***MNF IN THE SWAMP UPSET SPECIAL- BULLY BOWL - BUFF @ NE***
***BUFFALO BILLS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS***
MAN OOHHHH MANNNN what a game we got for ourselves tonight on MNF to kickoff turkey week! Rex Ryan and his Buffalo Bills trot into chilly Foxborough to take on Bill Belichek and the mighty New England Patriots for AFC East faceoff round 2.......OH HELL YEA! The last two times these teams met was in Buffalo earlier this year when the Bills were still a fresh team with new faces and finding themselves and they were able to put up a fight before letting the Pats steamroll them. However, the Bills were able to mount a solid comeback and fell just short when it was put up or shut up time with the game ending in a Buffalo tipped-pass interception. I don't know about you, but I love a LIVE dawgie, and this one is CHOMPIN' AT THE BIT! A bit RABID in fact.....Rex Ryan and the Bills Mafia would love nothing more than to go on the road and serve up the undefeated Patriots their first loss of the season on the big stage of MNF. The Bills are finally getting healthy here in the home stretch of the season and are coming off a strong win on the road against the Jets last Thursday night. That being said they have had some bonus time to prepare for this one. The Pats on the other hand are wounded, losing a HUGE piece to their offense in WR Julian Edelman. Last week once Edelman was removed from the Patriot offense, they really seemed to struggle a bit to find a new groove that didn't consist of his short receptions and big YAC gains. Mind you, this was against a depleted Giant defense! The Bills have one of the most talented defenses in the league and while they have not looked like it at times, I think they got back on track last week and gained some confidence against NY. Another thing I was very impressed with was the Buffalo run game. RB Lesean McCoy is finally healthy and WOW did he run wild against a solid Jet defense. I think Rex will try and do the same and establish a strong run game with McCoy and Karlos Williams tonight with a nice little thunder and lightning type mix. I like QB Tyrod Taylor to use his legs a lot tonight also when in doubt. This kid can scoot and I feel like when the Pats get pressure as I'm sure they will at times, Taylor can really hurt you on the run. This will definitely frustrate the defense. Buffalo also finally has WR Sammy Watkins back healthy and he is motivated, publicly calling for the ball more. What better time to shine then tonight, eh? I think the kid shows up against a tough CB in Pats Super Bowl savior Malcom Butler in what should be the battle of the night and might be able to beat him deep. Look for TE Charles Clay to utilize the middle of the field and be Taylor's favorite target on 3rd down. On the other side of things I think Tom Brady might be out of sync a bit tonight without his go-to guy. Yes he still has Gronkowski and he will surey get his, but I got to believe Rex will have a plan in place to limit his production. I don't think the Pats will be able to run the ball effectively against this stout defensive front, and Tom will under pressure all game as Buffalo will surely be on another level of hyped for this one against a banged up offensive line. We all know that is the recipe for beating this guy as the Giants have exploited many times, dude doesn't like to get hit. Bang 'em up early and he will get off his game, and I got to think these guys will surely get some hits on him tonight, even at the cost of a penalty or two. I like this one to have a different feel to it than the first one and actually be a low scoring defensive affair. I think New England revealed some things last week that tips Buffalo on how they can be beaten, and that Rex will take advantage of it. If these guys are going to drop one this season, the time is now. Up against a fiesty division opponent fighting for a wildcard spot, who brutally hates your guts, and you are not at full strength.....and who better to be the one to upset the Pats on a big stage than Mr. Rex Ryan....can't you just see the headlines all week already? Back to back wins against his old team and than Billy B while steamrolling his way to a wildcard spot?! WOW, sounds like the NFL to me. That all being said, the Swamper will gladly gobble up these points here. BILLS +7
