Success

It's the post-7:00 PM that seems to be the mystery now. Though, I think we might assume that the winds will decrease somewhat. But I'm no weather guy. I enjoy good weather, but that's where my weather savvy ends.

That's fair, and I don't really hold that against them. They have scored a lot in some of the games during their 6-game winning streak. But I watched a lot of those games. Some, like Atlanta & TN, just weren't impressive, despite the final result. They stalled in the red zone in both of those games, repeatedly. I felt like both of those teams - though a bad team in one case and a depleted team in another - had chances to win or at least compete until the end. This isn't "that" Patriots team. I would watch them during the dynasty years, and wonder how in the world we'd beat them (and sure enough....) But I haven't felt that at all this season. They're being hyped that way, but it's not a big scoring offense, and the D's effectiveness has been inflated against some pretty middlin' competition. And don't get me started on Jones. He's hype personified right now.

People always say "Allen should be able to throw in any weather if he plays in Buffalo" or something along those lines. It's much more accurate to say that he's better equipped for bad weather & w/ his arm strength, will have an advantage in strong winds. But as you said, of course it's going to affect his play. He has a distinct advantage over his overhyped counterpart in this one, because not only does he have a much stronger arm, but he has a lot more experience at this point playing in bad weather. I think last week was the 1st "weather" game for Jones, and it was basically just flurries & mild wind.

I said "at points" - I didn't specify the last 6 games. But the last 2, they struggled to score in the red zone - against one bad team, and one severely depleted team. Are you putting all of your stock in the 6 game winning streak? Which started against the Jets, included the Browns - who were missing their top 3 RB's, then the Falcons who are not good (and who they still struggled to score TD's against), then to a severely depleted Titans team who likely win that game if a LB grabs an easy pick 6 at the end of the 3rd. That's the reason you're putting NE in this sort of barely beatable status, and the Bills as kind of a bumbling, inferior opponent by comparison?

Why are the Pats exempt from critique? They lost to Miami, they probably should have lost to Houston, they were held to mainly FG's by 2 other fairly bad teams. They struggled mightily w/ TN until the end - and that team was missing all kinds of key players in both the running and passing game. I feel like people here give the Pats too much credit, and the Bills not enough. Both teams have struggled at points this season.

If we lose, this board will fall apart tonight & tomorrow. But in a month, we could be back on top the division. At some point, we'll start to view Patriots games in a "normal" way. But 2 decades IS a long time. A sweep last year is a good start, but it will be a process. Trust the process.

These games are what make being a fan fun. I would have loved to pull out the TN or Jags game (or both) & not be in this position - but you've gotta love the stakes, and the situation. Our greatest nemesis, crazy weather, the division on the line - let's just bask in it. These are the kinds of December games we wanted for 2 decades. I have faith in our Bills. The weather makes a lot of this unpredictable, but I know they're going to fight w/ everything they have.

We're just not used to having big division games this late in the season. It's a big game, but we play them again in a few weeks. And we did better at their place last year. We just need one of these. They need 2.

I get your excitement for him, completely. But what you're doing above is kind of what we did for years. Taking bits & pieces and trying to draw larger conclusions from them. Danny Jones had several games his rookie year that were along the lines of Mac's Dallas game. Many rookies have. Mayfield looked so much better his 1st year. Mac is definitely overhyped nationally, and by Patriots fans in general. Not all, and you've been realistic - but I have heard very few Pats fans online and elsewhere who have taken that kind of approach. The conventional wisdom among both the fanbase and their most prominent pundits is that Mac is Young to Brady's Montana, that he is already the best QB from that class, and that he'll continue to progress in a linear fashion and eventually win a bunch of Lombardi's. True story.

He's been great for a rookie QB. But the hype right now is COMPLETELY overblown compared to the performance.

It's been said a few times (I think by me) - the O-line he has is about 90% responsible for the hype. If he was playing behind a middle-of-the-road line, his lack of mobility and arm strength would be much more glaring flaws. And I haven't checked the rankings, but NE's red zone stats are pretty woeful. That's one of the things that really separates the game managers from the stars. He's a rookie, so of course he gets some slack there - but the hype is overblown for what he's doing.

It doesn't sound like it's going to be THAT different from the Ravens game, especially as the game goes on. Allen did connect 23 times in that game, and threw for over 200 yards. It wasn't great, and we didn't score much - but it hurt the more "run oriented" Ravens much more, with their great kicker missing 2 medium-range FG's.

Wind Shmind. Allen has YEARS of experience at this point throwing against the wind, with the wind, with swirling winds & gusts. Mac Jones has played no pro games in these kinds of conditions, and played his college ball in the warm & sunny SEC. That, to me, balances out ANY advantage that NE might have w/ their running game - which is overstated anyway. Stack the line on D, protect the ball on O. Win game.

Yeah - TN. We'd be #2. I'll be pretty happy w/ that, as the alternative is joining the near record # of teams fighting it out for the WC.

I wonder if a team has ever gone from the #1 seed in conference in early December, to missing the playoffs completely? Let's get that rolling for the Pats tomorrow night. If we can somehow get the sweep, the Colts can beat 'em, and then they close the season against a team that always seems to mess it up for them in Miami.

I'd be furious if I was a Ravens fan. I don't care if it's on the road. The Ravens are the better team. You take that game to OT.

I'm not even so sure it's that Pats fans travel well. They're just everywhere now. When I grew up, half the kids in class liked the Cowboys. There are a ton of NE "fans" in western NY now. They're the new Cowboys.

Thanks for all of the responses. I wasn't sure what kind of discussion to expect, but there are some really interesting perspectives and takes here. I tend to agree w/ those who say that the Bills ARE a physical team in general, but had weeks that they were "softer" (either a week after a really physical game, or just a letdown). I think we can out-physical the Pats. Not guaranteeing it, but we can play w/ the same intensity they do.

We should NOT have lost to the Jags - but we also make too much of it. They're not some disaster. Every time I watch some of their games, I see a capable young team that isn't as good as most of the teams they play, but it's not like a huge gap. Lawrence is getting more confidence w/ each week, and their D plays sound football.

If the players don't know the importance of this game, they really don't belong in the NFL. The 2 games with NE will decide the division. It has nothing to do w/ "rivalry" - which doesn't exist right now. It's just about the division. Nothing Diggs said indicates the level of intensity w/ which he or anyone is approaching this game.

That's what Pats fans are saying. They already have Jones in the HOF. "He's better than Brady his rookie year - therefore, he will definitely have a better career than Brady." Not exaggerating.

I thought Moss played better last year. It's a little discouraging to see him lose playing time like he has. It's clearly an area they have to invest in. They have the franchise QB - protect him & give him a running game. If they can do those 2 things, it almost doesn't matter who the WR's are.

I keep hearing that the Patriots & other teams are "physical," and that the Bills are "soft." What is it in particular that makes a team physical? I think the Bills are called "soft" largely because of the Colts game, where we definitely got run over. But I've seen other games this season, and definitely last season, where our lines were much more assertive and dictating in terms of the pace & style of play. Players like Addison, Oliver & Edmunds, Hyde & Poyer are all hard hitters on the defense, and even our O-line has a couple of guys who are in that "mauler" mode. Our receivers are more finesse - we don't have that Metcalf kind of guy - but Knox is as tough as they come at TE, and Beasley for his size is a very physical player. Is this aspect of the game overplayed? Are we really a "soft" team? Thoughts welcome.

If bulletin board material and the "no one believes in us!" mindset are real things (and who knows if they are - these guys are pros), the Bills couldn't possibly have more fuel for this one. Pats fans are 100% that they had a 1-year rebuild, have their Montana/Young, and that the division is theirs again for 20 more years. The media has talked about the Patriots for 2 solid weeks - they got more coverage than the Bills even on Thanksgiving Day. Mac Jones hype, BB hype, "new dynasty" hype, hype, hype, hype. The Bills, after being an early SB favorite, are now as much of an afterthought as a good team can be. Everyone is writing them off.

I keep checking & hoping we have the full contingent - Star, Brown & Feliciano. I wish there was just ONE more week before this fairly important game (though the Bucs is important as well). But I figure at least we'll get 1 or 2 of these guys back, if not all 3, for NE. They'll all help a great deal w/ the things that we've been lacking.