Game Day Thread Official Pats at Bills Playoff Pregame Discussion Thread

[Rob0729]

I went to Buffalo, it was not too bad. I went to the 0-31 game in 2002.

However, I would not want to go to this game. Freezing, on the road, and likely to lose? No way.

I think it is a much different crowd today than they were 20 years ago. I don’t think they were jumping off objects to smash tables back then.

 

[Sicilian]

This place is like a morgue.

In the (slightly altered) words of Bane: Victory has defeated us. 20 years of winning created a mentality that you're only allowed to enjoy a game either after you've won or if you're overwhelmingly the favorite. Otherwise you should be miserable. It's exhausting.

 

[gitgronked82]

He did well last week afaics (Herron that is) but run game will suffer a bit wo Wynn one way or the other.

I liked the use of Onwenu this year as jumbo/rotational weapon (+ keeping him healthy to just slide in with no loss in case ANY starter goes down - being able to play at least 3 positions well).

Sure it’s a luxury to have him in that role, but is there any doubt he’s one of our absolute best linemen (especially when he plays tackle)? I’d love to have him on the field as much as possible, especially if we’re down a guy.

 

[VrabelJr]

I think Buffalo has a better roster than us at every single position currently except for OL. I like to go with the eye test and the last game against Buffalo was a very thorough display that they are a cut above us. We couldn't really stop them from taking anything they wanted. That was the sort of game where the score was not an accurate representation of what transpired on the field. I'm surprised they are only 11-5 and I'll chalk that up to 2021 just being a strange season. The only thing that can stop the Bills is Josh Allen.

I'd feel a lot more confident about this game if our defense didn't do a disappearing act since the bye week. Our problems at LB/DE feel catastrophic and teams are enjoying exploiting it. We basically need to have a two score lead to force teams into playing into the strength of our defense. We're going to need perfect execution on offense to do that. Our margin for error is essentially zero.

To me this matchup feels like when we played the Broncos in the 2013-14 playoffs. Sure the records are similar, but the teams on the field right now are playing miles apart. Nevertheless, just as in that game against the Broncos I have no reason but to believe.

 

[JackBauer]

I think Buffalo has a better roster than us at every single position currently except for OL. I like to go with the eye test and the last game against Buffalo was a very thorough display that they are a cut above us. We couldn't really stop them from taking anything they wanted. That was the sort of game where the score was not an accurate representation of what transpired on the field. I'm surprised they are only 11-5 and I'll chalk that up to 2021 just being a strange season. The only thing that can stop the Bills is Josh Allen.

I'd feel a lot more confident about this game if our defense didn't do a disappearing act since the bye week. To me this matchup feels like when we played the Broncos in the 2013-14 playoffs. Sure the records are similar, but the teams on the field right now are playing miles apart. Nevertheless, just as in that game against the Broncos I have no reason but to believe.

I’d take the Pats RBs.

 

[Mack Herron]

 

[Sicilian]

I think Buffalo has a better roster than us at every single position currently except for OL. I like to go with the eye test and the last game against Buffalo was a very thorough display that they are a cut above us. We couldn't really stop them from taking anything they wanted. That was the sort of game where the score was not an accurate representation of what transpired on the field. I'm surprised they are only 11-5 and I'll chalk that up to 2021 just being a strange season. The only thing that can stop the Bills is Josh Allen.

I'd feel a lot more confident about this game if our defense didn't do a disappearing act since the bye week. To me this matchup feels like when we played the Broncos in the 2013-14 playoffs. Sure the records are similar, but the teams on the field right now are playing miles apart. Nevertheless, just as in that game against the Broncos I have no reason but to believe.

I would give Pats the edge at TE and RB as well. Hunter Henry is better than Dawson Knox (not by a lot, mind you), and as disappointing as Jonnu has been, he's better than the Bills #2.

And Harris/Stevenson is a better duo than Singletary/Moss.

Secondaries are fairly comparable as well (they have great safeties, but honestly so do we). If they still had White I would go Bills without a second thought, but without him, the best CB on the field Saturday will be on the Patriots. They win out on depth there though, especially if Mills can't go.

 

[VrabelJr]

I’d take the Pats RBs.

I went back and forth on calling that out. On the whole I agree but Moss and Singletary (especially) have been playing better as of late. In general the Bills offense just seems in rhythm. The emergence of Isiah McKenzie is probably a big factor.

Obviously I think Harris is the best but Rhamondre has some serious flaws. It was encouraging to see us throw to Harris four times last week. If he can become 2-dimensonal that will be huge.

 

[VrabelJr]

I would give Pats the edge at TE and RB as well. Hunter Henry is better than Dawson Knox (not by a lot, mind you), and as disappointing as Jonnu has been, he's better than the Bills #2.

And Harris/Stevenson is a better duo than Singletary/Moss.

Secondaries are fairly comparable as well (they have great safeties, but honestly so do we). If they still had White I would go Bills without a second thought, but without him, the best CB on the field Saturday will be on the Patriots. They win out on depth there though, especially if Mills can't go.

Devin McCourty is nearing the top of my All-Time favorite Patriots but he is not the same player anymore. There was a period from 2013-2018 where teams just didn't go deep on us except for out of desperation. His 80 solo tackles (as a Free Safety!) in 2017 still make me feel like it was a miss not to have him in Defensive POY discussions. The way he could show up and turn a single team into a double team made me wonder if he had a teleportation device. Unfortunately he's not the same athletically anymore. Poyer and Hyde are clearly better than him at this point.

 

[irishfanatic]

I've never seen a more dour atmosphere for a Pats playoff game. Nobody anywhere is giving them a chance to win and I understand that, but man ...

True, but on a positive note at least the Capt is all optimistic.....

 

[Sicilian]

Devin McCourty is nearing the top of my All-Time favorite Patriots but he is not the same player anymore. There was a period from 2013-2018 where teams just didn't go deep on us except for out of desperation. The way he could show up and turn a single team into a double team made me wonder if he had a teleportation device. Unfortunately he's not the same athletically. Poyer and Hyde are clearly better than him at this point.

Oh no doubt, but he's still a good player, and Phillips and Dugger are both having phenomenal seasons. Hyde and Poyer are the better duo, but the Patriots are three deep (and all three play 80+% of the snaps). I think both teams' safety play are near top of the league.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Because nobody can be worse. Nobody.

Yes, someone is worse ;-)

 

[SVN]

Pats need to win the turnover battle and to get a St or defensive score....barring an all time playoff defensive performance holding buffalo to 10 points, pretty sure the pats will have a tough time winning if they don't subscribe to my prescription

This is your weekly prediction vs <insert opponent> . Did you say it was all brady last week? And now you think they can actually with BB or a BB coached team is capable of all these things you are prescribing ?

 

[Ring 6]

I've never seen a more dour atmosphere for a Pats playoff game. Nobody anywhere is giving them a chance to win and I understand that, but man ...

I’m expecting a win. BB will have this team ready and a strong game plan. This is a young team (in terms of young players and new to NE players) ready to peak.
Buffalo is not a big game team.

 

[Rob0729]

I went back and forth on calling that out. On the whole I agree but Moss and Singletary (especially) have been playing better as of late. In general the Bills offense just seems in rhythm. The emergence of Isiah McKenzie is probably a big factor.

Obviously I think Harris is the best but Rhamondre has some serious flaws. It was encouraging to see us throw to Harris four times last week. If he can become 2-dimensonal that will be huge.

McKenzie had a great game vs the Pats, but he has done next to nothing this year before that game and since. In the last two weeks, he had two catches for 16 yards total. His emergence is sorta like Jonas Gray emerged as a dominant RB after one great game with the Patriots. He had 178 yards and one TD this season with 125 yards and one TD coming against the Patriots. And he has 48 yards as a runner this season. Kendrick Bourne has been far more potent as a runner by a WR than McKenzie. Bourne in the last four weeks has rushed for 44 yards alone.

Last week, Moss had five rushes for eight yards. The week before, he rushed five times for 39 yards. Are you going to say he is better than Stevenson as the #2 RB. Allen is their true #2 RB. And Harris arguably was one of the best RB in the league this year. Singeltary has played well in recent weeks, but no unbiased person would take him over Harris. The only way you could even consider arguing the Bills RBs are better than the Patriots’ RB is if you count Allen as a RB. But even then, I think it would be a weak argument.

And then I haven’t even brought up Brandon Bolden who is better than and third down back the Bills have.

The Pats clearly have the better RB corp.

 

[sb1]

Game is not sold out yet. Still see plenty of tickets on Ticketmaster that are not resale.

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00005A8799BB1DEC?brand=bills&artistid=805905&landing=s&wt.mc_id=NFL_TEAM_BUF_SCHED_PG_LINK_PLAYOFF_GAME1

I see a lot of the resales are a lot cheaper too…guess because of the cold weather

 

[Patjew]

I cannot believe how negative and sad this thread is.

 

[Joker]

I cannot believe how negative and sad this thread is.

heh...you think THIS is bad?...hang around and catch the Friday night shytshow...

 

[captain stone]

This place is like a morgue.

Can you blame them? Pats have Nothing going for them on Either side of the LOS to give Anyone hope that a win is even possible, never mind probable... The talent, especially when considering its current overall state of health, isn't nearly good enough to overcome all of the coaching- and self-inflicted ****-ups that these dummies committed during their losses to Miami x2, Indy & Dallas, any two of which had they been wins would've given us the #1 seed on a silver platter; but Noooooo...

 

[RobertWeathers]

Can you blame them? Pats have Nothing going for them on Either side of the LOS to give Anyone hope that a win is even possible, never mind probable... The talent, especially when considering its current overall state of health, isn't nearly good enough to overcome all of the coaching- and self-inflicted ****-ups that these dummies committed during their losses to Miami x2, Indy & Dallas, any two of which had they been wins would've given us the #1 seed on a silver platter; but Noooooo...

************ go get a drink.

There is plenty to be excited about. Youth at Qb, RB, o-line, dline, Duggers, JC, BB..