistant head coach and running game coordinator, knows Brown from his days as offensive line coach for the Steelers. \u201cI just think he\u2019s a guy in a position who knows he\u2019s pretty much on his last chance,\u201d Goodwin told the Tampa Bay Times. The same could have been said for his chance with the Raiders and Patriots last year. Brown still is serving an eight-game suspension that ends next Tuesday. He was suspended under the league\u2019s personal-conduct policy for his role in a January dispute with a moving company employee, for which he pleaded no contest to burglary and battery charges and received two years probation. \u201cHe knows we have his back as long as he takes care of business on and off the field,\u201d Goodwin said. \u201cAnd obviously, he doesn\u2019t want to let anybody down. He\u2019s coming to a situation where he probably knows he\u2019s not the No.1 receiver, and you just try to fit in where you get in. Obviously, Tom has done a great job of spreading the ball around, so I think at some point all the receivers are going to be happy at some point in the game.\u201d Behind No.1 While Cam Newton\u2019s play has been lacking of late, he remains must-see viewing when it comes to his weekly video chats. Between his honesty and ability to deliver thoughtful and thought-provoking answers, Such was the case Thursday when asked how he came to land on wearing a jersey with the No.1 in the NFL. It\u2019s a number that\u2019s now worn by Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa. Newton, who had it in Carolina, said he wasn\u2019t the first to wear it. Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon did, and he was a trailblazer for \u201copportunities for quarterbacks like me.\u201d Newton indicated he actually wanted a different number. \u201cI wanted number two, and number two represented the second son, which I am from my mom,\u201d said Newton. \u201cJimmy Clausen had number two at the time, and I wasn\u2019t prepared to pay the bill that was requested. So I just \u2014 I picked another number.\u201d And, speaking of Tagovailoa, Newton was asked about the former Alabama quarterback, who will be making his debut as the Dolphins starter. Newton said he and his cousin had just watched a show about Tua. \u201cI never really knew him, and still don\u2019t really know him, but I think he\u2019s a great person. He\u2019s one of the few people that you don\u2019t necessarily have to know, but you just say man \u2018Hey, he looks like a good dude,\u2019\u201d said Newton. \u201cHe went to the other school that we don\u2019t speak of being from my alma mater. \u201cBut at the end of the day, I would say just take it all for what it\u2019s worth, stay prepared, and know what you\u2019re good at, because if you know what you\u2019re good at, you know what you can always revert to. He has all the skillsets to be a great quarterback in this league and I\u2019m wishing him the best of luck, unless he\u2019s going against us.\u201d Open and shut Gase The Patriots will have a bit of a reprieve next week, playing everyone\u2019s favorite pick-me-up team \u2013 the Jets. Damien Woody hasn\u2019t made a secret of his displeasure with head coach Adam Gase, and handling of Sam Darnold, the 2018 No 3 overall pick out of USC. \u201cI think Darnold is done, and it\u2019s a shame, because I believe in his talent,\u201d Woody told the Herald. \u201cThe organization robbed him of any opportunity to be successful in the league.\u201d A porous offensive line, no receiver help, and Darnold has regressed into a puddle. Gase is supposed to be a quarterback whisperer, but he\u2019s been far from that in New York. So why not fire the head coach? \u201cIf you fire Adam Gase, it doesn\u2019t change anything. So you might as well keep him in place, let the bottom fall out, fire him at the end of the year, and secure the No.1 pick,\u201d said Woody. \u201cThe Jets have a boatload of picks, and a boatload of cap space. They\u2019ll be able to rebuild after that.\u201d<\/p>\n