Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills (5-4) get another shot to prove themselves against the New England Patriots (9-0) on Monday Night Football.
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for preview information.
First, here’s my pick from Friday Afternoon Quarterback.
Monday Night
Buffalo at New England (-7)
Again, and this is just a gut feeling, if the Patriots had lost to the Giants last week, they’d have killed the Bills this week. By beating Eli Manning an their kryptonite, they actually open themselves up to a defeat at the hands of Rex Ryan, the other guy that seems to have their number. I’m still picking the Pats, but if anything just as an effort to add another jinx against them to the mix. Patriots 20, Bills 19
And here are the entries for each team in last week’s Power Rankings.
1. New England Patriots – (9-0) Man, Patriots. That deal with Satan must be ironclad. You’d think or hope that karma, justice or just the concept of “what goes around comes around” would come into play with New England at some point. Nope. Last week: No. 1
10. Buffalo Bills – (5-4) The Bills waltzed in to the Meadowlands and embarrassed the Jets and pretty much the entire state of New Jersey last week. Can they do the same to New England Monday night? Last week: No. 15
And here’s our GMS Preview.
The New England Patriots (9-0) look to extend their unbeaten streak as they meet the Buffalo Bills (5-4). This game will feature the NFL’s top passer, Tom Brady (3,043 yards, 24 TDs). It starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov 23 and can be seen on ESPN.
The Week 2 matchup between the Patriots and the Bills ended in a 40-32 loss for Buffalo. Julian Edelman had a great outing in that game, registering 11 catches for 97 yards and two TDs. Rob Gronkowski had a big day as well, contributing 113 yards and a TD on seven receptions. Tyrod Taylor had a quality performance throwing the ball for Buffalo, completing 23 of 30 passes for 242 yards, three TDs and three interceptions. LeSean McCoy added 89 yards on 15 attempts.
The Patriots are a heavy seven-point favorite and the Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 49 points.
The Patriots enter the game with records of 9-0 Straight Up (SU) and 5-2-2 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. New England sets the tone offensively with its passing attack, which averages a league-best 325.9 yards per game. The New England run defense has played at a high level the past five games. It has given up 68.2 rush yards per game during that span. A vital part of the game will be if the Bills can protect their quarterback from New England’s vicious defense. It averages the second-most sacks in the league with 3.3 per game. Keep an eye on New England to pick up the pace during the second quarter, when it averages 9.4 points per game. Mistakes and a lack of focus could be factors that benefit the Patriots in this game. The Bills lead the league in penalties with 10 per game.
As for their opponent, the Bills have 5-4 SU and ATS records this season. The Bills went 3-2 for both SU and ATS over the last five games. Buffalo’s running backs and offensive linemen will look to keep its rushing attack rolling. Over the past five games, they’ve managed an impressive 153.6 rushing yards per game. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Buffalo defense could excel if they take advantage of favorable matchups. Buffalo’s defense ranks in the top half of the league for rushing yards allowed and could have the upper hand this week against the 27th-ranked rushing attack of the Patriots, which averages 92.8 yards on the ground per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – NE, ATS Winner – NE, O/U – Over
The game is on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. Watch it with me. Hell, the Bills may shock the world here.
