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Sitting in a tie atop the AFC East, the Bills go in to their weekend contest against the New England Patriots with not only a chance for a win over a big opponent, but to gain a two-game advantage on the long-time dominators of the division.
There are plenty of ways to look at the Bills (2-1) matchup with the Patriots (1-2). Let's get started.
1) Fred and C.J. watch
- The highest anticipation and anxiety surrounding this game for Bills fans will be the status of the top two offensive players on the roster. Fred Jackson (knee) and C.J. Spiller (shoulder) are both listed as questionable for the game against New England, and if neither can suit up it will put the Bills in a difficult position against a quarterback that can put up points at will. However, there has been some positive news as the week has gone along. From the way they've answered questions all week, it looks more likely that Jackson will at the very least be active for the contest. How much he's able to play, however, still remains to be seen. If Jackson is limited and Spiller is inactive, the onus is then officially on one man in the Bills' quest for a win over the Patriots for a second year in a row.
2) Staying afloat with Fitz
- Through three weeks Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't been a world-beater, but the Bills really haven't needed him to be that guy in 2012. C.J. Spiller and the run defense have done enough through the first three weeks to allow the quarterback to shift back in to a complimentary role with less pressure. However, if Jackson is limited and Spiller is inactive (or active but limited as well), attention then shifts to Fitzpatrick to keep the Bills in the game against a Patriots team that have put up at least 31 points in each of their last four games against Buffalo. Can Fitzpatrick have a game that he takes over? It hasn't been seen in quite some time, but it's a necessary step if Jackson and Spiller aren't at full capacity for the Bills.
3) Bills D-Line prowess
- The Bills seem more equipped than they have been in year's past to try and deal with Tom Brady and the Patriots passing attack. Mario Williams, Mark Anderson, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus have improved the Bills defensive line to the point where they can impose their will on an individual game. If the Bills are going to be successful against the Patriots, they're going to have to get some pressure from the front four on Brady. They must do so to take the pressure off of the young cornerbacks that will be tested early and often. The top three for Buffalo are all in the first or second years in the league. If you remember, it was Aaron Williams that was torched in the first half against Wes Welker in the Bills' win over New England last season. If the front four can't get the necessary pressure on the quarterback, it could be a long day for a group of cornerbacks that have struggled at times through the first three weeks of the season.
4) Stopping Gronk
- In four games against the Bills, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has given Buffalo all they can handle on the defensive side of the ball. He has 22 receptions for 314 yards and seven touchdowns over those four games, just dominating the player assigned to him on any given play. On Sunday, it will be Bryan Scott's task to slow down Gronkowski. While his numbers are down from 2011, the threat of the 6-foot-6 tight end always exists. It would be fair to expect the Patriots to get Gronkowski involved early on, given the struggles the Bills have had with defending the tight end position for many years.
5) Weak Pats CBs
- Much like the Patriots will look to take advantage of the Bills young cornerbacks, Buffalo has an opportunity against an underwhelming group of cover corners to do some damage through the air. Both Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington have had their share of struggles over the past two seasons. It hasn't been as bad as last season when they allowed 293 yards per game, but the Patriots are still only 24th against the pass allowing 262 yards per contest. If Fitzpatrick were to have a game that he takes over for the Bills, the cornerbacks he'll be throwing against certainly makes it a favorable matchup.
Injuries
Buffalo
OUT: WR Ruvell Martin
QUESTIONABLE: HB Fred Jackson, HB C.J. Spiller
PROBABLE: CB Leodis McKelvin
New England
OUT: WR Julian Edelman, TE Aaron Hernandez
QUESTIONABLE: HB Shane Vereen, DT Justin Francis, DT Kyle Love, TE Rob Gronkowski, CB Sterling Moore, T Sebastian Vollmer, G Logan Mankins, DE Brandon Deaderick, CB Alfonzo Dennard, C Nick McDonald
Prediction: Patriots over Bills
- With Jackson and Spiller at full strength, I think the Bills would have an opportunity to knock off the Patriots for a second straight year. However, with both those players hobbled a bit, it boils down to Tom Brady vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick. In that scenario, I give the edge to the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia
- The highest anticipation and anxiety surrounding this game for Bills fans will be the status of the top two offensive players on the roster. Fred Jackson (knee) and C.J. Spiller (shoulder) are both listed as questionable for the game against New England, and if neither can suit up it will put the Bills in a difficult position against a quarterback that can put up points at will. However, there has been some positive news as the week has gone along. From the way they've answered questions all week, it looks more likely that Jackson will at the very least be active for the contest. How much he's able to play, however, still remains to be seen. If Jackson is limited and Spiller is inactive, the onus is then officially on one man in the Bills' quest for a win over the Patriots for a second year in a row.
2) Staying afloat with Fitz
- Through three weeks Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't been a world-beater, but the Bills really haven't needed him to be that guy in 2012. C.J. Spiller and the run defense have done enough through the first three weeks to allow the quarterback to shift back in to a complimentary role with less pressure. However, if Jackson is limited and Spiller is inactive (or active but limited as well), attention then shifts to Fitzpatrick to keep the Bills in the game against a Patriots team that have put up at least 31 points in each of their last four games against Buffalo. Can Fitzpatrick have a game that he takes over? It hasn't been seen in quite some time, but it's a necessary step if Jackson and Spiller aren't at full capacity for the Bills.
3) Bills D-Line prowess
- The Bills seem more equipped than they have been in year's past to try and deal with Tom Brady and the Patriots passing attack. Mario Williams, Mark Anderson, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus have improved the Bills defensive line to the point where they can impose their will on an individual game. If the Bills are going to be successful against the Patriots, they're going to have to get some pressure from the front four on Brady. They must do so to take the pressure off of the young cornerbacks that will be tested early and often. The top three for Buffalo are all in the first or second years in the league. If you remember, it was Aaron Williams that was torched in the first half against Wes Welker in the Bills' win over New England last season. If the front four can't get the necessary pressure on the quarterback, it could be a long day for a group of cornerbacks that have struggled at times through the first three weeks of the season.
4) Stopping Gronk
- In four games against the Bills, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has given Buffalo all they can handle on the defensive side of the ball. He has 22 receptions for 314 yards and seven touchdowns over those four games, just dominating the player assigned to him on any given play. On Sunday, it will be Bryan Scott's task to slow down Gronkowski. While his numbers are down from 2011, the threat of the 6-foot-6 tight end always exists. It would be fair to expect the Patriots to get Gronkowski involved early on, given the struggles the Bills have had with defending the tight end position for many years.
5) Weak Pats CBs
- Much like the Patriots will look to take advantage of the Bills young cornerbacks, Buffalo has an opportunity against an underwhelming group of cover corners to do some damage through the air. Both Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington have had their share of struggles over the past two seasons. It hasn't been as bad as last season when they allowed 293 yards per game, but the Patriots are still only 24th against the pass allowing 262 yards per contest. If Fitzpatrick were to have a game that he takes over for the Bills, the cornerbacks he'll be throwing against certainly makes it a favorable matchup.
Injuries
Buffalo
OUT: WR Ruvell Martin
QUESTIONABLE: HB Fred Jackson, HB C.J. Spiller
PROBABLE: CB Leodis McKelvin
New England
OUT: WR Julian Edelman, TE Aaron Hernandez
QUESTIONABLE: HB Shane Vereen, DT Justin Francis, DT Kyle Love, TE Rob Gronkowski, CB Sterling Moore, T Sebastian Vollmer, G Logan Mankins, DE Brandon Deaderick, CB Alfonzo Dennard, C Nick McDonald
Prediction: Patriots over Bills
- With Jackson and Spiller at full strength, I think the Bills would have an opportunity to knock off the Patriots for a second straight year. However, with both those players hobbled a bit, it boils down to Tom Brady vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick. In that scenario, I give the edge to the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia