Patriots Victory Over Bills is Perfect Template for How They Must Win in Postseason

This is not the same ever-dominant Patriots team of yesteryear that we've seen seemingly breeze through the NFL's postseason. In fact, they barely scraped by in claiming the AFC East's division title in a dogfight with the Bills.

They're not dropping an upwards of 40 points on a regular basis anymore. New England doesn't have the same high-powered offense they've enjoyed in year's past. And as much as Tom Brady would like to defeat father time, that guy's impossible to beat.

This doesn't mean hope is lost for the Pats' upcoming playoff run though, especially with Bill Belichick still at the helm. To achieve their ultimate goal, they'll need to see a mirrored performance of the one they just put up Saturday night vs. Buffalo.

Brady is no longer the marquee weapon New England can utilize to beat teams, and with the GOAT serving the role of seasoned game-manager, they've found other ways to succeed. Rex Burkhead, James White and Sony Michel all saw substantial time in the backfield Saturday night. Burkhead, while only rushing for 20 yards on the ground (including a touchdown), brought in five catches for 77 yards, and Michel had 21 carries for 96 total yards.

One drive, a 17-play, 81-yard march that began on the one-yard line and lasted nearly nine minutes, was the epitome of what New England needs to do come playoff time. Run the ball down the opponent's throats. Take up time, and let Brady's game IQ do the rest.

The rest can be left up to their defense, which has been their bread and butter all season. The team is ranked first in total defense, takeaways and yards allowed per-play, and second in locking up the passing game. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the lowest percentage of pass completions against for a DB.

It won't be a cakewalk to the Lombardi this time around for New England, but if their play looks like this, they'll be one tough team to beat in the postseason.