Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
TV/Radio: CBS (Ch. 8)/WCMF (96.5 FM)
Last meeting: Patriots won, 23-3, three weeks ago
Series: Patriots lead 71-43-1
This is a big game for both teams, as the Patriots fight to clinch home field throughout the AFC playoffs and the Bills look to break a long playoff drought. Now the way this shapes up is that it is not a end-all-be-all match-up for the Bills. That will probably be next week when the Bills travel to Miami. Let’s look at this match-up and see if the Bills have a shot in this one?
Can the Bills slow down Gronk?
The last two games for Gronkowski he has played unreal. Against the Bills on Dec. 3 and last week at Pittsburgh, Gronkowski has a combined 18 catches for 315 yards. He’s been close to unstoppable. If he has another game like those two this game will be over early. Now the question comes after what happened a few weeks ago with Gronk’s uncalled for cheap-shot against Tredarious White of the Bills: will the Bills go after Gronk? Sure in the softer, kinder world we live in today the Bills should forget about what happened and play the game! That’s the answer everybody wants to hear, you know turn the other cheek. It is my contention that the best way to deal with a bully is to punch him right in the mouth and do it early.
Am I advocating trying to hurt Gronk? Yes I am. Let’s face it, he was trying to do serious bodily harm to White and if you are the Bills you have to be pissed off beyond belief about the cheap shot and the subsequent slap on the wrist Gronk received. So if the authorities are going to do nothing about it sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. Will they? Probably not. Hell, players stood by and watched it happen and did nothing so they will probably do nothing again. I will tell you this, the Bills need to be overly physical early on to win this game.
The Patriots need to shutdown LeSean McCoy
McCoy has to go off for the Bills to have any chance at all of winning this game and he is capable of having a big game against anybody at any given time, and the Patriots defense is not very good. Add to that Quarterback Tyrod Taylor needs to complete some big plays to help McCoy out.
NFL rankings
Bills Patriots
Total offense: 300.3 yards (29th) ; 397.6 (2nd)
Rush offense: 129.1 yards (6th); 110.6 (16th)
Pass offense: 171.2 yards (32nd); 286.9 (1st)
Points scored: 18.8 (23rd); 28.2 (4th)
Total defense: 351.1 yards (23rd); 377.4 (29th)
Rush defense: 122.0 yards (25th); 122.3 (26th)
Pass defense: 229.1 yards (17th); 255.1 (29th)
Points allowed: 21.8 (16th); 19.5 (6th)
Prediction: I expect the Bills to come out desperate and to make this a game all day with McCoy having a big one, but in the end Brady will be too much for the Bills in a close one.
Patriots 31 Bills 23
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