|
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,032
|
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
“Now men, this evening is our Super Bowl. We’ve didn’t make the playoffs this year, but we can salvage this season if we beat the Bills and then the Jets next week; we’d finish at .500, 8-8.” I can hear Coach Bill Belichick now, or his words to that effect.
Unfortunately, the Patriots could just as easily lose both games as New England hosts both the Bills and Jets at Gillette in the last two weeks of the regular NFL season.
On the other hand, the playoff-bound Bills have a lot to play for. They can’t be the AFC’s #1 seed as they lost to the Chiefs, head-to-head, in week #6. The Bills would need to win one more game than the Steelers to climb to #2. That seed doesn't mean as much in 2020, because only No. 1 gets a bye along with home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Yet a higher seed would enhance Buffalo’s chances of playing a weaker opponent (if there are weak opponents in the playoffs).
One thing that will be missing, as it has been the case all season at “The Razor,” is the absence of the “12th” man and woman, the rabid New England Patriots fans. In fact, in my opinion, it’s almost like playing at a neutral site, except for the familiarity factor.
The Patriots are coming off a loss, 22-12, to Miami last Sunday at Hard Rock. I don’t think the score was truly indicative of the one-sidedness of the game. The time of possession, Miami’s 37+ minutes to New England’s 22+ minutes, told a truer story.
I might note that prior to last week’s loss to the Dolphins the Patriots, in the previous week, lost to the Rams, 24-3. In fact, the Patriots have not scored a touchdown in two straight games. The only Patriots' points have come off the foot of their place-kicker, Nick Folk.
Psychologically, although I’m sure they won’t admit it, the Patriots, as a team, have to be deflated by their recent losses to both the Rams and Dolphins. Matters seemed promising, at least possible, after they shut out the Chargers, 45-0. Yet that game might just have been, in hindsight, their “high water mark.”
Furthermore, I find most glaring, as I cited in a previous post, is my belief that one the Patriots greatest flaws is they don’t have a breakaway threat in either the passing or rushing department. They have to grind it out.
In addition, you rarely see Cam Newton throw “the long ball.” He appears, in my opinion, more adept at running the football than passing it. He did complete a respectable 17 passes on 27 attempts for 209 yards, but there were no TD’s and no deep completions.
At this point, let me offer a personal observation. I believe Cam Newton is a “warm weather” quarterback. In my opinion, Newton does his best work in warmer climes or in closed-in stadiums. He now returns to chillier Gillette. Although temps for Monday evening’s tilt with Bills is not supposed to be frigid, it won’t be balmy, either. Forecasts put temperatures in the mid-to-upper 30’s by game-time.
Meanwhile, the Bills thrive on cold weather. Have you ever been to Buffalo in the winter? The winds off Lake Erie. The lake-effect snows?
Switching to the Patriots, their “bright light” in the loss to Miami has to be the running of Sony Michel. Michel rushed for 74 yards on 10 carries. Other than that, Jakobi Meyers caught 7 passes for 111 yards. Michel and Meyers accounted for over half the Patriots offense. Observation: there just aren’t enough weapons. You can add to that the fact that it’s possible that Julian Edelman won’t play again this season, and on defense, Stephon Gilmore is out for the season with a partially torn quad.
The last I saw the Bills were -7. I’ll lay the points. I suppose the one thing that rolls around in the back of my mind is that Bills coach, Sean McDermott, if he can get a quick lead, may rest some of his regulars in the 2nd half. Why risk injury to key players? There’s an important game at Orchard Park the following Sunday against the Dolphins, and then the playoffs.
Yet, having said all that, I still believe that the Bills will cover. The combination of the Patriots having little to play for when coupled with the fact that the Patriots are depleted by injuries to key players should spell an at least two-touchdown win for the Bills. After all, it’s still show-time, Monday Night Football.
As for the over/under, the last I saw was 46. I’m inclined to bet the “under.” The combination of a Patriots team that hasn’t scored a TD in two straight games with a Buffalo team that could “coast” should keep the score down.
Finally, even a pep talk from a future Hall-of-Fame coach will not, in my opinion, be enough of a motivation to bring victory to the New England Patriots when they play the Bills this coming Monday night.
__________________
Walt (Teach)
"Walt, make a 'mental bet' and lose your mind." R.N.S.
"The important thing is what I think of myself."
"David and Lisa" (1962)
|
