Pats vs Bills (12.20.09)

[Bahku]

New England Patriots (8-5) face the Buffalo Bills (5-8) at Raplh Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, on Sunday, December 20, 2009.






The New England Patriots will attempt to sweep the Buffalo Bills for the sixth straight season when they travel to take on their AFC east rivals. The Patriots battled back from a 24-13 fourth-quarter deficit to pull out a 25-24 victory on Monday Night Football in the first meeting with Buffalo in Week 1. The victory extended the Patriots winning streak to 12 straight over Buffalo.

Since the beginning of December 2003, the Patriots have compiled a 25-3 record in the 12th month. The Patriots will look to improve their NFL-best record in December games over the last seven years.


BROADCAST INFORMATION

TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast to a regional audience by CBS and can be seen in Boston on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Greg Gumbel will handle play-by-play duties with Dan Dierdorf providing color.

RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 36 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 33rd season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Santos and Cappelletti are celebrating their 26th season as a tandem.


SERIES HISTORY

The Patriots and Bills will meet for the 100th time, with New England holding a 58-40-1 edge following a 25-24 come-from-behind win on Monday Night Football in Week 1. The series between the AFC East rivals began in 1960. The Patriots' 58 wins over the Bills are their highest victory total over any opponent, eight more than they own over the New York Jets (50). New England has won 12 straight games in the series and has won 17 of its last 19 games against Buffalo dating back to the 2000 season. The Patriots have swept the season series from the Bills in five straight years and have achieved the feat seven of the last eight years. The Patriots have won by an average margin of 19 points per game during their current 12-game win streak. The Patriots are 27-21 all-time in Buffalo, including 20-15 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Patriots beat the Bills last season at Ralph Wilson Stadium by a 13-0 score. The teams have had many memorable matchups over the years, including a five-game span from 1999 to 2001 where four of the five contests were decided in overtime.


SERIES SUCCESS

The Patriots have won 12 straight games against the Bills, which is the longest regular-season winning streak against an opponent in team history.


DIVISIONAL DOMINANCE

The New England Patriots own a 42-13 (.764) record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL over the last eight seasons. The Patriots are 3-2 in the division in 2009.


PASSING PERFORMANCES

Tom Brady is slated to start against Buffalo for the 16th time in his career. The Patriots signal caller has led the Patriots to 14 regular season victories over the Bills, recording his highest regular season victory total over any opponent. Brady has compiled 10 consecutive victories over the Bills, marking his longest regular-season winning streak over any opponent. Additionally, Brady has thrown for more touchdowns (32) against Buffalo than any other opponent.


STRONG IN THE SECOND HALF

Since 2001, New England has done a remarkable job of finishing the season strong, compiling a 73-20 (.785) record after Nov. 1, including playoff games. (from patriots.com)


GO PATS!

[PosImpos]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

[Bahku]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

[PosImpos]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

Eh, our offense is so pass oriented it's hard to feel too optimistic about a bad weather game.  Especially since we've had so much trouble in the red zone this year that we'll likely have to kick a lot of field goals.  My point is just that a game with bad conditions often comes down to luck as much as anything else.  I remember last year's December game in Buffalo was a really messy affair. 

[Bahku]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

Eh, our offense is so pass oriented it's hard to feel too optimistic about a bad weather game.  Especially since we've had so much trouble in the red zone this year that we'll likely have to kick a lot of field goals.  My point is just that a game with bad conditions often comes down to luck as much as anything else.  I remember last year's December game in Buffalo was a really messy affair. 

I still think this team thrives is bad weather ... in last week's game we didn't even show up in the first half, but in the second half, when the weather turned bad, we woke up and became a different team. A solid case can be made for the bad weather being a significant factor in our winning two of our last three Super Bowl victories. This team has historically thrived in crappy conditions, even in the days of Grogan, Morgan and Francis ... for whatever reasons, the Pats are a consistently good foul-weather team, and if the weather's bad on Sunday, I'm feeling much better about our chances.

[PosImpos]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

Eh, our offense is so pass oriented it's hard to feel too optimistic about a bad weather game.  Especially since we've had so much trouble in the red zone this year that we'll likely have to kick a lot of field goals.  My point is just that a game with bad conditions often comes down to luck as much as anything else.  I remember last year's December game in Buffalo was a really messy affair. 

I still think this team thrives is bad weather ... in last week's game we didn't even show up in the first half, but in the second half, when the weather turned bad, we woke up and became a different team. A solid case can be made for the bad weather being a significant factor in our winning two of our last three Super Bowl victories. This team has historically thrived in crappy conditions, even in the days of Grogan, Morgan and Francis ... for whatever reasons, the Pats are a consistently good foul-weather team, and if the weather's bad on Sunday, I'm feeling much better about our chances.

That's a good point.  Maybe we just need to hope that there will be snow wherever we play throughout the playoffs (though I guess we can't hope for that in the Super Bowl...heh).

[Bahku]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

Eh, our offense is so pass oriented it's hard to feel too optimistic about a bad weather game.  Especially since we've had so much trouble in the red zone this year that we'll likely have to kick a lot of field goals.  My point is just that a game with bad conditions often comes down to luck as much as anything else.  I remember last year's December game in Buffalo was a really messy affair. 

I still think this team thrives is bad weather ... in last week's game we didn't even show up in the first half, but in the second half, when the weather turned bad, we woke up and became a different team. A solid case can be made for the bad weather being a significant factor in our winning two of our last three Super Bowl victories. This team has historically thrived in crappy conditions, even in the days of Grogan, Morgan and Francis ... for whatever reasons, the Pats are a consistently good foul-weather team, and if the weather's bad on Sunday, I'm feeling much better about our chances.

That's a good point.  Maybe we just need to hope that there will be snow wherever we play throughout the playoffs (though I guess we can't hope for that in the Super Bowl...heh).

Yeah, really, lol! The Pats will just have to figure out a way to bring the snow with them! Hey, at least you're assuming they'll make it to the Super Bowl, I hadn't quite got my head around it that far yet ... I love the optimism, Bud.

[Redz]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

Eh, our offense is so pass oriented it's hard to feel too optimistic about a bad weather game.  Especially since we've had so much trouble in the red zone this year that we'll likely have to kick a lot of field goals.  My point is just that a game with bad conditions often comes down to luck as much as anything else.  I remember last year's December game in Buffalo was a really messy affair. 

I still think this team thrives is bad weather ... in last week's game we didn't even show up in the first half, but in the second half, when the weather turned bad, we woke up and became a different team. A solid case can be made for the bad weather being a significant factor in our winning two of our last three Super Bowl victories. This team has historically thrived in crappy conditions, even in the days of Grogan, Morgan and Francis ... for whatever reasons, the Pats are a consistently good foul-weather team, and if the weather's bad on Sunday, I'm feeling much better about our chances.

That's a good point.  Maybe we just need to hope that there will be snow wherever we play throughout the playoffs (though I guess we can't hope for that in the Super Bowl...heh).

Yeah, really, lol! The Pats will just have to figure out a way to bring the snow with them! Hey, at least you're assuming they'll make it to the Super Bowl, I hadn't quite got my head around it that far yet ... I love the optimism, Bud.

The bigger trick will be bringing the bad weather with them INDOORS

[Bahku]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

Eh, our offense is so pass oriented it's hard to feel too optimistic about a bad weather game.  Especially since we've had so much trouble in the red zone this year that we'll likely have to kick a lot of field goals.  My point is just that a game with bad conditions often comes down to luck as much as anything else.  I remember last year's December game in Buffalo was a really messy affair. 

I still think this team thrives is bad weather ... in last week's game we didn't even show up in the first half, but in the second half, when the weather turned bad, we woke up and became a different team. A solid case can be made for the bad weather being a significant factor in our winning two of our last three Super Bowl victories. This team has historically thrived in crappy conditions, even in the days of Grogan, Morgan and Francis ... for whatever reasons, the Pats are a consistently good foul-weather team, and if the weather's bad on Sunday, I'm feeling much better about our chances.

That's a good point.  Maybe we just need to hope that there will be snow wherever we play throughout the playoffs (though I guess we can't hope for that in the Super Bowl...heh).

Yeah, really, lol! The Pats will just have to figure out a way to bring the snow with them! Hey, at least you're assuming they'll make it to the Super Bowl, I hadn't quite got my head around it that far yet ... I love the optimism, Bud.

The bigger trick will be bringing the bad weather with them INDOORS

They've already done it in Japan and Dubai.

[PosImpos]

It says a lot that all of those normally encouraging statistics just make me feel more sure that the Patriots are going to find a way to lose...I actually don't really think it will happen, but I can't help feeling pessimistic after the way the season has gone so far.

The Pats have yet to show they can win on the road, and windy, snowy Buffalo doesn't seem like the best place to start.  The Browns showed last week that a very bad team can beat a struggling usually-elite team if the conditions are right (e.g. bad weather, low scoring).  That's probably the kind of game we should expect on Sunday.

Actually, bad weather would make me feel more secure about winning ... the Pats play their best when the weather is crappy.

Eh, our offense is so pass oriented it's hard to feel too optimistic about a bad weather game.  Especially since we've had so much trouble in the red zone this year that we'll likely have to kick a lot of field goals.  My point is just that a game with bad conditions often comes down to luck as much as anything else.  I remember last year's December game in Buffalo was a really messy affair. 

I still think this team thrives is bad weather ... in last week's game we didn't even show up in the first half, but in the second half, when the weather turned bad, we woke up and became a different team. A solid case can be made for the bad weather being a significant factor in our winning two of our last three Super Bowl victories. This team has historically thrived in crappy conditions, even in the days of Grogan, Morgan and Francis ... for whatever reasons, the Pats are a consistently good foul-weather team, and if the weather's bad on Sunday, I'm feeling much better about our chances.

That's a good point.  Maybe we just need to hope that there will be snow wherever we play throughout the playoffs (though I guess we can't hope for that in the Super Bowl...heh).

Yeah, really, lol! The Pats will just have to figure out a way to bring the snow with them! Hey, at least you're assuming they'll make it to the Super Bowl, I hadn't quite got my head around it that far yet ... I love the optimism, Bud.

Hahhaha I'm really not optimistic the point is that maybe the only way we could get there is if it snowed for all of our playoff games.

[Donoghus]

Needless to say, the Patriots need to keep winning if they want to see the playoffs.  Things are extremely tight in the AFC right now and winning the AFC East should be the penultimate step right now.  A win here helps big time. 

Almost a "must-win".

[Fafnir]

Needless to say, the Patriots need to keep winning if they want to see the playoffs.  Things are extremely tight in the AFC right now and winning the AFC East should be the penultimate step right now.  A win here helps big time. 

Almost a "must-win".

I think it is a must win. Avoiding falling into a potential 3-way tie is big.

Especially when you're playing a bad team.

[Donoghus]

Needless to say, the Patriots need to keep winning if they want to see the playoffs.  Things are extremely tight in the AFC right now and winning the AFC East should be the penultimate step right now.  A win here helps big time. 

Almost a "must-win".

I think it is a must win. Avoiding falling into a potential 3-way tie is big.

Especially when you're playing a bad team.

True, but even if they lose, they're still in the playoff hunt although I don't even want to begin to think about all the scenarios if that happens.

A win goes a long way here but its still not win or go home stage. 

[Fafnir]

Needless to say, the Patriots need to keep winning if they want to see the playoffs.  Things are extremely tight in the AFC right now and winning the AFC East should be the penultimate step right now.  A win here helps big time. 

Almost a "must-win".

I think it is a must win. Avoiding falling into a potential 3-way tie is big.

Especially when you're playing a bad team.

True, but even if they lose, they're still in the playoff hunt although I don't even want to begin to think about all the scenarios if that happens.

A win goes a long way here but its still not win or go home stage. 

How do the tie-breakers work out? I think one of the Jets/Dolphins will go 2-1.

[Donoghus]

Needless to say, the Patriots need to keep winning if they want to see the playoffs.  Things are extremely tight in the AFC right now and winning the AFC East should be the penultimate step right now.  A win here helps big time. 

Almost a "must-win".

I think it is a must win. Avoiding falling into a potential 3-way tie is big.

Especially when you're playing a bad team.

True, but even if they lose, they're still in the playoff hunt although I don't even want to begin to think about all the scenarios if that happens.

A win goes a long way here but its still not win or go home stage. 

How do the tie-breakers work out? I think one of the Jets/Dolphins will go 2-1.

Haha....like i said, I don't even want to begin to think about all the scenarios.