As we enter the halfway point through the 2016 NFL season, a pair of divisional rivals in the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots will square off Sunday at New Era Field in Buffalo.
Rex Ryan will have to plan for Tom Brady this week, something he didn’t have to do when these two teams faced in Week 4. The Bills came out on top in that one, winning 16-0, which was the first Patriots shut out at home since 1993. It’ll be a much tougher task this week facing Brady, who’s 3-0 in his first from his four-game suspension.
The Bills were outdone by the Dolphins last week in Miami, as running back Jay Ajayi ran all over the Bills. Going into that game, the Bills weren’t bad at stopping the run, but they were exposed against the Dolphins, who did a fine job wearing the Bills defense out and committing to the run.
New England has done a very good job running the ball this year. They have been very balanced which is unusual for a New England team with Brady at the helm, at least in recent years. This year, they’re running the ball on an average basis of 48.76 percent of the time, the fourth-highest rate in the league.
Date: Sunday, October 30
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Buffalo, NY
Venue: New Era Field
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports
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From watching the film from last week, New England might just take a run-first approach into Buffalo on Sunday, and force Buffalo to stop it. If Buffalo stops the run, they will be doing themselves a favor but Brady will do his thing in the short-intermediate passing game that the Patriots have employed this season.
Who do you think will emerge victorious in this AFC East showdown?