‘Up until Sunday’s game, Jackson had not played a snap of professional football. He spent the first six games of the season on the Bills practice squad. So, when Norman could not go Sunday, Jackson was elevated from the practice squad, and he was ready to go. “Give him the credit. He was ready. When his number was called, he was ready, and that’s a part of being a team,” McDermott said.’
Archives for November 1, 2020
Why Bill Belichick couldn’t hide Corey Bojorquez from the Bills
‘The Buffalo Bills had a scout at the game who had seen Bojorquez warm up. They claimed the rookie off waivers and handed him the punting job over veteran Colton Schmidt, even though he hadn’t played a down of pro football.’
One-on-One Coverage: Mitch Morse on what keeps him ‘sane,’ fixing Bills’ run game
‘I still feel like we have a lot to work on. I feel like we put together a few good games. I think consistency is our biggest thing. I can only speak for myself at this moment, but I know that there’s a lot I can do to improve and help the guys around me.’
Scouting Report: Weather conditions might force reliance on the run game
‘Prediction: Bills 24, Patriots 20.’
Three matchups to watch for Patriots at Bills
‘Obviously, the Bills need to run better out of three wideouts. They showed some improvement in that area last week. The Pats are depleted at linebacker due to free agent losses and opt-outs. The Bills should try to take advantage of linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley moving laterally in both the run and pass game.’
Bills Mailbag: Will there be enough salary cap space to re-sign Matt Milano?
‘If it is $175 million in response to the economic challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Bills might find it difficult to re-sign key free agents such as linebacker Matt Milano and right tackle Daryl Williams without making some tough decisions.’
Cuomo stiff-arms Bills fans who want to watch games in person
‘And he said his staff is coordinating with the NFL on plans for getting fans into and out of the stadium and seating arrangements within the venue. But he did not commit to allowing fans to return and said one reason for this is the still troublingly high Covid-19 positive rate for the five-county Western New York region.’
Hard as it may be to believe, the Bills are simply better than the Patriots in 2020
‘My pick: Bills 23, Patriots 19.’
Can Bills’ Josh Allen flip script Sunday against Bill Belichick, Patriots?
‘Allen has gone 0-3 in his career against the Patriots, which isn’t much of a surprise considering how good Bill Belichick has been against young quarterbacks throughout his legendary career. Allen’s passer rating against the Patriots is 56.4 and he’s completed just 48.4 percent of his passes for 3 touchdowns and five interceptions against New England.’
The Stefon Diggs game? Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore ruled out
‘The Patriots’ star cornerback was expected to cover Stefon Diggs in the matchup. Without Gilmore on the field, Diggs and John Brown could find some favorable matchups. Of course, weather in Orchard Park on Sunday could limit both teams from a passing standpoint. As it stands, the game is expected to be played in the rain with wind gusts that may end up reaching up to 50 miles per hour.’
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots 2020: Preview, odds, predictions for Week 8
‘Bills 20, Patriots 17.’
How to watch Bills vs. Patriots: TV channel, time, live stream information
‘The key for Buffalo will likely be stopping New England’s run game while getting their offense back on track. Jon Feliciano’s return to the lineup should help the run game while Brown’s return could help Josh Allen connect on a few big plays down the field.’
Five takes: Patriots reign over the AFC East could end today; Can Bills navigate intense weather?
‘Since last year’s home game against the Patriots, Josh Allen’s passer rating is 97.5, and he’s tied for the third-most total touchdowns (42) in the league (per @BuffaloBillsPR). That game served as a turning point for the Bills quarterback and the offense as a whole, which is precisely what Buffalo needs out of this afternoon’s game.’
Kryk: It’s here — the Bills’ big chance to snare the Road Runner
‘New England’s domination has been so embarrassingly complete from a Buffalo perspective that Brady, as a Patriot, won more times this century in Buffalo’s own stadium (16) than any one Bills quarterback has in all games played there.’
Sunday’s New England Coverage
Cam Newton ready to put a difficult week behind him (Boston Globe)
Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore out for Sunday’s game against Bills (Boston Globe)
Patriots place Julian Edelman on injured reserve (Boston Globe)
How did it get so bad? Patriots haven’t invested in their skill positions (Boston Globe)
Truth or consequences for Patriots in showdown against Bills (Boston Herald)
How Cam Newton and the Patriots offense can bounce back at Buffalo (Boston Herald)
How the Patriots defense can rebound against Josh Allen and the Bills (Boston Herald)
Stephon Gilmore, Kyle Dugger ruled out for Patriots-Bills game (Boston Herald)
Patriots place Julian Edelman on injured reserve, activate LB Josh Uche, S Cody Davis (Boston Herald)
Patriots point-counterpoint: Should Bill Belichick trade Stephon Gilmore? (Boston Herald)
Stephon Gilmore among three New England Patriots downgraded to out for Buffalo Bills game (Springfield Republican)
Julian Edelman injury: New England Patriots expected to put WR on injured reserve (report) (Springfield Republican)
New England Patriots activate Josh Uche, make 7 more roster moves ahead of Buffalo Bills game (Springfield Republican)
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills preview: Predictions, point spread, game plans, matchups and more (Springfield Republican)
Bill Belichick offers blunt evaluation of New England Patriots roster, salary cap situation (Springfield Republican)
NFL picks trackers 2020: Who’s picking Patriots to lose vs. Bills in Week 8? (Springfield Republican)
Patriots-Bills Weather: Windy, wet and cold expected, New England kickers will be ready (Springfield Republican)
Decision day fast approaching for Patriots (Providence Journal)
Patriots to place Julian Edelman on injured reserve (Providence Journal)
Sunday Funday: Don’t worry Patriots fans — football can still be fun when your team’s not (Providence Journal)
Patriots looking for answers before season slips away (Brockton Enterprise)
Patriots notebook: Bill Belichick owns a 35-5 record against Buffalo (Brockton Enterprise)
Cam Newton gets ‘A’ for attitude with Patriots (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)
Bill Belichick acknowledges why Patriots are in such a messy spot (New York Post)
Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore Ruled Out For Game Against Bills (AP)
New England Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore (knee) ruled out for Buffalo Bills game (ESPN)
Bill Belichick cites salary cap for some of New England Patriots depth issues (ESPN)
Stephon Gilmore does not travel to Buffalo with Patriots, ruled out for Week 8 showdown vs. Bills (CBS Sports)
Bill Belichick explains why the Patriots are playing so many young players, and it’s all about the salary cap (CBS Sports)
Patriots Vs. Bills Preview: What To Watch For In Week 8 Matchup (NESN)
Patriots Rule Out Stephon Gilmore, Two Others For Bills Game (NESN)
Patriots Activate Josh Uche, Cody Davis Off IR, Promote D-Tackle To 53-Man Roster (NESN)
Bill Belichick Makes Surprising Admission About Patriots’ 2020 Roster (NESN)
Is Cam Newton Playing For His Career In Patriots-Bills? Ex-NFL GM Believes So (NESN)
NFL Rumors: Patriots Placing Julian Edelman On IR; Here’s What That Means (NESN)
Ex-Patriots Receiver Finds Valid Fault With Patriots’ Offensive System (NESN)
Patriots activate rookie LB Josh Uche among flurry of moves before Week 8 game (NBC Sports Boston)
Pats to work out two free agent wide receivers, including Donte Moncrief (NBC Sports Boston)
Sunday 7: Patriots’ game vs. Bills should not determine if they will be buyers/sellers (WEEI-FM)
Patriots vs. Bills preview: 3 keys to the game, fun facts, prediction (WEEI-FM)
Patriots downgrade 3 players, including Stephon Gilmore, to out vs. Bills (WEEI-FM)
Patriots make number of roster moves ahead of Bills game Sunday, including activating 2 off IR (WEEI-FM)
Julian Edelman reportedly out at least 3 games (WEEI-FM)
Patriots reportedly have 3 players, including 2 wide receivers, in for COVID testing/workouts (WEEI-FM)
Bill Belichick surprisingly acknowledges Patriots don’t have roster depth because of salary cap limitations (WEEI-FM)
Mohamed Sanu calls Patriots’ playbook ‘hard,’ says practices would ‘burn people out’ (WEEI-FM)
Mike Lombardi thinks Cam Newton is playing for his career Sunday (WEEI-FM)
Buffalo dealership trolls Cam Newton, Patriots with billboard (WEEI-FM)
Time for the stars to shine: Patriots vs. Bills Key Matchups (WBZ-FM)
Patriots activate rookie linebacker from injured reserve, promote rookie receiver (WBZ-FM)
Patriots make several injury moves ahead of Sunday’s game at Bills (WBZ-FM)
Patriots bring in former Colts, Steelers wideout for pre-workout COVID test (WBZ-FM)
Pats Extra: Why the post-Edelman era could be a good thing (WBZ-FM)
Report: Patriots listening on ‘almost anybody’ ahead of trade deadline (WBZ-FM)
Patriots-Bills W2W4: Are The Bills Still The Bills — And Can Cam Keep His Job? (WBZ-TV)
Game-Day Roster Update: Gilmore won’t play in Buffalo (Patriots.com)
Patriots Make a Series of Roster Transactions (Patriots.com)
Week 8: Patriots – Bills Injury Report (Patriots.com)