New England Patriots Gameday: Buffalo Bills are not to be taken lightly
The New England Patriots (5-2) travel to the upstate New York to take on the Buffalo Bills (2-5) on Monday Night Football.
Nationally televised games typically bring out the best in struggling football teams and so does a chance to beat the New England Patriots.
On paper, Monday night’s AFC East showdown between the Patriots and lowly Buffalo Bills should be a lopsided win for Bill Belichick’s crew. On the field, however, the Bills typically find ways to play the Patriots tough.
Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Bills are hoping to get decent quarterback play from Derek Anderson. This is where the Patriots defense will have to make sure Buffalo’s offense doesn’t get any type of confidence going. As a 14-point underdog, the Bills won’t have anything to lose and that may make a veteran quarterback like Anderson dangerous.
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Where the Patriots should dominate this game is on the offensive side of the football. Tom Brady absolutely torches the Bills. Despite his success, the 41-year-old quarterback is still weary of the defense he is facing led by pass rusher Jerry Hughes.
"“They blitz everybody. They keep it moving,” Brady said Saturday. “They’ve got a lot of defensive calls. I think they have a lot of good players. If you have your eyes in the wrong place, they take advantage. I think Coach [Sean] McDermott just does a great job with his guys, utilizing them all to the best of their ability. He doesn’t put them in a bad position. I have a lot of respect for this defense.”"
If the Buffalo Bills are going to have a chance to make this a ballgame, it will be the defense and their ability to force turnovers. With the New England Patriots going into the game without running back Sony Michel and tight end Rob Gronkowski questionable, ball security and getting into a good offensive flow will be a key to this game.
How to watch New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
Location: New Era Field, Orchard Park, NY
Kickoff: Monday, October 29, 2018 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN (Check local listings)
Streaming: fuboTV
Week 8 Prediction:
The New England Patriots don’t do trap games, but with the Green Bay Packers lurking in a Week 9 showdown, the team may just overlook the Buffalo Bills a little bit.
Luckily, the Bills don’t have much on the offensive side of the football to pose too much of a threat. Bill Belichick may likely focus on stopping LeSean McCoy and forcing Derek Anderson to make plays with his arm. If that happens, it will be a lopsided victory for the New England Patriots.
Next. New England Patriots: 3 players to watch in Week 8 Monday night matchup. dark
In this game, look for Josh Gordon to have another breakout type game for the Patriots. Tom Brady will have a lot of success against a blitzing Bills’ defense and New England wins this one 41-10.