EDIT Now: Whatever Pats or Bills topics you wanna discuss Was: Bills (-3.5) vs. Patriots on MNF

[Hebert19]

Calling for 40mph wind gusts I'm advanced forecast.  Let's see noodle arm throw in that. 

[Greg S]

Just now, newcam2012 said:

I think the Patriots are better in the trenches. I'm not sure the Bills will be able to stop the Patriots balanced attack. Additional, I don't see the Bills slowing down the Pats pass rush.

 

Buffalo has some advantages. Home crowd should help, a superior QB, and a much better receiving core. 

 

I think this is a field goal game either way. I'd take the Pats +3.5. 

 

It's definitely going to be a tough game. I don't want to call it a must win but this is as close to a must win as you can get without it actually being one. McDermott likes to use the phrase "Defend Our Dirt" when playing at home. This week that is especially true. I don't want the Bills to have to go into NE needing a win to get the split.

[Bob in STL]

10 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Calling for 40mph wind gusts I'm advanced forecast.  Let's see noodle arm throw in that. 

That hurts us more.  

7 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

It's definitely going to be a tough game. I don't want to call it a must win but this is as close to a must win as you can get without it actually being one. McDermott likes to use the phrase "Defend Our Dirt" when playing at home. This week that is especially true. I don't want the Bills to have to go into NE needing a win to get the split.

It is a must win.  No doubt. 

[Hebert19]

Just now, Bob in STL said:

That hurts us more.  

I'm not so sure as it allows us to focus on shutting down the run and short passes. 

8 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

It's definitely going to be a tough game. I don't want to call it a must win but this is as close to a must win as you can get without it actually being one. McDermott likes to use the phrase "Defend Our Dirt" when playing at home. This week that is especially true. I don't want the Bills to have to go into NE needing a win to get the split.

We need one of the 2 against that pats...we are healthy now other than Tre so might as well be this one 

[Bob in STL]

Just now, Hebert19 said:

I'm not so sure as it allows us to focus on shutting down the run and short passes. 

Which is what we have to do anyway.  
 

A good throwing day for Allen is what we need.  

[PetermansRedemption]

1 minute ago, Bob in STL said:

Which is what we have to do anyway.  
 

A good throwing day for Allen is what we need.  

I agree, and when we talk about stuff like this it really emphasizes how much a dome would help.  

[Hebert19]

2 minutes ago, Bob in STL said:

Which is what we have to do anyway.  
 

A good throwing day for Allen is what we need.  

Ya.  Agree.  My point is with big wind your fear of getting beat deep goes down. 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

12 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Calling for 40mph wind gusts I'm advanced forecast.  Let's see noodle arm throw in that. 

Bad weather will only hurt our own offense. We are good now. I don’t need weather rising the tide of all ships and giving worse teams a chance to beat us. That’s why the anti dome people are senseless 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

26 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Calling for 40mph wind gusts I'm advanced forecast.  Let's see noodle arm throw in that. 

40? Are you exaggerating? 

[Greg S]

1 minute ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

Bad weather will only hurt our own offense. We are good now. I don’t need weather rising the tide of all ships and giving worse teams a chance to beat us. That’s why the anti dome people are senseless 

 

Playing at Alabama I doubt Jones has much experience playing in cold, windy, snowy conditions. If it is bad weather then hopefully he struggles in it. Beane deserves blame for not building a better OL. Its crazy that the Bills aren't built for bad weather games. No matter how the season plays out the Bills need to get better and tougher in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

[Gugny]

28 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Calling for 40mph wind gusts I'm advanced forecast.  Let's see noodle arm throw in that. 

 

Josh Allen sucks in the wind.  This isn't a favorable forecast.

[Your Brown Eye]

14 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

Playing at Alabama I doubt Jones has much experience playing in cold, windy, snowy conditions. If it is bad weather then hopefully he struggles in it. Beane deserves blame for not building a better OL. Its crazy that the Bills aren't built for bad weather games. No matter how the season plays out the Bills need to get better and tougher in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

 

That would be a great take if he wasn't playing for a cold weather team like New England. 

[Greg S]

1 minute ago, Your Brown Eye said:

 

That would be a great take if he wasn't playing for a cold weather team like New England. 

 

Has NE had any bad weather games yet? Yesterday looked like a nice day.

[YoloinOhio]

12 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

Has NE had any bad weather games yet? Yesterday looked like a nice day.

It was raining vs Tampa in september but nothing like it will be Monday night 

[boco357]

 

[freddyjj]

So just some observations after watching Pats vs Titans:

1. The delayed draw handoff the Bills like to run hurt the Pats on SUN - the long 68 yd Hilliard TD run and several other 10+ yd runs.
2. Titans ran for 172 yds on 30 other runs - almost 6 YPC with 2 guys I never heard of.   If Brown and Feliciano are back, like the Bills chances to move the ball with the run.
3. Delayed Blitzes got to Jones for a couple sacks when he was setting up to throw downfield.  He was a deer in the headlights and couldn't get away at all.  Bills will not have to play contain on pass rush or employ a spy vs Jones.  Rush 4 or 5 and leave 6 or 7 in coverage.
4. Game will hinge on Bills ability to stop the NE run game and DBs / LBs ability to tackle receivers short of sticks on passing downs.  Titans backup LBs and DBs did a poor job tackling as game wore on yesterday.
5. Jones like to hit guys on 3 patterns, the 15 yd curl, the quick out and the drag route.  Bills need to setup the picket fence zone on crossers and Milano and Taron Johnson will need to cover the flats well.  Poyer and Hyde will look to snag one of Jones curl routes. 

Edited November 29, 2021 by freddyjj

[finn]

This is not a good matchup for the Bills (again). The Bills play a bend-don't-break defense--all the more so with White out--and that plays to the Pats' strengths, with their limited QB, good tight end and excellent line. I don't think they'll go up and down the field on the Bills, but it will be frustrating to watch the 8- and 12-yard gains coming one after another, sandwiched between 4- and 5-yard runs. They'll hold the ball and kick field goals to go with two or so touchdowns. If that's correct, it will be up to the offense to score quite often, a tall order if their subpar line continues alternating between stupid penalties and watch-out blocks. 

 

But if the Bills are the team we want them to be, they'll score their usual 30 points, hold the Pats to 20 or so, and order will be restored to the universe. 

[Matt_In_NH]

Just checking out the NFL standings and stats.  The Pats are a machine right now.  They have the highest point differential, lowest points against and points for are very good also.   The Bills are right there with them regarding points.  But for them, this is after starting 2-4.  They also by far have the best conference record at 6-1 in the AFC which puts them in a great position for tie breakers to win the one seed if they win the division from the Bills.   The Bills should have the division tie breaker (assumin Buff Beats the Jets in week 18) if they split with them though so that is good.   We really need to find a way to win this game, 12th man could be huge.

[IronyAbounds]

weather.com predicts snow during the day and a below freezing night. Which begs the question, why does the NFL schedule a Monday night game in Buffalo in December?

[Dan]

14 minutes ago, freddyjj said:

So just some observations after watching Pats vs Titans:

1. The delayed draw handoff the Bills like to run hurt the Pats on SUN - the long 68 yd Hilliard TD run and several other 10+ yd runs.
2. Titans ran for 172 yds on 30 other runs - almost 6 YPC with 2 guys I never heard of.   If Brown and Feliciano are back, like the Bills chances to move the ball with the run.
3. Delayed Blitzes got to Jones for a couple sacks when he was setting yup to throw downfield.  He was a deer in the headlights and couldn't get away at all.  Bills will not have to play contain on pass rush or employ a spy vs Jones.  Rush 4 or 5 and leave 6 or 7 in coverage.
4. Game will hinge on Bills ability to stop the NE run game and DBs / LBs ability to tackle receivers short of sticks on passing downs.  Titans backup LBs and DBs did a poor job tackling as game wore on yesterday.
5. Jones like to hit guys on 3 patterns, the 15 yd curl, the quick out and the drag route.  Bills need to setup the picket fence zone on crossers and Milano and Taron Johnson will need to cover the flats well.  Poyer and Hyde will look to snag one of Jones curl routes. 

We’ve all said this.. thought this.. several times this season.  The real question is... will Dabol stick to the run game and make them defend it for 4 quarters (or maybe it’s Josh switching to all the pass plays at the line?).

 

My biggest concern with this game is Dabs and his penchant to prove how smart he is by dialing up all sorts of slow developing pass route concepts.  The game plan against BB defenses is fairly simple... run the ball, have plenty of short, quick pass plays ready to go to counter the exotic blitzes, be patient, and strike with intermediate range passes when the safeties are crowding the line.