Bills - Patriots

[Lori]

BUFFALO BILLS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2006 – 1:00 PM EDT

GILLETTE STADIUM, FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS

 

TELEVISION: CBS

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Jim Nantz

COLOR ANALYST: Phil Simms

 

DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket: Channel 709

 

RADIO: Buffalo Bills Radio Network

PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy

COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso

SIDELINE REPORTER: Paul Peck

 

Patriots Radio Network

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gil Santos

COLOR ANALYST: Gino Cappelletti

 

Sirius Sunday Drive: Channel 122 (Buffalo feed) / Channel 181 (NE feed)

 

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Patriots lead, 50-40-1. The Bills are 19-27 overall in Boston/Foxborough, 0-4 in Gillette Stadium.

 

PLAYOFF RECORD: Patriots lead, 1-0.

 

LAST MEETING: December 11, 2005 – Patriots 35, Bills 7

An ugly day in Orchard Park.

 

Buffalo, reeling from the previous week’s meltdown in Miami and the suspension of Eric Moulds, was no match for the playoff-bound Patriots. The Bills were far more successful running for the bus than on the field; their 14 total rushing yards, ‘led’ by J.P. Losman (1 carry-7 yards) and Willis McGahee (8-3), marked the fourth-worst performance in team history. With no running game and no Moulds, Losman finished a dreadful 10-27 for 181 yards and 3 interceptions, including one returned 39 yards by James Sanders to give New England a 35-0 lead. Only Josh Reed’s spectacular 51-yard catch-and-run for a late touchdown averted the shutout.

 

It didn't become official until January 2006, but anyone in the stands that day knew this game was the true end of the Tom Donahoe era in Buffalo.

 

LAST TIME IN FOXBOROUGH: October 30, 2005 – Patriots 21, Bills 16

Buffalo outplayed New England for most of the game, but their inability to punch the ball into the end zone left the door open for a late comeback by the defending Super Bowl champions. Clinging to a 16-14 lead with 6:20 remaining, disaster struck when Rosevelt Colvin’s sack/strip of Kelly Holcomb gave the Pats possession at the Buffalo 23. A Brady-to-Branch hookup moved the ball to the one, and Corey Dillon scored his second touchdown of the night on the next play. The Bills had one more good chance to drive for a potential game-winning score, but on fourth-and-eight at the New England 40 Holcomb checked down to Eric Moulds, who was stopped for no gain.

 

Aaron Schobel abused backup LT Nick Kaczur for two of his career-high twelve sacks on the season, the second time he’s hit double digits. (According to the 2006 media guide, Bruce Smith is the only other Bill to accomplish that feat… but digging deeper, Ben Williams’ 1980 and 1983 seasons add him to the list. Still impressive, though.)

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PATRIOTS OVERVIEW (2005 RANKINGS)

OFFENSE (#7 total yardage, #24 rushing, #2 passing, #10 scoring):

Many football fans outside New England love to denigrate the talent of GQ coverboy Tom Brady, but there’s no denying this: only Roger Staubach (85-29, .746) has a better regular-season winning percentage than Brady (58-20, .744) among quarterbacks with at least forty career starts. (The playoff/Super Bowl W-L record is somewhat impressive, as well.)

That percentage is even more lopsided against Buffalo – the 2003 season opener remains New England’s only loss in the series since Brady took over for Drew Bledsoe in September 2001. (Incidentally, he hasn’t missed a game since then; his eighty-nine consecutive starts, including eleven playoff games, trail only Brett Favre and Peyton Manning among active QBs.)

 

While Brady is a constant, the New England receiving corps is anything but that. David Givens (Titans), Tim Dwight (Jets), and Andre’ Davis (Bills) signed elsewhere in the offseason, disappointing Bethel Johnson was shipped off to New Orleans (where he was later cut by the Saints), and Deion Branch continues to hold out, leaving Troy Brown as the only returning WR to catch a pass from Brady last season. Brown and Reche Caldwell – who never lived up to expectations in San Diego – are listed as the starters on the current depth chart, backed up by recent acquisitions Doug Gabriel and Jonathan Smith. Second-round pick Chad Jackson is nursing a hamstring injury and didn’t practice Tuesday.

Given the upheaval at wideout, Brady’s sure to be looking to tight ends Ben Watson and Daniel Graham to help pick up the slack. Watson has loads of potential as a downfield threat; he averaged over fifteen yards per reception last season, and only Branch had more touchdown catches.

 

Battling injury, Corey Dillon’s production fell off significantly from 2004; his 3.5 yards-per-carry average was the lowest of his career. With Dillon about to turn 32 and nearing the end of his NFL shelf life, New England spent their first-round pick on Minnesota RB Laurence Maroney. The youngster looked good in preseason, averaging over five yards/carry; expect him to take over the starting job sooner rather than later. (He missed the last preseason game and is currently practicing with a brace on his knee, though, so his status for Sunday’s game is unknown.) Do-everything RB Kevin Faulk and Heath Evans round out the roster.

 

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has to be pleased by the return of LT Matt Light and C Dan Koppen; both missed a significant chunk of the 2005 season due to injury. In Light’s absence, rookie Nick Kaczur had a rough time trying to protect Brady’s blind side. Kaczur, still recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the Patriots’ final playoff game, will compete with rookie Ryan O’Callaghan for the starting job at RT. (Expect O’Callaghan to get the call Sunday.) Stephen Neal and Logan Mankins are set at guard.

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DEFENSE (#26 total yardage, #8 rushing, #31 passing, #17 scoring):

Last season, New England sank to 4-4 while Richard Seymour missed time with a knee injury, then finished on a 6-2 run after his return. (One of those losses came against Miami in week 17, when the Pats rested most of their starters.) Coincidence? Pro Bowl voters apparently didn’t think so, rewarding him with his fourth consecutive trip to Hawaii.

Fellow first-round picks Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren combine with Seymour to form one of the better 3-4 defensive lines in the league, allowing the linebackers to pile up the sack/tackle statistics. Warren has missed practice time recently with a shoulder injury, and his status for the game is uncertain; if he’s unavailable, Jarvis Green will start in his place.

 

For the first time since 1993, New England will open a season without Willie McGinest on the roster. Underachievers Chad Brown and Monty Beisel followed McGinest out the door and free-agent pickup Barry Gardner broke his leg in the final preseason game, so New England signed recently-retired Junior Seau to fill the hole at ILB. The other starting inside ‘backer will be determined by the status of Tedy Bruschi’s broken wrist; if Bruschi hasn’t managed to heal himself by Sunday afternoon, steady veteran Mike Vrabel will probably move inside, with his normal slot filled by Tully Banta-Cain. (Other options include putting in special-teamers Larry Izzo or Don Davis at ILB, or using more 4-3 sets.) Rosevelt Colvin, the other OLB, led the team with seven sacks last season.

 

Emotional leader Rodney Harrison returns from a serious knee injury that sidelined him for most of last season. His leadership ability can’t be overstated, but one has to wonder how much speed the injury, and his advancing age, has cost him. Eugene Wilson worked at corner for part of training camp, but is back in his usual free safety spot to begin the season.

Last year, rookie CB Ellis Hobbs was pressed into service due to massive injury problems at the position; he played well enough to keep the job. Asante Samuel mans the other side, with Randall Gay and Chad Scott filling backup roles.

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SPECIAL TEAMS:

All-time franchise scoring leader Adam Vinatieri departed for a bigger paycheck in Indianapolis, leaving the kicking duties to rookie Stephen Gostkowski. The fourth-round pick -- who hit all nine FG attempts over forty yards in his senior year at Memphis -- chalked up a perfect 9-9 preseason, including a 54-yarder at typically kicker-unfriendly Giants Stadium.

 

Josh Miller averaged over 45 yards per punt last season, the second-highest gross average of his career. The Patriots need to improve their coverage unit, though -- opposing returners averaged 9.6 yards/attempt in 2005.

 

Rookie DB Willie Andrews got most of the KR/PR reps in the preseason, but could “Fast Freddie” Smith end up running back kicks against his former teammates this weekend? Don’t bet against it. Smith showed Bill Belichick what he could do when the Bills visited Foxborough in 2004; his 70-yard punt-return TD provided Buffalo’s only points in a 29-6 thumping. Faulk, Brown, and Gabriel also have experience as returners.

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OUTLOOK:

Is this finally the season the Patriots reach the tipping point, and the playoff run ends? Given the continuing exodus of the veteran core of the team, an almost complete roster turnover at the WR position, and paper-thin depth in a linebacking corps that has always been the heart and soul of the defense, it could be more than just wishful thinking this time.

(Junior Seau? Great player, surefire Hall of Famer… but his best days are about ten years behind him. How can this be seen as anything other than a sign of desperation?)

 

I’m just not sure a young team with a new head coach, new coordinators, new schemes on both sides of the ball, and a quarterback making his first visit to the “Razor” as a starter, is in a position to take advantage of New England’s potential vulnerability; I’d feel a lot better about this game if it was scheduled for a month from now. I just can’t shake the feeling that Belichick’s gameplanning, combined with an amped-up Opening Day crowd, will pressure Losman into a bad decision or two… enough for the coolly efficient Patriots to add yet another win to their stellar Gillette Stadium record.

 

I hope I’m wrong, and a fully healthy Takeo Spikes caps off the 'shocking upset' by picking off Brady for a touchdown. (Oh, and somebody earholes "Tom Terrific" during the return. Hey, if I’m going to dream, might as well make it a good one…)

 

Go Bills.

 

Links:

Ourlads.com: Patriots depth chart

Official team website: Patriots.com

Patsfans.com

[Just Jack]

LAST TIME IN FOXBOROUGH: October 30, 2005 – Patriots 21, Bills 16

Buffalo outplayed New England for most of the game, but their inability to punch the ball into the end zone left the door open for a late comeback by the defending Super Bowl champions. Clinging to a 16-14 lead with 6:20 remaining, disaster struck when Rosevelt Colvin’s sack/strip of Kelly Holcomb gave the Pats possession at the Buffalo 23. A Brady-to-Branch hookup moved the ball to the one, and Corey Dillon scored his second touchdown of the night on the next play. The Bills had one more good chance to drive for a potential game-winning score, but on fourth-and-eight at the New England 40 Holcomb checked down to Eric Moulds, who was stopped for no gain.

 

Aaron Schobel abused backup LT Nick Kaczur for two of his career-high twelve sacks on the season, the second time he’s hit double digits. (According to the 2006 media guide, Bruce Smith is the only other Bill to accomplish that feat… but digging deeper, Ben Williams’ 1980 and 1983 seasons add him to the list. Still impressive, though.)

763398[/snapback]

Didn't Teddy Bruschi play in that game?

[Bill from NYC]

Great as usual Lori!

I hope that the Bills can exploit their rookie RT!

 

See ya soon, old friend!

[Beerball]

Didn't Teddy Bruschi play in that game?

763431[/snapback]

Bruschi? Who is this Bruschi that you speak of?

[JM57]

Didn't Teddy Bruschi play in that game?

763431[/snapback]

 

No, I believe in that game, ESPN spelled his name "G-O-D."

[Dan Gross]

New England spent their first-round pick on Minnesota RB Laurence Maroney. The youngster looked good in preseason, averaging over five yards/carry; expect him to take over the starting job sooner rather than later. (He missed the last preseason game and is currently practicing with a brace on his knee, though, so his status for Sunday’s game is unknown.)

763398[/snapback]

 

Maroney wasn't listed on the injury report...at least the one on the Bills' web site.

 

Great job, as usual, Lori. Thanks.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

"The Bills had one more good chance to drive for a potential game-winning score, but on fourth-and-eight at the New England 40 Holcomb checked down to Eric Moulds, who was stopped for no gain."

 

My favorite play of all last year from Mr. Noodle. You just KNEW that even tho they had the lead in that game they were going to lose.

[mead107]

hope the long ball will kill the pats .

thanks lori , very good .

[rockpile]

Great job as usual, Lori!

 

Love the way you snuck in the (Captain) checkdown comment at Holcomb.

[Johnny Coli]

Outstanding job, Lori, but one small note on "The Razor."

 

Gillette was bought buy Proctor and Gamble last year, so "The Razor" isn't really a servicable nickname anymore. Proctor and Gamble has many other fine commercial products that they are more widely known for, including Old Spice®, Luvs®, Noxema® and of course Tampax®. I believe a more suitable nickname for Proctor and Gamble Stadium is needed. Maybe The Zit. Or The Tampon.

[The Senator]

Outstanding job, Lori, but one small note on "The Razor."

 

Gillette was bought buy Proctor and Gamble last year, so "The Razor" isn't really a servicable nickname anymore.  Proctor and Gamble has many other fine commercial products that they are more widely known for, including Old Spice®, Luvs®, Noxema® and of course Tampax®.  I believe a more suitable nickname for Proctor and Gamble Stadium is needed.  Maybe The Zit.  Or The Tampon.

763941[/snapback]

How 'bout 'Pampers Kandoo Park'?

 

Chicago might not like this one...

 

'Folgers Field'?

 

Anyway, enough of this jocularity. Great job, Lori, as always.

[Lori]

Outstanding job, Lori, but one small note on "The Razor."

 

Gillette was bought buy Proctor and Gamble last year, so "The Razor" isn't really a servicable nickname anymore.  Proctor and Gamble has many other fine commercial products that they are more widely known for, including Old Spice®, Luvs®, Noxema® and of course Tampax®.  I believe a more suitable nickname for Proctor and Gamble Stadium is needed.  Maybe The Zit.  Or The Tampon.

763941[/snapback]

Good point.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

"The Bills had one more good chance to drive for a potential game-winning score, but on fourth-and-eight at the New England 40 Holcomb checked down to Eric Moulds, who was stopped for no gain."

 

My favorite play of all last year from Mr. Noodle. You just KNEW that even tho they had the lead in that game they were going to lose.

763674[/snapback]

Whenever he gets into a conversation about the Bills quarterback position, my father will still always cite that one play as the reason why Kelly Holcomb should no longer be on this team.

 

I don't know if I agree or not, but that was a truly disgusting play without a doubt.

[JoeF]

Great job as usual Lori.

 

The "new" analysis (coach, coordinators, schemes) is spot on. It will make it tough to break the five game at NE losing streak and the oh for Gillette streak.

 

We have to attack their D weakness which is the secondary early--force that front seven to do a little less crowding the line and being in JP's face. Also need to spread them a bit--use Willis, Royal and Everett on hitches and screens with some lead blocking. Rather than establish the run--spread them out so that the holes create themselves. They are going to be throwing an extra rusher or two at JP all day or until he burns it a couple of times either long or wide. We have to get them to at least respect the pass threat early.

 

Stopping them is a totally different subject. Brady is insanely accurate in the short to medium space. Any separation is exploited. Pressure in his face is the only time he gets slightly rattled. Play tight on the wides in man coverage...make Watson fight through TKO to get off the line and then send London early and often to join Trip & Kyle to get in Brady's face....The run doesn't worry me as much as in the past--they have had a lot of churn on the OL and I see some age and not a lot of push.

 

Special teams--if we have an advantage its here--Terrence McGee and Roscoe Parrish can score from any where at any time..the Pats have been susceptible in the past to our return game...63 yarder by McGee called back last year; Fast Freddie's touchdown; etc. Its maybe the only flaw in the Belichick coaching armor...I like our chances if it comes down to a Rookie Kicker making 40+ yarder for the win...

 

This is all doable but may be too much for a young team....that's just becoming a team...

[drnykterstein]

this is so much better than reading national media stuffs.

its not biased (well except that last little blurb), not trying to win anyone over. its just honest.

 

... someone needs to find a way to publish these to a larger audience.

[Gainzo]

Good point.

764347[/snapback]

 

Whatever you want to call it, the Pats are 30-6 at home (including playoffs) since Gillette/Tampax/Zit Stadium opened in 2002.

[CFLstyle]

I believe that even if the Bills lose this game, there's a lot of positives they should be able to take from it. What we need to remember is that the most important thing is that Losman and McGahee are getting the offense running smoothly, and also that the defense has the cover 2 working and looking like it did in 2004. As great as it would be to win this game, it's a 16 game schedule and of the 16 games, this is our most difficult opponent. If we lose this game but go down fighting hard, and Losman looks comfortable and the team looks smooth, we have a lot to look forward to this season.