The Pre-Game Thread: Wk.8 at Buffalo

cshea

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The Bills are giving up 4.6 y/a on the ground, so the game plan was probably going to be heavy on the run game anyways. Of course, not having any real semblance of a passing game is problematic in that Bills can commit more to stopping the run.
 

BaseballJones

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The Bills are giving up 4.6 y/a on the ground, so the game plan was probably going to be heavy on the run game anyways. Of course, not having any real semblance of a passing game is problematic in that Bills can commit more to stopping the run.
9 in the box. Gonna be tough sledding, I think.
 

Harry Hooper

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Last night the radio guys were talking as if the Gilmore report was a pretext for keeping him out of Sunday's game to avoid injury before a trade. I don't think you'd pick a knee issue for that, maybe something like a wrist one?
 

SMU_Sox

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The wind, Buffalos porous run defense and undersized DL, the Patriots sound OL and run game present the Pats with as decent of a matchup and favorable circumstances as you’re going to see.
 

OurF'ingCity

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The good thing about this week's game is I can kind of take something away from it either way. If they win, they're right back in the race for the division. If they lose, we can probably safely assume that they just don't have it this year for a whole host of reasons and they can focus on trades/cap mechanics/etc.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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The good thing about this week's game is I can kind of take something away from it either way. If they win, they're right back in the race for the division. If they lose, we can probably safely assume that they just don't have it this year for a whole host of reasons and they can focus on trades/cap mechanics/etc.
Agreed. They lose, Buffalo is 6-2 and NE is 2-5 and the division is basically over. But if they win, Buffalo is 5-3 while NE is 3-4, just 1.5 games back, but with the remaining schedules:

Buf: vs Sea, at Ari, vs LAC, as SF, vs Pit, at Den, at NE, vs Mia
NE: at NYJ, vs Bal, at Hou, vs Ari, at LAC, at LAR, at Mia, vs Buf, vs NYJ

By the time Buffalo gets to the bye, if NE wins this week, the Bills could be 5-6, while NE could be 5-5, just a half-game back. So it could be interesting still.
 

E5 Yaz

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Last night the radio guys ...
Every player is hurt to some degree. Could it be a ruse? Of course. But this is a team that kept a starting cornerback out of a Super Bowl and didn't feel the need to come up with a ruse.
 

ekim colorwaterpit

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Agreed. They lose, Buffalo is 6-2 and NE is 2-5 and the division is basically over. But if they win, Buffalo is 5-3 while NE is 3-4, just 1.5 games back, but with the remaining schedules:

Buf: vs Sea, at Ari, vs LAC, as SF, vs Pit, at Den, at NE, vs Mia
NE: at NYJ, vs Bal, at Hou, vs Ari, at LAC, at LAR, at Mia, vs Buf, vs NYJ

By the time Buffalo gets to the bye, if NE wins this week, the Bills could be 5-6, while NE could be 5-5, just a half-game back. So it could be interesting still.
Wouldnt that put them 1/2 game ahead
 

Harry Hooper

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Every player is hurt to some degree. Could it be a ruse? Of course. But this is a team that kept a starting cornerback out of a Super Bowl and didn't feel the need to come up with a ruse.
WCVB 11:00 news said Gilmore had a MRI today.
 

TheMoralBully

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Oct 10, 2005
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The Bills are probably an average to bad team despite their record. Two wins over the Jets, rest of their wins were single score, Chiefs ran all over them and they weren't at all competitive against the Titans. Just last week, they beat the Jets with only field goals. Their offense is completely one dimensional and Allen hasn't been able to shoulder the entire load in recent weeks like he had been. Defensively they get pushed around and can't stop the run.

Maybe the Pats are as bad as they've looked and none of this matters, but I'm going to guess these teams are a lot closer than the record indicates. Both teams below average and trending in the same direction, but division is still in play for both as long as the Miami surge isn't real.