Patriots gridiron news: Trey Flowers ready for Week 16 battle vs. Bills
New England Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers knows his defense will be in for a battle going against LeSean McCoy and the Buffalo Bills.
There will be a lot at stake when the New England Patriots take on the Buffalo Bills Sunday in an AFC East showdown. Defensive end Trey Flowers knows it will be a challenge and one his team will be ready for.
The Bills, who come in at 8-6, are in the hunt for an AFC wild-card playoff berth and will be looking for a little revenge against the AFC East champions. As the Patriots are also vying to secure the top spot in the conference, Sunday at Gillette Stadium should be a physical battle with the winner making a clear dent in this year’s playoff picture.
"“It’s a very physical team and they do what they do well,” Flowers said, via the Sun Chronicle. “They run the ball well and they’ve definitely got a great running back and an offensive line that is big and can move you out of the way. It’s going to be a tough task just to stop the run and dealing with another dual-threat quarterback. We’re going to have to bring our all-around game.”"
If Buffalo is to go into Foxborough and pull off an upset, it will be because of their success in the running game with LeSean McCoy. The Bills will hope to slow the game down and keep the ball out of the hands of Tom Brady. They were almost successful in doing so in the first matchup.
In the Patriots’ 23-3 victory, Buffalo controlled most of the clock in the first quarter, but a costly interception deep in New England territory during their first drive swung the game and game the Patriots momentum.
To prevent the Bills from having success this time around, Flowers knows they must limit what McCoy does in the game.
"“He’s definitely one of the most elusive players in the NFL,” Flowers said. “We’re going to need everyone at the point of attack to contain him and cage him up, because you might think you have him and he’s able to wiggle his way out and find some space if you give him just a small amount of space.”"
If the New England Patriots struggle against the run in this game, it could be a long afternoon and one that could leave the team frustrated and no longer the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
All focus on Rob Gronkowski
With Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski coming off a career week, expect the Buffalo Bills to put more focus than usual on the Pro Bowl tight end.
In the two team’s first matchup, Gronkowski applied a late hit on Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White earning him a one-game suspension by the league. While Buffalo is saying they are taking the high road in not seeking out revenge, offensive lineman Richie Incognito delivered a comment that is worth taking note of.
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"“Obviously, there are going to be opportunities for guys to take shots this next game,” Incognito said, via The Buffalo News during the week. “Gronkowski took his shot. Now it’s our defense’s chance to take their shots on him. When you do dumb stuff like he did, you open the door. The referees are a little more lenient because they know you got it coming. You’ve just got to be prepared to take it.”"
Gronkowski did not respond directly to Incognito’s comment, but you better believe the big tight end as well as the entire team is on the lookout for dirty play. As far as the Buffalo Bills are concerned, they must decide if retribution is more important than possibly making the playoffs.
Patriots will be without Chris Hogan and James White
The Patriots depth will be challenged in the Week 16 matchup against the Bills. According ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is expected to be without RB James White and WR Chris Hogan on Sunday. They join RB Rex Burkhead and DT Alan Branch as players ruled out for the game.
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With the team’s next man up mentality, their absence will open opportunities for players such as RB Mike Gillislee and WR Kenny Britt.