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The New England Patriots needed every second of their 60 minute allotment to survive the Thursday Night contest in Foxboro for the win over the Jets. It seems to be the story for the second straight year; New England is winning them ugly.

The good thing about a Thursday night game is the long week of rest, recuperation, and preparation. Still reeling from the losses of Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley in the Buffalo game the previous week, the Patriots limped home for a stretch of three home games leading up to their bye-week and a big break from the grind.

The bad news is that the third game in this stretch happens to be the Denver Broncos who are riding high (with all those records in tow) and will be a formidable foe for this beleagured Patriot team. But not wanting to get too far ahead...

Here's how the Patriots stack-up against this week's opponent- the Chicago Bears.

1. The Patriots have won the last three contests with ease.

Most recently was a complete shelacking in the snow in 2010, where Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and Jay Cutler threw two interceptions. This is not the same team, but if Brady and this offense have really hit their stride, they will keep the Chicago defense on its heels and the offense watching from the bench.

2. Don't be fooled by the close game gainst the Jets.

We all know that division rivals play each other tougher than usual. The Jets were hungry for a win, while the Patriots had come off of two huge wins over Cincinatti and Buffalo. Let's not expect every game to be a blow-out win like in 2007. But the new line-up has started to gel and Brady has targets who won't let him down. Brady did manage to throw three TD passes last week.

3. The Patriots' defensive front line is not as porous as some would have us believe.

The Jets' success on the ground to the tune of 218 yards was the worst of the season, but by no means typical. It was all the way back to week four and a loss to the Chiefs that the Patriot D gave up more than 100 yards to an entire backfield! If there is anything to be said, it is that the D line can be Jekyll and Hyde at times. The Patriots were clearly not ready for the Chiefs or their fans. But they have not looked back since that debacle. Is there room for imrovement? Certainly. But they can and will come together.

4. The secondary will rise to the occasion.

With the addition of Brandon Browner, the Patriots now have a physical and highly talented defensive backfield that will rival most passing attacks. The Bears have a very talented corps of receivers, not the least of which is Matt Forte out of the backfield. Like I said, this will be a big test for this defense. At least the secondary has the tools to keep the damage to a minimum.

5. The running game.

Filling the shoes of Stevan Ridley is impossible at this stage of the season. There are no lead runners available for the asking. But what the Patriots and Bill Belichick do best is to plug holes and make it work within the system. Jonas Gray, activated last week as a stop-gap in Ridley's absence, was good enough to warrant a flyer in the offseason. He made the practice squad, and now he has the chance to prove he can carve-out a role in the backfield-by-committee that is The Patriot Way. Shane Vereen has already proven his worth, while Brandon Bolden continues to fight for his life in the rotation. Where's LeGarrette Blount when you need him...

In the end, the Patriots are what Belichick has made them. They may not have the plethora of big-name talent that wows us on paper. What they do have is heart and determination. Chicago will be no roll-over.

New England will have to control the line of scrimmage, primarily in the passing game where Brady just needs enough time to find his targets. If the defense does what they are capable of doing, the offense will provide the lead, allowing them to play the game on their own terms.

The New England Patriots needed every second of their 60 minute allotment to survive the Thursday Night contest in Foxboro for the win over the Jets. It seems to be the story for the second straight year; New England is winning them ugly.

The good thing about a Thursday night game is the long week of rest, recuperation, and preparation. Still reeling from the losses of Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley in the Buffalo game the previous week, the Patriots limped home for a stretch of three home games leading up to their bye-week and a big break from the grind.

The bad news is that the third game in this stretch happens to be the Denver Broncos who are riding high (with all those records in tow) and will be a formidable foe for this beleagured Patriot team. But not wanting to get too far ahead...

Here's how the Patriots stack-up against this week's opponent- the Chicago Bears.

1. The Patriots have won the last three contests with ease.

Most recently was a complete shelacking in the snow in 2010, where Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and Jay Cutler threw two interceptions. This is not the same team, but if Brady and this offense have really hit their stride, they will keep the Chicago defense on its heels and the offense watching from the bench.

2. Don't be fooled by the close game gainst the Jets.

We all know that division rivals play each other tougher than usual. The Jets were hungry for a win, while the Patriots had come off of two huge wins over Cincinatti and Buffalo. Let's not expect every game to be a blow-out win like in 2007. But the new line-up has started to gel and Brady has targets who won't let him down. Brady did manage to throw three TD passes last week.

3. The Patriots' defensive front line is not as porous as some would have us believe.

The Jets' success on the ground to the tune of 218 yards was the worst of the season, but by no means typical. It was all the way back to week four and a loss to the Chiefs that the Patriot D gave up more than 100 yards to an entire backfield! If there is anything to be said, it is that the D line can be Jekyll and Hyde at times. The Patriots were clearly not ready for the Chiefs or their fans. But they have not looked back since that debacle. Is there room for imrovement? Certainly. But they can and will come together.

4. The secondary will rise to the occasion.

With the addition of Brandon Browner, the Patriots now have a physical and highly talented defensive backfield that will rival most passing attacks. The Bears have a very talented corps of receivers, not the least of which is Matt Forte out of the backfield. Like I said, this will be a big test for this defense. At least the secondary has the tools to keep the damage to a minimum.

5. The running game.

Filling the shoes of Stevan Ridley is impossible at this stage of the season. There are no lead runners available for the asking. But what the Patriots and Bill Belichick do best is to plug holes and make it work within the system. Jonas Gray, activated last week as a stop-gap in Ridley's absence, was good enough to warrant a flyer in the offseason. He made the practice squad, and now he has the chance to prove he can carve-out a role in the backfield-by-committee that is The Patriot Way. Shane Vereen has already proven his worth, while Brandon Bolden continues to fight for his life in the rotation. Where's LeGarrette Blount when you need him...

In the end, the Patriots are what Belichick has made them. They may not have the plethora of big-name talent that wows us on paper. What they do have is heart and determination. Chicago will be no roll-over.

New England will have to control the line of scrimmage, primarily in the passing game where Brady just needs enough time to find his targets. If the defense does what they are capable of doing, the offense will provide the lead, allowing them to play the game on their own terms.

The New England Patriots needed every second of their 60 minute allotment to survive the Thursday Night contest in Foxboro for the win over the Jets. It seems to be the story for the second straight year; New England is winning them ugly.

The good thing about a Thursday night game is the long week of rest, recuperation, and preparation. Still reeling from the losses of Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley in the Buffalo game the previous week, the Patriots limped home for a stretch of three home games leading up to their bye-week and a big break from the grind.

The bad news is that the third game in this stretch happens to be the Denver Broncos who are riding high (with all those records in tow) and will be a formidable foe for this beleagured Patriot team. But not wanting to get too far ahead...

Here's how the Patriots stack-up against this week's opponent- the Chicago Bears.

1. The Patriots have won the last three contests with ease.

Most recently was a complete shelacking in the snow in 2010, where Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and Jay Cutler threw two interceptions. This is not the same team, but if Brady and this offense have really hit their stride, they will keep the Chicago defense on its heels and the offense watching from the bench.

2. Don't be fooled by the close game gainst the Jets.

We all know that division rivals play each other tougher than usual. The Jets were hungry for a win, while the Patriots had come off of two huge wins over Cincinatti and Buffalo. Let's not expect every game to be a blow-out win like in 2007. But the new line-up has started to gel and Brady has targets who won't let him down. Brady did manage to throw three TD passes last week.

3. The Patriots' defensive front line is not as porous as some would have us believe.

The Jets' success on the ground to the tune of 218 yards was the worst of the season, but by no means typical. It was all the way back to week four and a loss to the Chiefs that the Patriot D gave up more than 100 yards to an entire backfield! If there is anything to be said, it is that the D line can be Jekyll and Hyde at times. The Patriots were clearly not ready for the Chiefs or their fans. But they have not looked back since that debacle. Is there room for imrovement? Certainly. But they can and will come together.

4. The secondary will rise to the occasion.

With the addition of Brandon Browner, the Patriots now have a physical and highly talented defensive backfield that will rival most passing attacks. The Bears have a very talented corps of receivers, not the least of which is Matt Forte out of the backfield. Like I said, this will be a big test for this defense. At least the secondary has the tools to keep the damage to a minimum.

5. The running game.

Filling the shoes of Stevan Ridley is impossible at this stage of the season. There are no lead runners available for the asking. But what the Patriots and Bill Belichick do best is to plug holes and make it work within the system. Jonas Gray, activated last week as a stop-gap in Ridley's absence, was good enough to warrant a flyer in the offseason. He made the practice squad, and now he has the chance to prove he can carve-out a role in the backfield-by-committee that is The Patriot Way. Shane Vereen has already proven his worth, while Brandon Bolden continues to fight for his life in the rotation. Where's LeGarrette Blount when you need him...

In the end, the Patriots are what Belichick has made them. They may not have the plethora of big-name talent that wows us on paper. What they do have is heart and determination. Chicago will be no roll-over.

New England will have to control the line of scrimmage, primarily in the passing game where Brady just needs enough time to find his targets. If the defense does what they are capable of doing, the offense will provide the lead, allowing them to play the game on their own terms.

The New England Patriots needed every second of their 60 minute allotment to survive the Thursday Night contest in Foxboro for the win over the Jets. It seems to be the story for the second straight year; New England is winning them ugly.

The good thing about a Thursday night game is the long week of rest, recuperation, and preparation. Still reeling from the losses of Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley in the Buffalo game the previous week, the Patriots limped home for a stretch of three home games leading up to their bye-week and a big break from the grind.

The bad news is that the third game in this stretch happens to be the Denver Broncos who are riding high (with all those records in tow) and will be a formidable foe for this beleagured Patriot team. But not wanting to get too far ahead...

Here's how the Patriots stack-up against this week's opponent- the Chicago Bears.

1. The Patriots have won the last three contests with ease.

Most recently was a complete shelacking in the snow in 2010, where Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and Jay Cutler threw two interceptions. This is not the same team, but if Brady and this offense have really hit their stride, they will keep the Chicago defense on its heels and the offense watching from the bench.

2. Don't be fooled by the close game gainst the Jets.

We all know that division rivals play each other tougher than usual. The Jets were hungry for a win, while the Patriots had come off of two huge wins over Cincinatti and Buffalo. Let's not expect every game to be a blow-out win like in 2007. But the new line-up has started to gel and Brady has targets who won't let him down. Brady did manage to throw three TD passes last week.

3. The Patriots' defensive front line is not as porous as some would have us believe.

The Jets' success on the ground to the tune of 218 yards was the worst of the season, but by no means typical. It was all the way back to week four and a loss to the Chiefs that the Patriot D gave up more than 100 yards to an entire backfield! If there is anything to be said, it is that the D line can be Jekyll and Hyde at times. The Patriots were clearly not ready for the Chiefs or their fans. But they have not looked back since that debacle. Is there room for imrovement? Certainly. But they can and will come together.

4. The secondary will rise to the occasion.

With the addition of Brandon Browner, the Patriots now have a physical and highly talented defensive backfield that will rival most passing attacks. The Bears have a very talented corps of receivers, not the least of which is Matt Forte out of the backfield. Like I said, this will be a big test for this defense. At least the secondary has the tools to keep the damage to a minimum.

5. The running game.

Filling the shoes of Stevan Ridley is impossible at this stage of the season. There are no lead runners available for the asking. But what the Patriots and Bill Belichick do best is to plug holes and make it work within the system. Jonas Gray, activated last week as a stop-gap in Ridley's absence, was good enough to warrant a flyer in the offseason. He made the practice squad, and now he has the chance to prove he can carve-out a role in the backfield-by-committee that is The Patriot Way. Shane Vereen has already proven his worth, while Brandon Bolden continues to fight for his life in the rotation. Where's LeGarrette Blount when you need him...

In the end, the Patriots are what Belichick has made them. They may not have the plethora of big-name talent that wows us on paper. What they do have is heart and determination. Chicago will be no roll-over.

New England will have to control the line of scrimmage, primarily in the passing game where Brady just needs enough time to find his targets. If the defense does what they are capable of doing, the offense will provide the lead, allowing them to play the game on their own terms.

The New England Patriots continued to dominate the Buffalo Bills, defeating their AFC East rival, 37-22, to take sole possession of first place in the division. Including today’s victory, the Patriots sport a 26-3 record against the Bills since Bill Belichick became head coach. Not a great start to Terry Pegula’s ownership, but the Bills did hang in for three quarters, and if not for some first-half mistakes, they could have been in the running for a win.

Here are three things we learned from this game

1. Buffalo Isn’t Good Enough To Overcome Mistakes

    

The 13-7 halftime score should have given Bills fans hope. However, all the New England scoring came after Buffalo turnovers. And the way the Buffalo defense dominated the first half, the game could easily have been 7-0 or 10-0 Bills.

Buffalo came into the game tied for the league lead with a +6 turnover ratio. And their mistake-free/opportunistic formula gave them a legit 3-2 record and a share of the division lead. But against the Patriots they lost the turnover battle 3-0, dropped multiple passes, missed assignments in the secondary, and committed 8 accepted penalties for 107 yards.

The Bills are good, almost certainly the second most talented team in the AFC East. But they can’t overcome that many mistakes, especially against teams that don’t beat themselves. The good news is that if they can get back to mistake-free football, they will be contenders for a playoff spot.

2. Patriots Offense Still Finding Its Way On The Road

Before you say it, yes, 37 points is a very good showing against any NFL team. But the offense struggled in the first half, scoring only on short-field drives after turnovers. To their credit, their halftime adjustments were excellent, and the team scored on four-of-four meaningful possessions in the last 30 minutes.

However, the offensive tackles still struggled. They got zero push in the running game (50 yards total, with a 1.9 ypc average) and gave up the edge too quickly in pass protection. This coming a week after they dominated a comparable Cincinnati front-seven at home.

The difference is crowd noise. Offensive line play is about communication and working as a unit; and when O-line has this little experience together, going with a silent count makes the job doubly difficult. On many plays in this game, you could see the Bills defenders get a better jump off the ball than the Patriots linemen.

On the plus side, improved performance in the second half indicates better in-game adjustments. And the decision to bail on six-linemen sets in favor of second (and sometimes third) tight ends paid big dividends the last two games. And of course, any offense will improve as its stars get healthy, and tight end Rob Gronkowski is rounding into form.

The line will likely struggle on the road until at least Thanksgiving, when their continuity should start to improve their cohesiveness. And the good news for the Patriots is they play only one road game between now and Thanksgiving. If receiver Brandon LaFell and tight end Tim Wright continue to improve, the offense should be clicking nicely by December.

3. Two Dominant Tight Ends

Sunday featured two great performances by tights ends, one for each team.

The Bills Scott Chandler was their go-to receiver, catching 6 passes for 105 yards. Five of his catches went for first downs, as he repeated exploited the Patriots pass coverage weakness at linebacker. New England simply had no answer for Chandler.

The Patriots would be well advised to worry a bit more about him for the rematch in December. Nothing they did could slow him down, and sliding coverage his way could cause matchup problems with the other Bills receivers.

Patriots Tight end Rob Gronkowski looked uncoverable at times, ending the day with 7 catches for 94 yards (and one touchdown called back on a penalty). The team flanked him out wide several times, and the one-on-one matchup went in Gronkowski’s favor, whether the Bills covered him with a safety or a cornerback.

Other teams should take note, because this alignment either spreads the field laterally or causes a physical matchup problem. As for how the Bills should attack that formation when the teams meet again in December, they double Gronkowski and take their chances with the other tight ends.

But regardless of how the teams adjust for the next matchup, it was impressive to see tight ends be the center of the teams’ offenses. Both players work hard in pass protection and the running game, so it’s nice to throw them a bone once in a while.

Hope you enjoyed the game!

Block out all the noise, and stop listening to the naysayers, the New England Patriots are still one of the best teams in football. So many were ready to write-off Tom Brady and the Patriots, but they don't know him or this team. Apparently, 13 years has not been enough of a lesson to set a precedent for what this guy can do.

It takes a team to win games; the Patriots are winners. There is no math to do; just look at history.

In Buffalo, NY on a nice, sunny day, the Buffalo Bills proved they still are not up to the level of the Patriots. While this Bills' team is a much better version than fell into the basement of the AFC East in 2103, holding court against the true powerhouse of the division is still no easy task.

Did I mention it's Tom Brady?

The contest started slowly, with the Patriots looking a little lethargic out of the gate, and the Bills seemingly offering some stiff resistence on defense. New England also came up pretty big on defense, causing a stalemate in the first quarter. Buffalo came out running the ball. while New England started with a heavy passing attack.

And then in the second quarter, the fireworks began. The two teams traded TDs, and then the Patriots scored three times before the Bills could answer. But Brady never looked back, controling the pace of the game with superior fire power, despite not having any run support.

The Bills fared no better on the ground, leaving the contest in the hands of Kyle Orton, who was no match for the Patriots and Brady. For as close as the game was through half-time, the Patriots quickly ran away with it in the second half.

Mr. Brady ended the day with a 73% completion rate and four TDs. The biggest difference in the game, besides penalties, was the turnovers. Along with only completing two TD passes, Orton threw an interception and gave away the ball on a strip sack. C.J. Spiller also lost a fumble that stalled his team on a late drive.

How soon will we start to hear Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and Brandon LaFell called "The Big Three"? I hope soon, given that I have seen LaFell as a great asset to the team from the beginning, and also a great complement to Edelman. All three went over 90 yards receiving, while Brian Tyms got a small taste of being a Brady target in the end-zone.

I'm also beginning to wonder how much longer Belichick will put up with Aaron Dobson. He seems to be falling further behind, and one might wonder why Kenbrell Thompkins was jettisoned instead of him. He needs to step up his play if he wants to stay in the line-up. One catch a week is not a good sign.

Let's give props to the defense of the Patriots as well; the sacks began to come fast and furious, lead by Rob Ninkovich with three, and Chandler Jones, who simultaneously caused that fumble and recovery, and another one from Deontae Skinner, who has fought his way onto the roster. And let's not forget Devon McCourty coming back from a minor ding to cause the Spiller fumble, and the young but impressive Jamie Collins with the heads-up pick of Orton.

This was a big and impressive win for the Patriots, and extremely important for the division standings. These in-division games are the most crucial, as the Patriots found out the hard way in 2008, losing the tie-breaker to Miami.

The Patriots are headed in exactly the direction they need to go. Buffalo must shake this off if they have any hope of NOT repeating last year. I just don't see Orton as the answer. The Patriots face the Jets on a short week with the Thursday night game of the week. The Jets' woes play right into the hands of a team on the move. The Bills face a team with even more struggles in Minnesota; perhaps that is what they need to pull a quick turn-around.

The New England Patriots continued to dominate the Buffalo Bills, defeating their AFC East rival, 37-22, to take sole possession of first place in the division. Including today’s victory, the Patriots sport a 26-3 record against the Bills since Bill Belichick became head coach. Not a great start to Terry Pegula’s ownership, but the Bills did hang in for three quarters, and if not for some first-half mistakes, they could have been in the running for a win.

Here are three things we learned from this game

1. Buffalo Isn’t Good Enough To Overcome Mistakes

    

The 13-7 halftime score should have given Bills fans hope. However, all the New England scoring came after Buffalo turnovers. And the way the Buffalo defense dominated the first half, the game could easily have been 7-0 or 10-0 Bills.

Buffalo came into the game tied for the league lead with a +6 turnover ratio. And their mistake-free/opportunistic formula gave them a legit 3-2 record and a share of the division lead. But against the Patriots they lost the turnover battle 3-0, dropped multiple passes, missed assignments in the secondary, and committed 8 accepted penalties for 107 yards.

The Bills are good, almost certainly the second most talented team in the AFC East. But they can’t overcome that many mistakes, especially against teams that don’t beat themselves. The good news is that if they can get back to mistake-free football, they will be contenders for a playoff spot.

2. Patriots Offense Still Finding Its Way On The Road

Before you say it, yes, 37 points is a very good showing against any NFL team. But the offense struggled in the first half, scoring only on short-field drives after turnovers. To their credit, their halftime adjustments were excellent, and the team scored on four-of-four meaningful possessions in the last 30 minutes.

However, the offensive tackles still struggled. They got zero push in the running game (50 yards total, with a 1.9 ypc average) and gave up the edge too quickly in pass protection. This coming a week after they dominated a comparable Cincinnati front-seven at home.

The difference is crowd noise. Offensive line play is about communication and working as a unit; and when O-line has this little experience together, going with a silent count makes the job doubly difficult. On many plays in this game, you could see the Bills defenders get a better jump off the ball than the Patriots linemen.

On the plus side, improved performance in the second half indicates better in-game adjustments. And the decision to bail on six-linemen sets in favor of second (and sometimes third) tight ends paid big dividends the last two games. And of course, any offense will improve as its stars get healthy, and tight end Rob Gronkowski is rounding into form.

The line will likely struggle on the road until at least Thanksgiving, when their continuity should start to improve their cohesiveness. And the good news for the Patriots is they play only one road game between now and Thanksgiving. If receiver Brandon LaFell and tight end Tim Wright continue to improve, the offense should be clicking nicely by December.

3. Two Dominant Tight Ends

Sunday featured two great performances by tights ends, one for each team.

The Bills Scott Chandler was their go-to receiver, catching 6 passes for 105 yards. Five of his catches went for first downs, as he repeated exploited the Patriots pass coverage weakness at linebacker. New England simply had no answer for Chandler.

The Patriots would be well advised to worry a bit more about him for the rematch in December. Nothing they did could slow him down, and sliding coverage his way could cause matchup problems with the other Bills receivers.

Patriots Tight end Rob Gronkowski looked uncoverable at times, ending the day with 7 catches for 94 yards (and one touchdown called back on a penalty). The team flanked him out wide several times, and the one-on-one matchup went in Gronkowski’s favor, whether the Bills covered him with a safety or a cornerback.

Other teams should take note, because this alignment either spreads the field laterally or causes a physical matchup problem. As for how the Bills should attack that formation when the teams meet again in December, they double Gronkowski and take their chances with the other tight ends.

But regardless of how the teams adjust for the next matchup, it was impressive to see tight ends be the center of the teams’ offenses. Both players work hard in pass protection and the running game, so it’s nice to throw them a bone once in a while.

Hope you enjoyed the game!

Block out all the noise, and stop listening to the naysayers, the New England Patriots are still one of the best teams in football. So many were ready to write-off Tom Brady and the Patriots, but they don't know him or this team. Apparently, 13 years has not been enough of a lesson to set a precedent for what this guy can do.

It takes a team to win games; the Patriots are winners. There is no math to do; just look at history.

In Buffalo, NY on a nice, sunny day, the Buffalo Bills proved they still are not up to the level of the Patriots. While this Bills' team is a much better version than fell into the basement of the AFC East in 2103, holding court against the true powerhouse of the division is still no easy task.

Did I mention it's Tom Brady?

The contest started slowly, with the Patriots looking a little lethargic out of the gate, and the Bills seemingly offering some stiff resistence on defense. New England also came up pretty big on defense, causing a stalemate in the first quarter. Buffalo came out running the ball. while New England started with a heavy passing attack.

And then in the second quarter, the fireworks began. The two teams traded TDs, and then the Patriots scored three times before the Bills could answer. But Brady never looked back, controling the pace of the game with superior fire power, despite not having any run support.

The Bills fared no better on the ground, leaving the contest in the hands of Kyle Orton, who was no match for the Patriots and Brady. For as close as the game was through half-time, the Patriots quickly ran away with it in the second half.

Mr. Brady ended the day with a 73% completion rate and four TDs. The biggest difference in the game, besides penalties, was the turnovers. Along with only completing two TD passes, Orton threw an interception and gave away the ball on a strip sack. C.J. Spiller also lost a fumble that stalled his team on a late drive.

How soon will we start to hear Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and Brandon LaFell called "The Big Three"? I hope soon, given that I have seen LaFell as a great asset to the team from the beginning, and also a great complement to Edelman. All three went over 90 yards receiving, while Brian Tyms got a small taste of being a Brady target in the end-zone.

I'm also beginning to wonder how much longer Belichick will put up with Aaron Dobson. He seems to be falling further behind, and one might wonder why Kenbrell Thompkins was jettisoned instead of him. He needs to step up his play if he wants to stay in the line-up. One catch a week is not a good sign.

Let's give props to the defense of the Patriots as well; the sacks began to come fast and furious, lead by Rob Ninkovich with three, and Chandler Jones, who simultaneously caused that fumble and recovery, and another one from Deontae Skinner, who has fought his way onto the roster. And let's not forget Devon McCourty coming back from a minor ding to cause the Spiller fumble, and the young but impressive Jamie Collins with the heads-up pick of Orton.

This was a big and impressive win for the Patriots, and extremely important for the division standings. These in-division games are the most crucial, as the Patriots found out the hard way in 2008, losing the tie-breaker to Miami.

The Patriots are headed in exactly the direction they need to go. Buffalo must shake this off if they have any hope of NOT repeating last year. I just don't see Orton as the answer. The Patriots face the Jets on a short week with the Thursday night game of the week. The Jets' woes play right into the hands of a team on the move. The Bills face a team with even more struggles in Minnesota; perhaps that is what they need to pull a quick turn-around.

The New England Patriots continued to dominate the Buffalo Bills, defeating their AFC East rival, 37-22, to take sole possession of first place in the division. Including today’s victory, the Patriots sport a 26-3 record against the Bills since Bill Belichick became head coach. Not a great start to Terry Pegula’s ownership, but the Bills did hang in for three quarters, and if not for some first-half mistakes, they could have been in the running for a win.

Here are three things we learned from this game

1. Buffalo Isn’t Good Enough To Overcome Mistakes

    

The 13-7 halftime score should have given Bills fans hope. However, all the New England scoring came after Buffalo turnovers. And the way the Buffalo defense dominated the first half, the game could easily have been 7-0 or 10-0 Bills.

Buffalo came into the game tied for the league lead with a +6 turnover ratio. And their mistake-free/opportunistic formula gave them a legit 3-2 record and a share of the division lead. But against the Patriots they lost the turnover battle 3-0, dropped multiple passes, missed assignments in the secondary, and committed 8 accepted penalties for 107 yards.

The Bills are good, almost certainly the second most talented team in the AFC East. But they can’t overcome that many mistakes, especially against teams that don’t beat themselves. The good news is that if they can get back to mistake-free football, they will be contenders for a playoff spot.

2. Patriots Offense Still Finding Its Way On The Road

Before you say it, yes, 37 points is a very good showing against any NFL team. But the offense struggled in the first half, scoring only on short-field drives after turnovers. To their credit, their halftime adjustments were excellent, and the team scored on four-of-four meaningful possessions in the last 30 minutes.

However, the offensive tackles still struggled. They got zero push in the running game (50 yards total, with a 1.9 ypc average) and gave up the edge too quickly in pass protection. This coming a week after they dominated a comparable Cincinnati front-seven at home.

The difference is crowd noise. Offensive line play is about communication and working as a unit; and when O-line has this little experience together, going with a silent count makes the job doubly difficult. On many plays in this game, you could see the Bills defenders get a better jump off the ball than the Patriots linemen.

On the plus side, improved performance in the second half indicates better in-game adjustments. And the decision to bail on six-linemen sets in favor of second (and sometimes third) tight ends paid big dividends the last two games. And of course, any offense will improve as its stars get healthy, and tight end Rob Gronkowski is rounding into form.

The line will likely struggle on the road until at least Thanksgiving, when their continuity should start to improve their cohesiveness. And the good news for the Patriots is they play only one road game between now and Thanksgiving. If receiver Brandon LaFell and tight end Tim Wright continue to improve, the offense should be clicking nicely by December.

3. Two Dominant Tight Ends

Sunday featured two great performances by tights ends, one for each team.

The Bills Scott Chandler was their go-to receiver, catching 6 passes for 105 yards. Five of his catches went for first downs, as he repeated exploited the Patriots pass coverage weakness at linebacker. New England simply had no answer for Chandler.

The Patriots would be well advised to worry a bit more about him for the rematch in December. Nothing they did could slow him down, and sliding coverage his way could cause matchup problems with the other Bills receivers.

Patriots Tight end Rob Gronkowski looked uncoverable at times, ending the day with 7 catches for 94 yards (and one touchdown called back on a penalty). The team flanked him out wide several times, and the one-on-one matchup went in Gronkowski’s favor, whether the Bills covered him with a safety or a cornerback.

Other teams should take note, because this alignment either spreads the field laterally or causes a physical matchup problem. As for how the Bills should attack that formation when the teams meet again in December, they double Gronkowski and take their chances with the other tight ends.

But regardless of how the teams adjust for the next matchup, it was impressive to see tight ends be the center of the teams’ offenses. Both players work hard in pass protection and the running game, so it’s nice to throw them a bone once in a while.

Hope you enjoyed the game!

Block out all the noise, and stop listening to the naysayers, the New England Patriots are still one of the best teams in football. So many were ready to write-off Tom Brady and the Patriots, but they don't know him or this team. Apparently, 13 years has not been enough of a lesson to set a precedent for what this guy can do.

It takes a team to win games; the Patriots are winners. There is no math to do; just look at history.

In Buffalo, NY on a nice, sunny day, the Buffalo Bills proved they still are not up to the level of the Patriots. While this Bills' team is a much better version than fell into the basement of the AFC East in 2103, holding court against the true powerhouse of the division is still no easy task.

Did I mention it's Tom Brady?

The contest started slowly, with the Patriots looking a little lethargic out of the gate, and the Bills seemingly offering some stiff resistence on defense. New England also came up pretty big on defense, causing a stalemate in the first quarter. Buffalo came out running the ball. while New England started with a heavy passing attack.

And then in the second quarter, the fireworks began. The two teams traded TDs, and then the Patriots scored three times before the Bills could answer. But Brady never looked back, controling the pace of the game with superior fire power, despite not having any run support.

The Bills fared no better on the ground, leaving the contest in the hands of Kyle Orton, who was no match for the Patriots and Brady. For as close as the game was through half-time, the Patriots quickly ran away with it in the second half.

Mr. Brady ended the day with a 73% completion rate and four TDs. The biggest difference in the game, besides penalties, was the turnovers. Along with only completing two TD passes, Orton threw an interception and gave away the ball on a strip sack. C.J. Spiller also lost a fumble that stalled his team on a late drive.

How soon will we start to hear Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and Brandon LaFell called "The Big Three"? I hope soon, given that I have seen LaFell as a great asset to the team from the beginning, and also a great complement to Edelman. All three went over 90 yards receiving, while Brian Tyms got a small taste of being a Brady target in the end-zone.

I'm also beginning to wonder how much longer Belichick will put up with Aaron Dobson. He seems to be falling further behind, and one might wonder why Kenbrell Thompkins was jettisoned instead of him. He needs to step up his play if he wants to stay in the line-up. One catch a week is not a good sign.

Let's give props to the defense of the Patriots as well; the sacks began to come fast and furious, lead by Rob Ninkovich with three, and Chandler Jones, who simultaneously caused that fumble and recovery, and another one from Deontae Skinner, who has fought his way onto the roster. And let's not forget Devon McCourty coming back from a minor ding to cause the Spiller fumble, and the young but impressive Jamie Collins with the heads-up pick of Orton.

This was a big and impressive win for the Patriots, and extremely important for the division standings. These in-division games are the most crucial, as the Patriots found out the hard way in 2008, losing the tie-breaker to Miami.

The Patriots are headed in exactly the direction they need to go. Buffalo must shake this off if they have any hope of NOT repeating last year. I just don't see Orton as the answer. The Patriots face the Jets on a short week with the Thursday night game of the week. The Jets' woes play right into the hands of a team on the move. The Bills face a team with even more struggles in Minnesota; perhaps that is what they need to pull a quick turn-around.

The New England Patriots continued to dominate the Buffalo Bills, defeating their AFC East rival, 37-22, to take sole possession of first place in the division. Including today’s victory, the Patriots sport a 26-3 record against the Bills since Bill Belichick became head coach. Not a great start to Terry Pegula’s ownership, but the Bills did hang in for three quarters, and if not for some first-half mistakes, they could have been in the running for a win.

Here are three things we learned from this game

1. Buffalo Isn’t Good Enough To Overcome Mistakes

    

The 13-7 halftime score should have given Bills fans hope. However, all the New England scoring came after Buffalo turnovers. And the way the Buffalo defense dominated the first half, the game could easily have been 7-0 or 10-0 Bills.

Buffalo came into the game tied for the league lead with a +6 turnover ratio. And their mistake-free/opportunistic formula gave them a legit 3-2 record and a share of the division lead. But against the Patriots they lost the turnover battle 3-0, dropped multiple passes, missed assignments in the secondary, and committed 8 accepted penalties for 107 yards.

The Bills are good, almost certainly the second most talented team in the AFC East. But they can’t overcome that many mistakes, especially against teams that don’t beat themselves. The good news is that if they can get back to mistake-free football, they will be contenders for a playoff spot.

2. Patriots Offense Still Finding Its Way On The Road

Before you say it, yes, 37 points is a very good showing against any NFL team. But the offense struggled in the first half, scoring only on short-field drives after turnovers. To their credit, their halftime adjustments were excellent, and the team scored on four-of-four meaningful possessions in the last 30 minutes.

However, the offensive tackles still struggled. They got zero push in the running game (50 yards total, with a 1.9 ypc average) and gave up the edge too quickly in pass protection. This coming a week after they dominated a comparable Cincinnati front-seven at home.

The difference is crowd noise. Offensive line play is about communication and working as a unit; and when O-line has this little experience together, going with a silent count makes the job doubly difficult. On many plays in this game, you could see the Bills defenders get a better jump off the ball than the Patriots linemen.

On the plus side, improved performance in the second half indicates better in-game adjustments. And the decision to bail on six-linemen sets in favor of second (and sometimes third) tight ends paid big dividends the last two games. And of course, any offense will improve as its stars get healthy, and tight end Rob Gronkowski is rounding into form.

The line will likely struggle on the road until at least Thanksgiving, when their continuity should start to improve their cohesiveness. And the good news for the Patriots is they play only one road game between now and Thanksgiving. If receiver Brandon LaFell and tight end Tim Wright continue to improve, the offense should be clicking nicely by December.

3. Two Dominant Tight Ends

Sunday featured two great performances by tights ends, one for each team.

The Bills Scott Chandler was their go-to receiver, catching 6 passes for 105 yards. Five of his catches went for first downs, as he repeated exploited the Patriots pass coverage weakness at linebacker. New England simply had no answer for Chandler.

The Patriots would be well advised to worry a bit more about him for the rematch in December. Nothing they did could slow him down, and sliding coverage his way could cause matchup problems with the other Bills receivers.

Patriots Tight end Rob Gronkowski looked uncoverable at times, ending the day with 7 catches for 94 yards (and one touchdown called back on a penalty). The team flanked him out wide several times, and the one-on-one matchup went in Gronkowski’s favor, whether the Bills covered him with a safety or a cornerback.

Other teams should take note, because this alignment either spreads the field laterally or causes a physical matchup problem. As for how the Bills should attack that formation when the teams meet again in December, they double Gronkowski and take their chances with the other tight ends.

But regardless of how the teams adjust for the next matchup, it was impressive to see tight ends be the center of the teams’ offenses. Both players work hard in pass protection and the running game, so it’s nice to throw them a bone once in a while.

Hope you enjoyed the game!

Block out all the noise, and stop listening to the naysayers, the New England Patriots are still one of the best teams in football. So many were ready to write-off Tom Brady and the Patriots, but they don't know him or this team. Apparently, 13 years has not been enough of a lesson to set a precedent for what this guy can do.

It takes a team to win games; the Patriots are winners. There is no math to do; just look at history.

In Buffalo, NY on a nice, sunny day, the Buffalo Bills proved they still are not up to the level of the Patriots. While this Bills' team is a much better version than fell into the basement of the AFC East in 2103, holding court against the true powerhouse of the division is still no easy task.

Did I mention it's Tom Brady?

The contest started slowly, with the Patriots looking a little lethargic out of the gate, and the Bills seemingly offering some stiff resistence on defense. New England also came up pretty big on defense, causing a stalemate in the first quarter. Buffalo came out running the ball. while New England started with a heavy passing attack.

And then in the second quarter, the fireworks began. The two teams traded TDs, and then the Patriots scored three times before the Bills could answer. But Brady never looked back, controling the pace of the game with superior fire power, despite not having any run support.

The Bills fared no better on the ground, leaving the contest in the hands of Kyle Orton, who was no match for the Patriots and Brady. For as close as the game was through half-time, the Patriots quickly ran away with it in the second half.

Mr. Brady ended the day with a 73% completion rate and four TDs. The biggest difference in the game, besides penalties, was the turnovers. Along with only completing two TD passes, Orton threw an interception and gave away the ball on a strip sack. C.J. Spiller also lost a fumble that stalled his team on a late drive.

How soon will we start to hear Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and Brandon LaFell called "The Big Three"? I hope soon, given that I have seen LaFell as a great asset to the team from the beginning, and also a great complement to Edelman. All three went over 90 yards receiving, while Brian Tyms got a small taste of being a Brady target in the end-zone.

I'm also beginning to wonder how much longer Belichick will put up with Aaron Dobson. He seems to be falling further behind, and one might wonder why Kenbrell Thompkins was jettisoned instead of him. He needs to step up his play if he wants to stay in the line-up. One catch a week is not a good sign.

Let's give props to the defense of the Patriots as well; the sacks began to come fast and furious, lead by Rob Ninkovich with three, and Chandler Jones, who simultaneously caused that fumble and recovery, and another one from Deontae Skinner, who has fought his way onto the roster. And let's not forget Devon McCourty coming back from a minor ding to cause the Spiller fumble, and the young but impressive Jamie Collins with the heads-up pick of Orton.

This was a big and impressive win for the Patriots, and extremely important for the division standings. These in-division games are the most crucial, as the Patriots found out the hard way in 2008, losing the tie-breaker to Miami.

The Patriots are headed in exactly the direction they need to go. Buffalo must shake this off if they have any hope of NOT repeating last year. I just don't see Orton as the answer. The Patriots face the Jets on a short week with the Thursday night game of the week. The Jets' woes play right into the hands of a team on the move. The Bills face a team with even more struggles in Minnesota; perhaps that is what they need to pull a quick turn-around.

Below is a breakdown of each of the past eight Patriots playoff losses.

2005 Divisional Round: Lost to the Broncos, 27-13

Tom Brady was handed his first playoff loss during his time as a Patriot. The Broncos took advantage of the Patriots' 5 turnovers (2 interceptions, 3 fumbles) in that game, which included a backbreaking interception that Champ Bailey returned for 100 yards.

2006 AFC Championship Game: Lost to the Colts, 38-34

The Patriots held a 21-6 lead at halftime, but their defense completely collapsed in the second half, surrendering 32 points and failing to make a stop on the Colts' game-winning drive. Ironically, it was the same score by which the Patriots had beaten the Colts in 2003 (the last time the two teams played in Indianapolis). This loss was particularly shocking because the Patriots were one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2006, allowing on average only 14.9 points per game (2nd best) and the 6th fewest yards per game.

Super Bowl 42: Lost to the Giants, 17-14

The Patriots had an undefeated record in the 2007 regular season, and were 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl, trying to become the first team ever to finish 19-0.  They had the best offense in the NFL that year, averaging 36.8 points per game. However, the Patriots offense (particularly the offensive line) picked a horrible time to have their worst game of the season. Brady was constantly under pressure, getting sacked 5 times. Still, the Patriots had the lead with less than three minutes to go in the game, after Brady threw a touchdown pass to Randy Moss. However, the Patriots defense failed to make a final stop, as Eli Manning threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.

2009 Wild-Card Round: Lost to the Ravens, 33-14

The Patriots' defense gave up 83 yard touchdown run by Ray Rice on the Raven's first offensive play. Things didn't get any better after that, as the Patriots trailed 24-0 after the first quarter and ultimately weren't able to recover. Tom Brady completed barely 50 percent of his passes, threw three interceptions in the game, and had a sub-50 passer rating. It was easily the worst playoff performance of his career.

2010 Divisional Round: Lost to the Jets, 28-21

Like 2007, the 2010 Patriots were the top-scoring offense in the NFL that season and earned a first-round bye. However, in the divisional round of the playoffs, Tom Brady struggled to read the Jets' coverage for most of the game, while second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez (who is now one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL) threw for three touchdowns against the Patriots. This marked the second straight year in which the Patriots went one-and-done in the playoffs.

Super Bowl 46: Lost to the Giants, 21-17

Just like Super Bowl 42, the high-scoring Patriots offense picked a horrible time to have their worst game of the season (although, once again, it was against a red-hot Giants defense). Still, just like in Super Bowl 42, the Patriots had the lead with a couple of minutes to go in the game. However, Wes Welker failed to make a great catch (off a back-shoulder throw by Brady) that would have made things very dicey for the Giants. It was pretty much deja vu after that, as Eli Manning once again led the Giants to a game-winning score.

It was overall a pretty sloppy day for the Patriots, as evident from Brady's safety on the Patriots' first offensive play, terrible pass protection in the 4th quarter, the Patriots defense's inability to force a single turnover, a "12 men on the field" penalty on the defense that negated a fumble recovery (the drive ended in a Giants touchdown soon afterwards), Rob Ninkovich's off-sides penalty on the Giants' final drive, and Brady's badly under-thrown pass intended for Rob Gronkowski that was intercepted.

2012 AFC Championship Game: Lost to the Ravens, 28-13 

The Patriots led at halftime 13-7, although it could easily have been more, had it not been for some terrible clock management (Belichick and the coaching staff were mostly to blame for that). The top-ranked Patriots offense was subsequently shut out in the second half, and Joe Flacco proceeded to tear apart the Patriots secondary--who had lost Aqib Talib to an injury in the first half--by throwing for three second-half passing touchdowns.


2013 AFC Championship Game: Lost to the Broncos, 26-16

Much like the previous AFC Championship Game, the Patriots were dominated in practically every phase of the game by the opposing team. The pass rush was completely invisible in that game (the Patriots defense didn't register a sack or a hit on Peyton Manning in the entire game), the defense as a whole was unable to stop Manning and the Broncos offense, and the offensive line got absolutely manhandled (their run-blocking was terrible, and pass protection broke down at the worst possible times). These three things were arguably--at least in my opinion--the main reasons why the Patriots ended up losing.

While Tom Brady didn't play badly in the game, he wasn't sharp in critical moments, as he had two big misses in that game (one to Edelman in the first quarter, which almost certainly would've been a touchdown, and one to Collie near the end of the first half, which cost the Patriots a shot at a field goal). While this game was more about the Patriots' injuries and lack of talent finally catching up to them, Brady didn't help himself enough in this one and obviously wasn't good enough. It also didn't help that Aqib Talib got injured for the second straight AFC Championship Game, and his absence was certainly felt by the Patriots secondary, a unit that got torn apart by the Broncos' passing offense.
 

Looking back at the outcomes of each of these games, one common theme sticks out: both the offense and defense deserve a lot of blame. The offense has seriously under-performed (as 7 of the last 8 postseason games clearly show), and the defense has had frequent trouble stopping the opposition. Another observation from these games reveals that when the Patriots' defense had to make a stop in order to close out the game (as shown in the 2006 AFC Championship Game and in the Patriots' last two Super Bowls), the defense couldn't deliver. Moreover, these last eight postseason losses reveal frequently poor clutch play from the Patriots.

Below is a breakdown of each of the past eight Patriots playoff losses.

2005 Divisional Round: Lost to the Broncos, 27-13

Tom Brady was handed his first playoff loss during his time as a Patriot. The Broncos took advantage of the Patriots' 5 turnovers (2 interceptions, 3 fumbles) in that game, which included a backbreaking interception that Champ Bailey returned for 100 yards.

2006 AFC Championship Game: Lost to the Colts, 38-34

The Patriots held a 21-6 lead at halftime, but their defense completely collapsed in the second half, surrendering 32 points and failing to make a stop on the Colts' game-winning drive. Ironically, it was the same score by which the Patriots had beaten the Colts in 2003 (the last time the two teams played in Indianapolis). This loss was particularly shocking because the Patriots were one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2006, allowing on average only 14.9 points per game (2nd best) and the 6th fewest yards per game.

Super Bowl 42: Lost to the Giants, 17-14

The Patriots had an undefeated record in the 2007 regular season, and were 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl, trying to become the first team ever to finish 19-0.  They had the best offense in the NFL that year, averaging 36.8 points per game. However, the Patriots offense (particularly the offensive line) picked a horrible time to have their worst game of the season. Brady was constantly under pressure, getting sacked 5 times. Still, the Patriots had the lead with less than three minutes to go in the game, after Brady threw a touchdown pass to Randy Moss. However, the Patriots defense failed to make a final stop, as Eli Manning threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.

2009 Wild-Card Round: Lost to the Ravens, 33-14

The Patriots' defense gave up 83 yard touchdown run by Ray Rice on the Raven's first offensive play. Things didn't get any better after that, as the Patriots trailed 24-0 after the first quarter and ultimately weren't able to recover. Tom Brady completed barely 50 percent of his passes, threw three interceptions in the game, and had a sub-50 passer rating. It was easily the worst playoff performance of his career.

2010 Divisional Round: Lost to the Jets, 28-21

Like 2007, the 2010 Patriots were the top-scoring offense in the NFL that season and earned a first-round bye. However, in the divisional round of the playoffs, Tom Brady struggled to read the Jets' coverage for most of the game, while second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez (who is now one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL) threw for three touchdowns against the Patriots. This marked the second straight year in which the Patriots went one-and-done in the playoffs.

Super Bowl 46: Lost to the Giants, 21-17

Just like Super Bowl 42, the high-scoring Patriots offense picked a horrible time to have their worst game of the season (although, once again, it was against a red-hot Giants defense). Still, just like in Super Bowl 42, the Patriots had the lead with a couple of minutes to go in the game. However, Wes Welker failed to make a great catch (off a back-shoulder throw by Brady) that would have made things very dicey for the Giants. It was pretty much deja vu after that, as Eli Manning once again led the Giants to a game-winning score.

It was overall a pretty sloppy day for the Patriots, as evident from Brady's safety on the Patriots' first offensive play, terrible pass protection in the 4th quarter, the Patriots defense's inability to force a single turnover, a "12 men on the field" penalty on the defense that negated a fumble recovery (the drive ended in a Giants touchdown soon afterwards), Rob Ninkovich's off-sides penalty on the Giants' final drive, and Brady's badly under-thrown pass intended for Rob Gronkowski that was intercepted.

2012 AFC Championship Game: Lost to the Ravens, 28-13 

The Patriots led at halftime 13-7, although it could easily have been more, had it not been for some terrible clock management (Belichick and the coaching staff were mostly to blame for that). The top-ranked Patriots offense was subsequently shut out in the second half, and Joe Flacco proceeded to tear apart the Patriots secondary--who had lost Aqib Talib to an injury in the first half--by throwing for three second-half passing touchdowns.


2013 AFC Championship Game: Lost to the Broncos, 26-16

Much like the previous AFC Championship Game, the Patriots were dominated in practically every phase of the game by the opposing team. The pass rush was completely invisible in that game (the Patriots defense didn't register a sack or a hit on Peyton Manning in the entire game), the defense as a whole was unable to stop Manning and the Broncos offense, and the offensive line got absolutely manhandled (their run-blocking was terrible, and pass protection broke down at the worst possible times). These three things were arguably--at least in my opinion--the main reasons why the Patriots ended up losing.

While Tom Brady didn't play badly in the game, he wasn't sharp in critical moments, as he had two big misses in that game (one to Edelman in the first quarter, which almost certainly would've been a touchdown, and one to Collie near the end of the first half, which cost the Patriots a shot at a field goal). While this game was more about the Patriots' injuries and lack of talent finally catching up to them, Brady didn't help himself enough in this one and obviously wasn't good enough. It also didn't help that Aqib Talib got injured for the second straight AFC Championship Game, and his absence was certainly felt by the Patriots secondary, a unit that got torn apart by the Broncos' passing offense.
 

Looking back at the outcomes of each of these games, one common theme sticks out: both the offense and defense deserve a lot of blame. The offense has seriously under-performed (as 7 of the last 8 postseason games clearly show), and the defense has had frequent trouble stopping the opposition. Another observation from these games reveals that when the Patriots' defense had to make a stop in order to close out the game (as shown in the 2006 AFC Championship Game and in the Patriots' last two Super Bowls), the defense couldn't deliver. Moreover, these last eight postseason losses reveal frequently poor clutch play from the Patriots.

The New England Patriots of weeks one through four are not the team that came stampeding onto the field against the Cincinnati Bengals in week five. They came out with a renewed attitude and spirit that overcame the last of the unbeatens in a dominant victory in Foxboro.

The Buffalo Bills outlasted a hobbling Detroit Lions bunch not playing their best football in a long time. Here's what you need to know about this coming Sunday's match-up in upstate New York.

1. Tom Brady may be getting older, but he hasn't lost the ability or the will to win.

Many have been critical of his play thus far in 2014, including this author, and Brady is certainly not the same QB of ye olde Super Bowl days. But he proved emphatically that he is not done and well deserves the contract extension he signed through 2017.

2. Kyle Orton is not the long term answer in Buffalo.

There is good reason that Orton has not seen much success since the early years in Chicago. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued him ever since. And despite his apparent experience compared to the young E. J. Manuel, he won't fare much better as mentor in this situation. The win against the Lions has no implications for the upcoming contest against a far superior defense in the Patriots. He faces Revis Island and newly activated, and aggressive, Brandon Browner. This recipe is known as disaster for a revived and very hungry New England foe.

3. The Patriots have quickly corrected early problems.

Highlighted by sloppy play on the front line, the New England offense looked lethargic in two losses and two wins to start the season; week five looked like a totally different team out there. Brady has protection and Ridley and Vereen have holes to run through. That is not a good sign for a Buffalo team that underperformed last year, and doesn't have proven stars at key positions. They will also be facing two of the best, and rising/returning, defenders in Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo.

4. Gronkowski and Wright.

The Patriots have resurrected the two-tight-end set with Rob Gronkowski slowly returning to form, and joined by newly-acquired Tim Wright as the new, big-body, mismatch, Z-receiver they have sorely lacked for two years. These two combined for 185 yards against the Bengals and will do the same to the Bills. The lack of a true X-receiver isn't such a big issue now in New England.

5. Buffalo can't win through the air.

Due to a lack of ground and pound, the Bills have been forced to throw the ball to win games; Kyle Orton was able exploit the Detroit secondary just enough to edge-out the victory last week. But they will be playing into New England's strength in week five, self-destructing as they fall further behind and have to air-it-out even more to attempt catch-up in the second half.

The Patriots will be more than happy to accomodate the Bills defensively. Though their run defense is not top-notch, it will be enough to force Orton to put the ball in the air more than he should. And the secondary will eat him alive, eliciting calls for Manuel from the stands.

I think Buffalo's only hope is a run-heavy, misdirection style offensive attack that proved effective for the Chiefs in week four. But count on Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia to be ready for trickery, leaving the Bills no choice but to play with desperation.

Despite all the optimism in Buffalo and some of the media, look for another dominant win by the Patriots- not about to let their division fall into the hands of the enemy.

The New England Patriots of weeks one through four are not the team that came stampeding onto the field against the Cincinnati Bengals in week five. They came out with a renewed attitude and spirit that overcame the last of the unbeatens in a dominant victory in Foxboro.

The Buffalo Bills outlasted a hobbling Detroit Lions bunch not playing their best football in a long time. Here's what you need to know about this coming Sunday's match-up in upstate New York.

1. Tom Brady may be getting older, but he hasn't lost the ability or the will to win.

Many have been critical of his play thus far in 2014, including this author, and Brady is certainly not the same QB of ye olde Super Bowl days. But he proved emphatically that he is not done and well deserves the contract extension he signed through 2017.

2. Kyle Orton is not the long term answer in Buffalo.

There is good reason that Orton has not seen much success since the early years in Chicago. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued him ever since. And despite his apparent experience compared to the young E. J. Manuel, he won't fare much better as mentor in this situation. The win against the Lions has no implications for the upcoming contest against a far superior defense in the Patriots. He faces Revis Island and newly activated, and aggressive, Brandon Browner. This recipe is known as disaster for a revived and very hungry New England foe.

3. The Patriots have quickly corrected early problems.

Highlighted by sloppy play on the front line, the New England offense looked lethargic in two losses and two wins to start the season; week five looked like a totally different team out there. Brady has protection and Ridley and Vereen have holes to run through. That is not a good sign for a Buffalo team that underperformed last year, and doesn't have proven stars at key positions. They will also be facing two of the best, and rising/returning, defenders in Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo.

4. Gronkowski and Wright.

The Patriots have resurrected the two-tight-end set with Rob Gronkowski slowly returning to form, and joined by newly-acquired Tim Wright as the new, big-body, mismatch, Z-receiver they have sorely lacked for two years. These two combined for 185 yards against the Bengals and will do the same to the Bills. The lack of a true X-receiver isn't such a big issue now in New England.

5. Buffalo can't win through the air.

Due to a lack of ground and pound, the Bills have been forced to throw the ball to win games; Kyle Orton was able exploit the Detroit secondary just enough to edge-out the victory last week. But they will be playing into New England's strength in week five, self-destructing as they fall further behind and have to air-it-out even more to attempt catch-up in the second half.

The Patriots will be more than happy to accomodate the Bills defensively. Though their run defense is not top-notch, it will be enough to force Orton to put the ball in the air more than he should. And the secondary will eat him alive, eliciting calls for Manuel from the stands.

I think Buffalo's only hope is a run-heavy, misdirection style offensive attack that proved effective for the Chiefs in week four. But count on Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia to be ready for trickery, leaving the Bills no choice but to play with desperation.

Despite all the optimism in Buffalo and some of the media, look for another dominant win by the Patriots- not about to let their division fall into the hands of the enemy.

If you think that the 2014 season is atypical, like many local commentators, you may be suffering from denial. In fact, 2014 is simply the result of years of failure that have come to fruition in just the past two seasons. The disease is systemic and nothing that a few tweaks can fix.

The best medicine is a combination of procedures that will turn the New England Patriots into the team that its fans think it is. There will be strong medicine and even some surgery to excise what is eating the life out of the organization. Maybe there is a chance to salvage what is left of a brilliant career. If it doesn't happen soon, it may never happen for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

It's football hospital and the first patient is New England...

If you think that the 2014 season is atypical, like many local commentators, you may be suffering from denial. In fact, 2014 is simply the result of years of failure that have come to fruition in just the past two seasons. The disease is systemic and nothing that a few tweaks can fix.

The best medicine is a combination of procedures that will turn the New England Patriots into the team that its fans think it is. There will be strong medicine and even some surgery to excise what is eating the life out of the organization. Maybe there is a chance to salvage what is left of a brilliant career. If it doesn't happen soon, it may never happen for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

It's football hospital and the first patient is New England...