Patriots – Bills, Who Has the Razor’s Edge? Key Matchups
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Bills RBs vs NE Front Seven – Razor’s Edge Buffalo
Gone are long-time Bills Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller; now they have LeSean McCoy and the SF running style QB Tyrod Taylor. McCoy was a big pickup for Buffalo and will be looking to get untracked against a NE team that wasn’t stout against the run last week.
 Look for Jabaal Sheard to be a big impact player for the Patriots this week. (SBalestrieri,PatsFans photo) |
The Patriots defense played a light front last week vs the Steelers but look for more of a base look this week against McCoy and the Bills. Buffalo’s offensive line is still a question mark, but they should find some room for Taylor to run. Running QBs have given them issues in the past.
Bills WRs vs NE Secondary- Razor’s Edge New England
Taylor is making just his second start in the NFL this week and while he played well last week and has a number of good weapons around him, he’s still a long way from a proven starter. Sammie Watkins and Percy Harvin will be another good test for the Pats CBs Malcolm Butler and Tarell Brown.
A big matchup will be TE Charles Clay against the NE linebackers. Clay has given them problems in the past. New England’s pass rush, dormant last week was expected to be much stronger. This would be a good time to get it going and force the inexperienced Taylor into making mistakes. That’s something Bill Belichick’s defenses are also quite adept at.
Special Teams- Razor’s Edge Patriots
Very close to being a push here, the Bills and Patriots always have two of the best STs units in the league. Both teams have very solid coverage on both punts and kickoffs.
The Bills have veteran kicker Dan Carpenter and punter Colton Schmidt. Carpenter was challenged by Ryan in training camp after a lackluster summer. Schmidt averaged over 50 yards per punt in the opener. They also have the dangerous Harvin in the return game.
The Patriots have steady, dependable kickers Stephen Gostkowski and Ryan Allen. Julian Edelman is always a dangerous returner and a threat to flip field position every time he touches the ball. Gostkowski gives NE the slightest of advantages here overall. Next….Prediction, who comes out on top.
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