The Pre-Game Thread: Week 8 @ Bills

Ralphwiggum

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The Pats played a somewhat sloppy game at Heinz field but won comfortably over a depleted Steeler team, meanwhile the Bills blew a fourth quarter lead in Miami, got gashed on the ground to the tune of 200+ yards, and Shady McCoy appears to have re-injured his hamstring.

At stake, with a win the Pats could effectively put the division away before Halloween, and head into the bye with a 7-1 record and in the driver's seat for a bye and home field advantage in the AFC playoffs.

The Bills have a chance to become the first divisional opponent to sweep a season series against the Pats since 2000 when the 5-11 Pats were swept by both the Jets and Dolphins. This is also close to a must-win for them if they want to have a chance at an elusive AFC East title, which the Bills have not won since 1995.

Tom Brady has 1002 yards, 8 TDs, 0 INTs and a 132.2 passer rating since returning from serving a bullshit suspension he didn't deserve, so looking at the first meeting between the two teams tells us nothing about the Pats on offense vs. the Bills defense.

On the other side of the ball, the Patriot defense has been good about keeping points off the board, but isn't doing anything else all that well at this point in the season. If McCoy is out, the Bills will be leaning more on Tyrod Taylor who has emerged in his second year as a started to look like an above average NFL QB. The Pats will look to keep Taylor in the pocket, and at the same time find a way to generate some pressure on the QB.

Oh, and fuck Rex Ryan.

Discuss . . .
 

edmunddantes

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I actually don't think they'll be going crazy trying to generate pressure. I would think you will see a similar gameplan the Steelers game.

They made a decision that if Landry Jones slinging it 40+ times is going to beat them, so be it, and I think there will be a similar sentiment to Tyrod Taylor with the caveat of they don't want him beating them with his feet so lots of contain like they did with Wilson when they played the Seahawks.
 

ragnarok725

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I actually don't think they'll be going crazy trying to generate pressure. I would think you will see a similar gameplan the Steelers game.

They made a decision that if Landry Jones slinging it 40+ times is going to beat them, so be it, and I think there will be a similar sentiment to Tyrod Taylor with the caveat of they don't want him beating them with his feet so lots of contain like they did with Wilson when they played the Seahawks.
Yeah, I anticipate a ton of hand-wringing about the DL and its ability to generate pressure while the DEs play contain responsibilities and almost never actually full-out rush. Probably a lot of 3 or 4 man rushes with edge and lane containment being the primary goals.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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All eyes are on McCoy's hamstring. Per Rotoworld:

LeSean McCoy acknowledged he felt "a little pain" in his hamstring while running a pass route in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to Miami.

Asked if it would have been better to sit against the Dolphins, McCoy replied "You might be right."

Before Sunday, the injury was deemed to be "mild to moderate". He also had missed part of Wednesday's practice (link).

Our friend S Aaron Williams returned to practice today after this hit on Sunday:


One player to look out for is OLB Lorenzo Alexander, who's thriving in Rex' system getting 9 sacks in 7 games. Before this year, he had 9 sacks in 9 seasons combined.
 
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lexrageorge

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The Patriots defense is slightly better than average in yards per play (5.4 vs. 5.6), net yards/pass (6.3 vs. 6.5), and rushing yards/attempt (3.8 vs. 4.2). They are also 6th in opponents scoring percentage (26%), despite being slightly below average in turnover percentage (9.1% vs. 11.3%). They are also tops in the league in opponents starting field position (23.8), which impacts the opposition's scoring percentage. Average time per opponents drive is just a tick worse than average (2:41 vs. 2:40).

Statistically, the defense has played like a Top 10 defense, but not quite good enough to put them in the Top 5. So it's probably best to ignore Gasper's bleatings about the defense.
 

genoasalami

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Early read on the weather in Orchard Park Sunday. Windy and cool with showers around. temps in 40s to low 50's.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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After LeSean McCoy aggravated hamstring Sunday, one source said Bills RB “will be same position this week, probably questionable” for Sunday
 

soxhop411

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“@mikerodak: Bills CB Nickell Robey-Coleman says Bills DBs will retaliate again if a Patriots player runs through their pregame drills Sunday.”
 

tims4wins

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“@mikerodak: Bills CB Nickell Robey-Coleman says Bills DBs will retaliate again if a Patriots player runs through their pregame drills Sunday.”
What a joke. Running through their pregame drills is ridiculously far from the truth. Watch this video, the Bills weren't even in the picture until Brissett and Mitchell were running, then the Bills jogged over to instigate. Fuck that team.

 

chief1

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What a joke. Running through their pregame drills is ridiculously far from the truth. Watch this video, the Bills weren't even in the picture until Brissett and Mitchell were running, then the Bills jogged over to instigate. Fuck that team.

Yeah those Bills are really tough guys. I counted 11 Bills going after 1 lone Patriot and a couple of coaches.
Crush them!
 

tims4wins

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This dude needs to shut up. He is simply not smart

Bills CB Nickell Robey-Coleman: "What gives me motivation is playing against Tom Brady, and beating him. And sweeping him. In 20 years, that ain't happened. That's what I'm trying to do. That's what gets me fired up. That's what motivates me right now: the fact that I got an opportunity to beat Tom Brady twice in one season, and lighten up my chances of getting to the playoffs."

Um, newsflash: Brady didn't play week 4, which also happens to be the only reason why the Bills won the game
 

Jed Zeppelin

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As per usual, the more these idiot teams care about something other than the actual football game, the better it is for the Patriots.
 

tims4wins

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Also, he wants to "lighten up" his chances of getting to the playoffs? WTF does this mean? Usually when one says "lighten", it means to reduce; as in, lighten my workload. So he wants to reduce his chances of getting to the playoffs?

 

RedOctober3829

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Also, he wants to "lighten up" his chances of getting to the playoffs? WTF does this mean? Usually when one says "lighten", it means to reduce; as in, lighten my workload. So he wants to reduce his chances of getting to the playoffs?

Oh their chances will lighten at around 4:30 Sunday afternoon when Brady shreds through them like a hot knife through butter. Same shit, different city with a Rex coached team.
 

PedroKsBambino

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By fining only Bills players the NFL made clear who was at fault for the last altercation.

I hope Pats do as they usually do and keep their mouths shut until perhaps the last two minutes of a three TD blowout win.
 

BigSoxFan

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This dude needs to shut up. He is simply not smart

Bills CB Nickell Robey-Coleman: "What gives me motivation is playing against Tom Brady, and beating him. And sweeping him. In 20 years, that ain't happened. That's what I'm trying to do. That's what gets me fired up. That's what motivates me right now: the fact that I got an opportunity to beat Tom Brady twice in one season, and lighten up my chances of getting to the playoffs."

Um, newsflash: Brady didn't play week 4, which also happens to be the only reason why the Bills won the game
His hometown is Frostproof, Florida. Yes, that's a real place.
 

DJnVa

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"We physical, they finesse!!"

Also, who was that DB on the Steelers that talked shit to Brady in week leading up to a game and Brady targeted him all day and actually got in his face after a TD pass?

Do that shit again Tom.
 

Royal Reader

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"We physical, they finesse!!"

Also, who was that DB on the Steelers that talked shit to Brady in week leading up to a game and Brady targeted him all day and actually got in his face after a TD pass?

Do that shit again Tom.
Anthony Smith?
 

RedOctober3829

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"We physical, they finesse!!"

Also, who was that DB on the Steelers that talked shit to Brady in week leading up to a game and Brady targeted him all day and actually got in his face after a TD pass?

Do that shit again Tom.
Anthony Smith in 2007. That was my first ever game I attended. That was the game with the Brady to Moss back to Brady double pass for a bomb TD.
 

Ed Hillel

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Anthony Smith in 2007. That was my first ever game I attended. That was the game with the Brady to Moss back to Brady double pass for a bomb TD.
Then Brady barked in his face. In his 15 years, I can't think of many other times he's taunted someone like that. I think maybe Suggs.
 

BigSoxFan

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I forgot that play. Moss dropped it initially!
Yup, it only worked because Moss' DB was sagging so far off him. Moss made a great recovery after the drop. And then Brady threw a pure missile over 60 yards in the air to Gaffney.
 

trs

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I realize this has little to do with the subject of this thread but in searching for a version of the above video that worked in my "region," I came across this Youtube account and, well, this video... fun. Fun. Apologies if this has been posted previously...

 
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Harry Hooper

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Nice little tidbit from Chris Warner at BSMW:

The Patriots are now 6-1. With one more victory, defensive end Chris Long will have as many wins as he did in any full season over his eight years in St. Louis.