‘Last year, New England ranked No. 6 in the NFL against the run. But last year, the Patriots could play their dime defense with a monster at middle linebacker in Pro Bowler Dont’a Hightower. He’s sitting at home, having opted out due to the pandemic. His replacement, Ja’Whaun Bentley, is a third-year, former fifth-round draft pick and a big downgrade. The Pats also had a fierce edge-setter last year in Kyle Van Noy. He’s with the Dolphins.’
Archives for November 2, 2020
10 observations: Justin Zimmer’s forced fumble saves the day for Bills
‘“Zim came in at the end of the game and probably made the play of the year so far,” safety Jordan Poyer said. “We have the Patriots driving down the field looking like they’re going to either score or put the game into overtime. Our tackle comes up with the huge play and changes the entire game. Happy for him and happy for this team.”’
Column: Bills find their run game at the perfect time
‘”We just kept it personal that we were going to run the ball today,” Dawkins told reporters on a video call. “We wanted to set our running backs free. And I’m just happy to say that we’re blessed enough that we went out there and we did it.”’
Column: A toast to the Bills for finally beating the Patriots, despite a dry aftertaste
‘McDermott could only imagine what it might have been like with a packed stadium, a community catharsis for all those Patriots victories and times the Bills thought they were closing the gap between the franchises, only to lose again.’
Bills’ Dean Marlowe steps in for Micah Hyde, seals victory with fumble recovery
‘“Big credit to Justin Zim and the whole defensive line,” Marlowe said. “The whole unit with that play. Great work ethic. He made a great play at a great time and I happened to be there and see the ball come out and hopped on it. And that’s all she wrote right there.”‘
Quarter by quarter: Patriots open to second-guessing as Bills survive
‘It’s hard to second-guess Bill Belichick, but the Patriots coach again showed a glaring lack of confidence in his offense and his quarterback when he opted for an onsides-kick attempt after his team had tied the game, 14-14. The Bills recovered.’
Report card: Bills’ rushing attack earns an easy ‘A’ grade
‘It was on its way to an easy “F,” but Justin Zimmer forced Patriots quarterback Cam Newton to fumble with less than a minute to play and Dean Marlowe jumped on the loose ball to secure a victory, so that automatically raises it to a passing grade. The run defense was solid in the first half, limiting New England to 44 yards on 14 carries. Marlowe, in for the injured Micah Hyde, dropped running back James White for a loss of 2 yards in the second quarter on a third-and-2 play. Things got much worse in the second half. The Patriots converted a third-and-10 on the ground. Linebacker Matt Milano was in position, but couldn’t tackle Rex Burkhead. Given Milano’s lack of playing time, it’s fair to wonder just how much his pectoral injury is impacting him. The linebackers overall are a problem. Tremaine Edmunds (six tackles) and A.J. Klein (three tackles) did not have many – maybe any – impactful plays.’
Bills win 24-21 to snap home losing streak against Patriots; Newton fumbles game away
‘Yes, 2020 just keeps getting weirder and weirder by the day.’
Report card: Beating Patriots is nice for McDermott but a reason to celebrate for Bills fans
‘McDermott did allow himself one moment where he veered away from his standard cliché answers and acknowledged what this victory meant to a fan base that was starving for it. He’s only been here for a small portion of New England’s dominance, so while the win was nothing more than checking another box in a long season for him, he knew what it meant to western New York.’
There’s no way to criticize this win by Buffalo
‘The big issue, as it’s been all season, was Buffalo’s inability to stop the run.’
No 6-2 or-better Bills have ever missed playoffs
‘This is the 12th time in franchise history that the Bills got off to a 6-2 start, and they have made the playoffs the first 11 times. They did it in 1964 and ’65 en route to the American Football League championship, in 1974 and ’80, from 1988-’93 and finally, last season.’
Zack Moss, Bills rushing attack gets going; Buffalo takes down rival Patriots, 24-21: Instant observations
‘The Bills entered Sunday’s game with just one rushing touchdown in their first seven games. Rookie running back Zack Moss changed that on the team’s first drive, punching it in from eight yards out just one play after he broke a 20-yard run on 2nd and 10. Moss scored his second touchdown of the game in the second half, getting in from four yards out with a little help from a few of his offensive linemen. Moss’s cuts were crisp against the Patriots and it looks like he’s finally 100% after dealing with a toe injury earlier in the season that kept him off the field for five weeks.’
Bills’ Justin Zimmer ends up being Cam Newton’s Kryptonite (Week 8 report card)
‘The Bills are putting Matt Milano on the field in specific situations as he deals with a pec injury. The play of the unit when he’s not on the field is noticeable with A.J. Klein really struggling. The veteran linebacker missed a big tackle on James White early in the game while missing a tackle attempt in the backfield on a third down play. Perhaps Klein’s miss on the second play was a blessing in disguise because it allowed Zimmer to make a play later, but Klein has been a liability on the field for Buffalo this season.’
Bills’ Zack Moss, Devin Singletary run wild over Patriots (8 reasons to be encouraged, 3 reasons to worry)
‘Justin Zimmer has bounced around the league in his career, but the defensive tackle is making the most of his opportunity with the Bills in 2020.’
Bills vs. Patriots Inactives: Micah Hyde, Vernon Butler ruled out
‘Hyde was placed in the concussion protocol following Buffalo’s 18-10 win over the New York Jets in Week 7. The safety is one of Buffalo’s leaders on defense and will be missed. Dean Marlowe and Jaquan Johnson will likely split playing time in Hyde’s absence.’