What the struggling Buffalo Bills must accomplish during their upcoming bye week:

* Finding an identity: Are the Bills a smash-mouth, run-oriented team? Are they a finesse passing team that relies on J.P. Losman’s right arm? Seven games into the season, the answer remains a mystery.
In the past, Willis McGahee has claimed to be one of the NFL’s top running backs. But often, he is an afterthought in the Bills’ game plan, especially when Buffalo falls behind on the scoreboard. On Sunday, he gained 73 yards from scrimmage on the offense’s first five plays. He gained 47 yards the rest of the game.
* Getting back to basics: Stop making mistakes would be the most pressing issue. Several times on Sunday, mental and physical mistakes negated solid plays. A late hit on quarterback Tom Brady on a third-down play late in the first quarter led to Corey Dillon’s 12-yard touchdown and a 14-3 Patriots’ lead.
* Building a fire: Coach Dick Jauron and several players said they work hard each week. But the team seemed lifeless on Sunday. The Bills’ defense allowed New England to move 71 yards on 14 plays in 6½ minutes for a touchdown on the game’s opening possession.
* Regaining confidence: The Bills have lost three straight and stand at 2-5 in the AFC East. Worse, they have no answers for how to turn their season around. They need to find them quickly.
The Bills have some winnable games after the bye week – at Green Bay (Nov. 5), at Houston (Nov. 19), at the New York Jets (Dec. 10) and at home against Tennessee on Christmas Eve. But without confidence, the Bills might not win any of them.
- Victor Fernandes