Patriots at Bills preview: Pats look to capture division lead against Bills

October 11th, 2014
by Dakota Antelman

2014 has not gone as planned for the Patriots. But amidst all that has fallen off the rails, all that has been scrutinized and all that has been booed by New England fans, the team got back on track last week and now is looking ahead to a huge game in Buffalo this weekend.

As has been heavily profiled, the Patriots and Bills are currently locked in a tie for the number 1 seed in the AFC East. Buffalo, despite early struggles by QB EJ Manuel, has salvaged wins against the Bears, Dolphins and Lions respectively. In those games, they have averaged just about 19 points per game. Thus it is clear that the Bills offence has lived and died in the hands of highly touted rookie, Sammy Watkins.

Watkins has caught 2 touchdowns and hauled in 284 receiving yards so far. Beyond him more solidified Bills stars like running back CJ Spiller have also played parts in the offence. Spiller has already rushed for 215 yards but is yet to actually score a touchdown.

Spiller however, a player who has witnessed a long period of football incompetence in Buffalo first hand, understands the magnitude of this game.

“We've got to be really focused in on the little things and the details to give ourselves a chance to win at home," Spiller said.

A win for Buffalo would put them two games ahead of the Patriots in the AFC East. On the flip side, a win for New England would put them two games ahead of Buffalo, something that many fans say must happen.

Especially after last week, the Patriots are a team in a place where they could win back some of the support they lost in the first 4 weeks of the year. They looked much better against the Bengals a week ago and sported a stronger team mentality than had been apparent earlier in the season.

"When you had the result that we had (against the Chiefs) as a team, I think everybody rallied around each other," coach Bill Belichick said. "I mean, who else is there to rally around? That's all we have: guys that can go out there and play and make a difference.”

A win in a game like this, a win that would reassert the Patriots’ place as a top team would further distance the memories of 2014 from the word “failure” and further associate it with the word “success”.

Complicating the chances of making that goal a reality however are the words on the recently announced Patriots injury report. Tom Brady was listed as questionable due to an ankle injury. While

Brady has often graced the injury report and almost always played through whatever ailment landed him there. But still it is worrisome that this is the second time this season his name has dropped to the far more serious “questionable” category. If his ankle is truly hurting him it could understandably diminish the power with which he can plant and throw the ball downfield.

Against a Bills secondary that has allowed the second fewest passing yards in the NFL this season, any shortcomings in high pressure plays would quickly wreak havoc within the Patriots attack.  

All and all, the Bills are a new team this season, one capable of doing some serious damage on the scoreboard and one truly capable of competing with the Patriots in the AFC East.

With a new owner they seem to be ready to make a run. What better way to start that than to down a team that over the past decade and a half has been the model for statistical consistency? The Bills are truly a danger to New England.

But on the flip-side, now is not yet the time to say that the Patriots dynasty has been ousted. Tom Brady still stands under center and Rob Gronkowski still sets up just a few feet to his side. The Patriots still matter, the Patriots can still win; and though their window is closing, though they are understanding that all good things must end, 2014 is not lost.

If they are going to use all that they have, they will just have to work a little bit harder.