A reason the Patriots might lose Monday night to Buffalo

[Ivan]

100%. You seize control of the division and potentially the conference, and at that point you could potentially even send Buffalo on a downward spiral. They still have to play Tampa after this. Definitely reduces the likelihood of seeing them a third time.

Both teams really need to win out to get the division, but the Patriots are probably in the best shape a WC, as they are 7-1 in the AFC. Buffalo has to play Tampa, but the Patriots have Indy and Miami at home, and they have been playing good football lately, There is still a ways to go in this season, they need to keep putting the wins up.

 

[n6249c]

Agree. Now that Patricia has taken Ernie Adam’s position I wouldn’t be surprised if Belichick had tasked him with breaking down everything in Allen’s game and how best to attack him and confuse him. Belichick knows that winning the division is the first hurdle and I am sure he targeted the Buffalo games as the most important games on their schedule.

This week. Last week the most important game on their schedule was Tennessee. Next week it’s Indianapolis.

 

[Hyped]

So much hate for vanilla...makes me sick.

 

[Patsfan1958]

So much hate for vanilla...makes me sick.

 

[seven]

Red flag If Mac opts for gloves?
*
OBV:
Run ball. Repeat
Wait for the mistake
They will make Thee Mistake
Rhymes with Fate

ST will be 100% wtf
Great
*
Punchline:
Bills are built as a spread/dome team

Why?
Expected to relocate
Has to be.
Or nobody there has ever seen a football game.

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

That is I’m afraid to lose mentality
Stay with the winning mentality and make in game adjustments that will give you the best chance to win both games

 

[upstater1]

I will only say this: the last time the Patriots played the Bills in 40+ mph, the Patriots were so incredibly vanilla because of the wind, they even had Cassel punt on 3rd down. And it resulted in this:

 

[Ochmed Jones]

First! We need to run the ball! Buffalo defense struggles with that.
Second! We need to use at action to suck up the secondary and five homes an extra half second to throw.
third! Defense needs to keep playing well.

 

[DarrylS]

The only reason they might lose tonight is the weather, they will not be "outplayed" or "outcoached". Discount Mac Jones never played in the snow, he will figure it out with the help of coaching staff..

4Warn Weather

Visit the post for more.

www.wivb.com

Tonight​

Still Breezy, Scattered Lake Effect Snow Showers, Possibly Heavy at Times, Low 26F.
26°FStill Breezy, Scattered Lake Effect Snow Showers, Possibly Heavy at Times, Low 26F.
Wind12 mph WSWPrecip35%

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

The Patriots and Bills could (even likely) meet three times in the next 7-8 weeks.

How often does a team beat one as good as the Bills three times in that period?

Bill will have to go a little vanilla. He can't empty out the plan. To win three straight from a team that good, Bill must know he needs his team to beat them head to head on talent alone during some of this stretch. This game for multiple reasons seems like the place to begin.

This is what is meant by chess vs checkers. Sean McDermott will be all in.

Maz would love you

 

[Triumph]

I believe it is the Bills who will have trick plays.

Daboll has done this before when the Browns beat the Pats.

 

[Family]

Disagree on this. Winning the first match up is always more important as it provides more leeway in the second, especially since the second game is at home. They are all important but it’s always better to be one up than one down.

Ok I'm doubling down but changing the word "vanilla" to "conservative". Previous examples when BB has coached an important game and put future ahead of the game in hand.

1) The Miami game a few years back when he coached conservatively and gave up the #1 seed. Reason: protect injured players.
2) This year VS Dallas and Tampa Bay. Reason protect the development of a rookie QB
3) Malcolm Butler Super Bowl: Reason who knows?


This would not be the first time Bill might have taken a longer term approach to an important game. And we don't know how he feels about possibly having to beat a quality division rival three times in a season because I don't think he's ever faced that challenge (one year an inferior Miami)

The board screamed for days in the above three examples without great resolution beyond Bill makes mistakes. Maybe the answer lies in Bill’s thought process. Maybe it’s part of why the team seems always better in December (I know this is December). I’m not saying the team is playing to lose, of course, but if they can’t beat a team straight up once how do they beat them possibly three times?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I will only say this: the last time the Patriots played the Bills in 40+ mph, the Patriots were so incredibly vanilla because of the wind, they even had Cassel punt on 3rd down. And it resulted in this:

Belichick punted to basically ice the game at that point. We were up 13-0 with like 6 mins left in the 4th.

 

[Sicilian]

Smart dog.

If we meet Buffalo in the playoffs after the game everyone will be saying Bill saved something. Just sayin.

And if he does "save something", loses this game, and has to play not only an extra playoff game but also has to play again IN Buffalo (should they even be lucky enough to face them again), what will people say then?

Not to mention the idea of saving something for future matchups assumes that the gameplan wouldn't shift quite a bit depending on what they see the Bills do in this game and the next.

I think this post is overthinking things a bit. If the Patriots lose tonight, it's because they played a good, division rival on the road, and winning any NFL game is hard.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

tonight from 8-11: cloudy, high 30's, steady 30mph wind (westerly), with gusts up to 46mph.

Steady winds of 30 with gusts to almost 50 is insane for a football game. As a team we're better built for it, but anything can happen. A 50mph gust will just about knock you over.

You know who could play a role tonight is N'Keal.

 

[sb1]

Smart dog.

If we meet Buffalo in the playoffs after the game everyone will be saying Bill saved something. Just sayin.

It’s week 13. There’s only 5 games left. The Pats haven’t clinched anything yet. 4 out of out next 5 games are against quality opponents or teams that are as hot as ours. The odds of the Patriots finishing 1-4 and missing the playoffs completely are not zero.

Bill isn’t saving anything in any December game I guarantee he will go all out to get his team the win even if it means he opens up the whole playbook.

 

[PP2]

@Zuma sorry I can't respond to your post, I'm locked out of that thread too. Someone has a personal vendetta against me so I'm outta here for a while

 

[Ivan]

Ok I'm doubling down but changing the word "vanilla" to "conservative". Previous examples when BB has coached an important game and put future ahead of the game in hand.

1) The Miami game a few years back when he coached conservatively and gave up the #1 seed. Reason: protect injured players.
2) This year VS Dallas and Tampa Bay. Reason protect the development of a rookie QB
3) Malcolm Butler Super Bowl: Reason who knows?


This would not be the first time Bill might have taken a longer term approach to an important game. And we don't know how he feels about possibly having to beat a quality division rival three times in a season because I don't think he's ever faced that challenge (one year an inferior Miami)

The board screamed for days in the above three examples without great resolution beyond Bill makes mistakes. Maybe the answer lies in Bill’s thought process. Maybe it’s part of why the team seems always better in December (I know this is December). I’m not saying the team is playing to lose, of course, but if they can’t beat a team straight up once how do they beat them possibly three times?

You are citing examples of teams that Belichick knew were a lock to go to the playoffs and probs luck go far in the playoffs. That is not the case this season. Much as I like this team they have to treat every game as a must win game or they could end up golfing in January. Belichick isn’t going to throw 29 trick plays at them but he’s not going to ease up because he thinks they can afford to lose to Buffalo.

 

[sb1]

If the Pats lose their next 3 they go from likely playoffs to the season in jeopardy.

The only thing they've clinched is an 8 win season and not a thing more. BB won't be holding anything back from anyone.

 

[Ivan]

If the Pats lose their next 3 they go from likely playoffs to the season in jeopardy.

The only thing they've clinched is an 8 win season and not a thing more. BB won't be holding anything back from anyone.

Agree with this. The first goal of every Patriots season is to win the division, and they aren’t even close to that yet. Belichick is going to treat every game as must win unless and until they are locked in to a playoff position.