Logan Mankins is out

[Skooby]

La... From ESPN just sent the message.

[Beebe]

NICE

[buffalobillsfan95]

Prepare the feast.... Kyle Williams and Dareus are hungry

[Skooby]

Prepare the feast.... Kyle Williams and Dareus are hungry

I'm being serious when I say that the Pats are going to try many, many screens to slow our pass rush. The secondary is going to need to cheat in & we'll have several INT's, I bet one or 2 pick 6's. The Pats weakness has always been to rush Brady, he's useless when scrambling.

Bills are going to trample these guys on both sides of the ball.

[OpIv37]

with this many injuries to NE and the importance of this game, there is simply no excuse for losing.

Gut check time. Now we find out if this team has truly improved or if they're the same old Bills that we saw in game 1 against the Jets.

[IAG]

Gronk is in, however.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/29/reports-gronkowski-will-play-but-mankins-wont/

[Generalissimus Gibby]

ITS A TRAP!!!

[Night Train]

with this many injuries to NE and the importance of this game, there is simply no excuse for losing.

Gut check time. Now we find out if this team has truly improved or if they're the same old Bills that we saw in game 1 against the Jets.
What about 'Our CB's Suck" and Brady will torch them ? That was your post a few days ago.

Covering all angles ?

Bills may be using their 3rd string RB most of the game to go with the very average Fitz at QB. No excuses for the Bills but lots for the Pats.

Got it.

[OpIv37]

What about 'Our CB's Suck" and Brady will torch them ? That was your post a few days ago.

Covering all angles ?

Bills may be using their 3rd string RB most of the game to go with the very average Fitz at QB. No excuses for the Bills but lots for the Pats.

Got it.

Brady will torch them if our pass rush can't get to him. But with a starting OL out, there is no reason why we shouldn't get to him.

And I don't give a **** about the Pats or their excuses. I do give a **** about the Bills, and I'm sick and tired of the excuses.

[The King]

A huge Window just opened

[GingerP]

Wow, that is huge. Donald Thomas (former Dolphin) probably starts at OG in his place. He isn't nearly the player Mankins is, and that plays to the Bills strength inside with Williams and Dareus.

I wonder if that makes the Pats more likely to run the ball more. They actually have run the ball more this year than last year. Running makes it easier on the OL and slows down the rush, but it also is not their strength. Still, they have to protect Brady.

The Bills need to come out fast and get an early lead. The Pats are going to want to play more conservative without Mankins.

[TigerJ]

Buffalo's defenseive line has also been effective at stopping the run for the most part this season. I think that Belichick will strive for some balance, but I also expect there will be more reliance on short passes. Brady will know he's not going to have time to hit a lot of intermediate and deep balls. That means Justin Rogers is going to play a huge role in defending Wes Welker. Rogers matches up better to Welker than any other DB for the Bills because of his quickness. Still, Welker is tough for anyone to cover.

[GingerP]

Buffalo's defenseive line has also been effective at stopping the run for the most part this season. I think that Belichick will strive for some balance, but I also expect there will be more reliance on short passes. Brady will know he's not going to have time to hit a lot of intermediate and deep balls. That means Justin Rogers is going to play a huge role in defending Wes Welker. Rogers matches up better to Welker than any other DB for the Bills because of his quickness. Still, Welker is tough for anyone to cover.

I think they run even if it isn't piling up big yards. They need to make sure Buffalo isn't just trying to tee off on the QB, they need to make them think run at times. I think the Pats probably try to run in 3 WR sets, hopefully matching up against the Bills nickel defense rather than base personnel. The Pats have 97 rushing attempts in 3 games, and I expect they will try to run the ball 30+ times against the Bills as well. They just don't have the OL to drop back 50 times and forget about the run game, Brady would get killed.

I doubt Rogers will cover Welker straight up without help, I imagine a big part of the Bills game-plan is extra help on Welker. He is Brady's security blanket, they need to make Brady hesitant to look his way. The Pats have good balance over the field, with Lloyd on the outside, Welker in the slot and Gronkowski as a big target in the middle (at least they don't have to worry about Hernandez). One would think the Bills are going to try to make brady hold the ball and Lloyd's routes take longer to develop, so Welker is probably the bigger focus. If they don't give Gronkowski a free release then Brady will have to hold the ball and wait for plays to develop downfield, and that gives the Bills rush a chance to do their job.

That is why I think they use the run game. You can't stop everything, and with the focus on the pass game and getting to Brady, the Pats will try to mix in the run and make the Bills play more honest. That seems to be their MO this year, although Hernandez being out makes them use their 2 TE offense much less.

[Skooby]

I think they run even if it isn't piling up big yards. They need to make sure Buffalo isn't just trying to tee off on the QB, they need to make them think run at times. I think the Pats probably try to run in 3 WR sets, hopefully matching up against the Bills nickel defense rather than base personnel. The Pats have 97 rushing attempts in 3 games, and I expect they will try to run the ball 30+ times against the Bills as well. They just don't have the OL to drop back 50 times and forget about the run game, Brady would get killed.

I doubt Rogers will cover Welker straight up without help, I imagine a big part of the Bills game-plan is extra help on Welker. He is Brady's security blanket, they need to make Brady hesitant to look his way. The Pats have good balance over the field, with Lloyd on the outside, Welker in the slot and Gronkowski as a big target in the middle (at least they don't have to worry about Hernandez). One would think the Bills are going to try to make brady hold the ball and Lloyd's routes take longer to develop, so Welker is probably the bigger focus. If they don't give Gronkowski a free release then Brady will have to hold the ball and wait for plays to develop downfield, and that gives the Bills rush a chance to do their job.

That is why I think they use the run game. You can't stop everything, and with the focus on the pass game and getting to Brady, the Pats will try to mix in the run and make the Bills play more honest. That seems to be their MO this year, although Hernandez being out makes them use their 2 TE offense much less.

Another reason to have the secondary cheat up & help stop the run, either way Brady is getting violated again & again on every play. We might actually be be there when he's handing the ball off, you watch a break-up behind the line causing a fumble tomorrow (that's my guess).

If you're a betting man, taking the 3.5 points for the Bills right now is making a major amount of sense.

[GingerP]

Another reason to have the secondary cheat up & help stop the run, either way Brady is getting violated again & again on every play. We might actually be be there when he's handing the ball off, you watch a break-up behind the line causing a fumble tomorrow (that's my guess).

If you're a betting man, taking the 3.5 points for the Bills right now is making a major amount of sense.

I wouldn't underestimate them. Gronkowski has terrorized the Bills, with 7 TDs against them in 4 career games, and the Pats are tough to match up with because of tempo. You can talk all you want about what the Bills DL will get to do, but when they are able to force tempo the defense rarely has a chance to get set. Lloyd is also a tough matchup, as he is able to run quick outside catches to the sideline that are pretty much impossible to stop when a play is needed.

The Bills needs to get a lead and force the Pats to be one-dimensional. If they don't, the Pats will kill them with pace. Remember, the Bills used to do that to teams with the K-Gun, and they would swallow teams up before they had a chance to get their heads straight.

[Skooby]

I wouldn't underestimate them. Gronkowski has terrorized the Bills, with 7 TDs against them in 4 career games, and the Pats are tough to match up with because of tempo. You can talk all you want about what the Bills DL will get to do, but when they are able to force tempo the defense rarely has a chance to get set. Lloyd is also a tough matchup, as he is able to run quick outside catches to the sideline that are pretty much impossible to stop when a play is needed.

The Bills needs to get a lead and force the Pats to be one-dimensional. If they don't, the Pats will kill them with pace. Remember, the Bills used to do that to teams with the K-Gun, and they would swallow teams up before they had a chance to get their heads straight.

Pats pace will be set by our D-line, if it's no time for Brady to work then it's lights out for them. We're going to score more than our fair share on offense, the Pats are not going to stop our run game.

[clumping platelets]

Gronk is in, however.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/29/reports-gronkowski-will-play-but-mankins-wont/



Gronk has GREAT fantasy numbers, Bills win :cp:

[Skooby]

Gronk has GREAT fantasy numbers, Bills win :cp:

DO you live in Cheektowaga?

[clumping platelets]

DO you live in Cheektowaga?


I live in CLUMPtowaga..............it's MY town!!!

[better days]

Wow, that is huge. Donald Thomas (former Dolphin) probably starts at OG in his place. He isn't nearly the player Mankins is, and that plays to the Bills strength inside with Williams and Dareus.

I wonder if that makes the Pats more likely to run the ball more. They actually have run the ball more this year than last year. Running makes it easier on the OL and slows down the rush, but it also is not their strength. Still, they have to protect Brady.

The Bills need to come out fast and get an early lead. The Pats are going to want to play more conservative without Mankins.

I would expect the Pats* to run a number of delayed draw plays to take advantage of an aggressive Bills defense.

[Skooby]

I live in CLUMPtowaga..............it's MY town!!!

My bad sire, do you live by Otto's or Captain's cove?

[clumping platelets]

My bad sire, do you live by Otto's or Captain's cove?


Maryvale HS

[Goobylal]

Gronk is in, however.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/29/reports-gronkowski-will-play-but-mankins-wont/
He's gimpy and he'll be kept mostly in to block.

I would expect the Pats* to run a number of delayed draw plays to take advantage of an aggressive Bills defense.
I expect a lot of blitzes up the middle, to thwart that.

[YardRat]

I agree with those who already pointed out we're going to see a lot of screens and draws today.

K.Williams and Dareus damn well better have a huge game today, and the ends better concentrate on outside contain.

[Skooby]

Maryvale HS

Ironically, I went to school there.

[ServoBillieves]

15875