In this case, Rex Ryan ain’t wrong. This Sunday’s Patriots-Bills game is big.
Or as Rex’s candidate for President might say, it’s bigly.
Is this game an existential threat to Buffalo’s playoff hopes? No, but it would probably put them on life support. If the playoffs started today (too soon?), the 4-3-0 Bills would be on the outside looking in. If they lose to New England it will drop them to 1-3-0 in the division. After the home game against the Pats, they have to take that big ol’ jet airliner out to Seattle. So, okay, maybe this Sunday is a must win game for Buffalo.
Anyway, the Bills in true Rexian style have sworn pinkie swears to take zero shit from the Patriots. As I understand it, a couple of Patriot rookies, Jacoby Brissett and Malcolm Mitchell, wandered into the Bills’ personal space bubble during warm ups before the last game. That’s totally not cool, I’m not saying it is, though I don’t think the kids were throwing shade but whatever the case, things escalated quickly. It seems out of character for New England but it wasn’t like it was the first game of the season so hard to think Brissett and Mitchell didn’t know where they were. Maybe they were lost in conversation, debating the potential for “Fantastic Creatures” to reboot the J.K. Rowling universe. Whatever. The Bills will not stand for such disrespectful behavior!
This is a big game for the Patriots, too. From a tiebreaker perspective, division games matter above anything other than head-to-head matchups. New England hasn’t been swept by a division opponent in the 21st century. So, yeah, this game just feels like it matters a little bit more.
For additional subtext there’s the 16-0 loss at Gillette at the end of September. I surmise it will be a topic of some discussion at 1 Patriot Place this week. Shut out? At home? A division game? A team coached by Rex Ryan? I don’t think the fact it was Jacoby Brissett’s broken thumb playing quarterback matters to Bill Belichick. I’m not sure it’s possible for the Patriots to win big enough in Buffalo this Sunday; that October 2 loss left a bruise that Belichick will only heal by a win that balances the scales. A 16-0 win wouldn’t be enough. Not with Tom Brady back under center. 32-0? 48-0? I’m still haven’t gotten to a score that makes Belichick think, Oh my stars and garters! That is just too much!
Yeah, that last part was just me. I have no idea what Belichick is thinking (clearly). In some weird zen pigskin way, Belichick has probably packed up that loss to the Bills, cataloged and digitized it in his comprehensive historical archives of every football game ever played. It’s just data, now for Belichick. It only matters if it can help with the game at hand. In this case I’m sure it can so it will probably will be. Without the emotional subtext, though. Because he’s Bill Freakin’ Belichick!
Also, those punks from Buffalo double-dog daring the Patriots to cross that line, come on now youngster. Scary guys never have to tell you how scary they are. It’s almost Halloween! You know what’s scary? Clowns!
And I’ll even go farther because why not really?
(Not about clowns, though because they are scary.)
I believe Belichick and his coaches put together as vanilla a game plan as possible for the non-Roethlisberger Steelers to give Ryan and his coaches nothing to work with.
Yeah, I know. That’s Tin Foil Hat Talk (#TFHT) but yet I do believe it.
I believe this Sunday we will see relentless, blitz-happy aggression from the Patriots defense. Hightower and Collins with two sacks each, big plays from Butler and McCourty. Exotic offensive formations. Unbalanced line with a tackle eligible. A straight-T formation. Brady in the Pistol. And that’s just the first three plays of the game!
Did I mention my tin foil hat is shaped like a football helmet?
Go Pats!
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