Prickly Pete

They aren't well-rehearsed. It's like they practice plays, but don't practice situations. They're a band that practices songs, but never work on stringing them together into a seamless set. There isn't a "2-Minute Offense" as far as I can tell, and it feels like after almost every play, it's "regroup" time. They can't seem to even spike the ball to kill the clock without instructions from Roman. It's killing them in close games. It's coaching.

I meant it literally. It's not just this game. Other guys are getting targeted, and sometimes they are tightly covered. Watkins isn't the guy Tyrod looks for, the "go to" choice when Tyrod is in trouble, the guy he searches for when he takes off out of the pocket. The guy Tyrod always knows where he will be. That is who I assumed Watkins would be...THE MAN. And he hasn't made much of the opportunities that he has had. It's bizarre to me.

He is just out there running around.

This is the kind of talk I find mystifying. Just like last week, gushing over an athletic display instead of looking at his actual production. He isn't having a big enough impact on these games. There have been too many games where he is almost a non-factor.

If they are lined up to stop the run at the start of the game, the running game has already set up the pass. That is the whole point!

They may be more vulnerable to the run tonight without Collins, we shall see. But if the run ain't working early, they better move on to Plan B, quick.

Gee, I hope so, cuz I was thinking teams spend the 1st half trying to run the ball, failing, falling behind, and then spending the rest of the game passing to try and catch up.

Please, stop PM'ing me for photos Greggy!

Not how I see it. I see it as "Belichick is concentrating on stopping the run, leaving himself weaker in other areas". If he is stacking the box, and the defense is concentrating on stopping the run, it's foolish to not go somewhere else. I think they are capable of winning with the pass, but they can't hedge their bets, and play it safe. None of that "well, we HAVE to run it now, because we have been passing too much". Brady didn't care in the first game, he just kept taking what was there, and it happened to be pass plays. I hope to see McCoy get more pass targets too.

I prefer to cover the outside, give them short/intermediate passes over the middle, drop linebackers, and pummel the receivers. The Patriots will methodically march down the field a couple times (wouldn't they anyway?), but if the defense can get some good licks in, arms will shorten, and heads will swivel. Play them like the Steelers always played the K-Gun Bills.

I'm done bickering. If you are satisfied, that's fine. Nothing more to say about Watkins, except that I don't expect the Bills to win enough games to make the playoffs if he doesn't have more impact.

Because some of the blame does fall on him. His "Yards After Catch" is terrible, for instance. That was something that was supposed to be a strength of his.

The Patriots run defense is ranked #1. Their weakness is their backfield. The thing is, the first game NE stacked the line against the run. If they do that this time, I want to see a play action fake, and a deep throw. Tyrod throws a nice deep ball, it's a strength of his, and it doesn't involve much reading of the defense, or going through progressions. And how is running into the teeth of the defense a good strategy? Brady makes it a point to say "I never run a play against a defensive alignment that doesn't favor us"....that is the right way to do it.

People will laugh, but I don't see why, if you have the ball past your own 30, taking deep shots 3 plays in a row is bad strategy. Your chance of at least getting a PI call is pretty good, and even an interception will often be as good as a 30 yard punt. It would definitely "stretch the defense". One of the problems with a ball control approach, is that you have to play with discipline (not a Bills strength), and playing with discipline is the Patriots biggest strength. It is unlikely that the Bills will "out discipline" the Patriots.

What part of "I think Watkins is better" do you not understand? Hopkins has been more effective. Apparently he is getting open enough to warrant being thrown the ball. TJ Yates, Ryan Mallett, or Brian Hoyer, found ways to get him the ball, and they all suck. Where Watkins would be if he played for the Texans, I don't know, but I think Hopkins is doing pretty well, considering. Hopkins just had a big game against the same guy that pretty much shut down Watkins last week. With no Arian Foster, and TJ Yates at QB. If you think Watkins has been used well, that is up to you. I don't think he has, and the offense hasn't been playing well enough to excuse it. I haven't laid it all at his feet. I have stated clearly, that I mainly blame the coaches. And Watkins was playing hurt all last year, and has missed games, and been hobbled for a third of the games this year. That counts as an "issue" to me. Regardless, I expect a him to be a guy that regularly takes over games. I expect him to be a guy you throw to, even if a good DB is covering him (Revis, Vontae Davis, or anyone else). I expect him to be a guy that is almost never neutralized for a game. And most of all, I expect that when one of the other weapons is injured, Watkins makes up for what is missing, as opposed to "well, with McCoy injured, they took Watkins out of the game". If Andre Reed was out, everyone would say "Thurman's gonna have a big week, because he will have to carry the team". That's what great players do.

Belichick knows that every team tries to "keep Brady off the field", and play ball control. They have played out that script for years on end, and mastered that style of game. I think Belichick even considers that when he builds his defense. He can emphasize run defense/short passing game defense, because he knows that is how most teams will try to beat them. I think you have to attack their weakness, and that means go downfield. Pass on 1st down. "Err on the side of aggression". Just worry about getting a lead, not controlling the clock. Points put way more pressure on Brady, than time constraints. To me, a lot of it is psychological. By playing "keep Brady off the field" it's showing fear, and the Patriots adopt the attitude they are accustomed to. That has to be challenged. Maybe bring back the "Rope-A-Dope Offense"?

They were done anyway.

Fitz looks like a complete douchebag with that beard. I have plenty of tolerance, but after watching him pump his fists against the Bills last week, it now bothers me. I no longer sympathize with him...he is the enemy.

The Chefs are simmering, but I wouldn't say they are "playing as well as any team in the NFL right now". The Chargers blow. They will be a good challenge for the Bills, though. They are kind of at the same level as the Bills, not really a top 10 team, but maybe in the top 15.

It's not just this game though. Hopkins (with whatever crap QB they push out onto the field) has been outperforming Watkins all season. I believe that Watkins is better, but that is what bothers me. I don't need "oh, well our offense is different"..."Tyrod isn't good"...."Watkins is creating space for the others"..."McCoy is out"...."Tyrod didn't play"....on and on. They have to maximize his impact on games, no excuses.

Fitzlacksit is the best they have. I hope he doesn't ruin our season Week 17.

You seem a reasonable sort, but there are plenty others here that don't live by that creed. My message is for them.

Then we agree. Nothing here is different from what I have ever claimed. But I expect the injuries to continue...so then what? Is that good enough, a team that could win, if the guys just didn't get injured? I don't see why they need a miracle to beat the Patriots. They should be able to compete with any team in the league, and I expect them to win. Again, it's bizarre to me that people think I'm not a "real fan", when I actually expect them to win going in to every game. I just usually don't expect much when it comes to an overall record. Instead, the guys that call me a troll all concede games to the Patriots before the season even starts...

I realize there have been some games that they have all been out, but not all, and having guys that get injured can kill a team. You can't have those kind of players. The Colts are 3-0 with Hasselback. The Texans and Steelers have won with backups. Of course you gotta have the starting QB on the field, but if he can't stay healthy (yet to be seen), it can't be an excuse for very long. What I'm saying is, if these guys have missed so many games (collectively), why should we expect it not to continue?

Fragile is a harsh term. They were worried McCoy wasn't going to be ready to start this season, and he has already missed a bunch of games. Watkins apparently played hurt all last year, and has missed games this year. Tyrod is a running QB, not very big, and has missed games this season. I don't believe all these guys are going to go the rest of the season without missing games. Injuries can't be an excuse. If one of these guys was Peyton Manning/Brady/Montana, or Jerry Rice/DeAndre Hopkins/Paul Warfield type talents, then it might be convincing.