Archives for September 18, 2015

'One of the problems teams face when trying to cover Gronkowski is that the patriots line him up all over the field, trying to create mismatches of their own. Last week against the Steelers, New England opened the game with six straight plays from a four or five-wide spread formation, and Gronkowski (#87 in diagrams) lined up in all different spot. On the line, split out wide, and in the slot. On the very first play from scrimmage, Gronkowski lined up in the backfield next to QB Tom Brady, then motioned to the slot on the left.'

'Wide receiver Percy Harvin was a full participant Thursday, while wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and linebacker Tony Steward were both still out of practice dealing with injuries. Neither has practiced since the team’s third preseason game.'

'McCoy, according to head coach Rex Ryan, felt some soreness in the hamstring that has been injured since mid-August, and the team elected to pull him from practice because of it. McCoy mentioned earlier in the week that he didn't feel he was 100-percent in the game against the Indianapolis Colts.'

The 12th man will give the Bills a huge advantage in this game and they will need them as Tom Brady is the great equalizer. The Bills have a new attitude and they now feel they deserve to be on the same field with the Patriots. This game will go a long way in seeing if this is a new era or the same old Bills. I think they figure out a way to pull it out: Bills 24, Patriots 21

'In Week 1, the Bills tossed a variety of eccentric looks and exotic pressures at Andrew Luck to disrupt his timing and rhythm from the pocket. From simple blitzes from a base 4-3 alignment to double-A-gap pressures and overload blitzes from sub-package fronts, the Bills attacked the three-time Pro Bowler from every angle throughout the game. The Bills' "psycho" look, which features seven defenders within 5 yards of the ball in a "stand up" position, leads to frenetic pressure. With Luck and center Khaled Holmes (a third-year pro) unable to consistently identify the Mike linebacker while setting the pass protection, Ryan's clever scheming resulted in a few clean shots on the quarterback. Given the impact of sacks and hits on a quarterback's internal clock, it is no coincidence Luck was off his game.'