Success

Tired of the "Pats are back" hype. Tired of the "Maye is Allen" hype. Tired of the "are the Bills for real" hype. Tired of the hype, tired of the Pats, tired of hot takes. Win this one BIG. Please.

Too tight for me. I'm going 34-16 Bills.

Yeah. It's an unfortunate residual from the 1st part of this millennium. I feel about the Pats the same way Red Sox fans feel about the Yankees. Really, until this past week, the Red Sox owned the Yankees for 20 years - but they're still completely obsessed w/ NY. I

I'm looking forward to this one. No idea how it will go, but it's the most hyped team we've played since Baltimore. It's a good challenge, and a chance to reinforce that the east is still firmly in Buffalo's hands.

That Pats got so so much hype because of 42 against the Panthers. The Dolphins might match or top that, and no one will say anything like that about them.

I mean, you're right. It's a division game & those can be weird. I'm just tired of the hype based on that Panthers game. I don't think they've earned quite the level they're getting this week. And I actually think there is no chance this Bills team takes this one lightly - it's their strongest division foe. If we beat them, the race is all but over, barring injuries or something strange - if we lose, it could be tight the rest of the way. If we actually lose this game, at home on a Sunday night - we might not be the team I think we are.

Man, I can't wait until Monday so the national hot-takers will get back to a rational assessment of this Pats team we're facing. Seems like a big win over the Carolina Panthers has really made some believers out of otherwise respectable analysts.

I kind of feel nothing when it comes to Diggs. I can be grateful for what he brought to the team, but still feel zilch when I see him today. I don't like or dislike him. He's just a dude on a division rival who I hope doesn't play well against us.

I hate losing Strong, and hope it's just the short-term IR - but Tre, Benford & Johnson are the starters. Obviously, depth takes a hit, but this doesn't impact things that significantly.

It's wild how the sentiment has evolved this whole week. I think most analysts are still picking us, but there has been a huge amount of momentum of "maybe this Bills team isn't as good as their record" along with "maybe this Pats team is the real deal." Enough of this. If a dude doesn't step an inch out of bounds, the Pats have losses to Pitt, the Raiders & Miami, and they used special teams to get a big win over what could end up being the league's worst team, at home. The only way they win this game is turnovers. If we protect the ball, this is going to be a statement game that we still run the east, and it's not that close.

I pay some attention to the Pats. Maye's nickname should be "clean pocket." When he has time, he looks elite; any pressure, and he seems to panic a bit, and that's when he makes the mistakes. I guess not THAT unusual for a young QB, but it seems like a bigger gap w/ him. 2 very different QB's depending on if defenses can rattle him.

I kind of prefer Strong over Tre - but I believe Tre has been getting most of the snaps regardless. Strong isn't a huge loss this week. If Oliver, Milano and Brown all end up playing, we're in as good a shape as you can be at this point of the season.

Good logic there. Didn't consider that!

I think it's TBD if Vrabel is really a good coach. He had some of the best coordinators in the league during the Titans' best runs, and Tannehill was playing well above his usual. His last few seasons w/ TN were downright bad, and TN fans lamented his conservative ground & pound strategy. Even though the Pats had a huge win against probably the worst team in the league, their season so far has been characterized by some pretty undisciplined play, including untimely turnovers and penalties. I think he's good for culture - for games, it remains to be seen w/ NE, and if can turn that team into a contender.

Why is the Bills website wishing good luck to Toronto? Color me disappointed.

Pats nation is secretly dreaming that "this" is the moment - Maye's big coming out party, and taking the 1st big step toward taking the division back. I've heard some hope that this is a trap game for the Bills. But it can't be a trap game, because we're not looking forward to a tougher game for weeks. I don't want to just win this one. I think the team will be just as fired up as the Pats, and show that we're here to stay for awhile and that they can crane their necks looking up at 1st place for at least a few more years.

Agreed. I'm seeing a 40 burger on Sunday.

I'll always appreciate this. I remember during the drought when we were on the other side of it almost every week.

Good to see you again, @PatsFanNH! Seems like it's been awhile since you posted here....

Hopefully he just slept on it wrong.

Just saw a Pats fan say that there is no way they would trade Maye for Allen. That's....well, that's somethin'.

Has Maye "torched" anyone yet this year? He's had some decent games, but that seems hyperbolic. He's nowhere near Lamar or Mahomes or some of the other QB's we have to face.

One thing I noticed watching highlights of the Panthers/Pats game was how clean Maye's pocket was on the big throws he made. Really, no pressure. Getting pressure on him is key. He has all of the skills, but he makes mistakes and his accuracy goes way down when he has less time. I'm sure we'll do better than Carolina w/ that. The Pats have a pretty middlin' run game, so if we can pressure Maye and limit their big special teams plays, this could be a more comfortable win than most of us seem to think.

I have really looked forward to seeing that from Bills fans about Patriots fans.

Fans are usually like that, but they're at the next level. And the recurring theme is that once they "complete the rebuild," they're re-take their rightful place atop the division moving forward. As though while the Bills have Josh Allen, they'll be no challenge. Too much success can delude a fanbase at a concerning level.