Patriots Opponent Profile: Bills Are More Dangerous Than They Look
By Gregory Hunt
A first-round postseason bye has already been clinched, but the New England Patriots hope to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs when they face the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. A victory will also give the Patriots at least 13 regular season wins for the 6th time since 2003.
Season Record
The Bills enter the final week of the 2014 regular season with an 8-7 record, tied with the Miami Dolphins for second place in the AFC East. Buffalo was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 when it lost 26-24 to the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum.
The Bills trail the all-time regular season series against the Patriots 41-66-1. This rivalry dates back to 1960, when both franchises were founding members of the American Football League. In their only postseason meeting, the Patriots advanced to the 1963 AFL Championship Game with a 26-8 win at Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium. Earlier this season in Week 6, the Patriots defeated the Bills 37-22 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Bills On Offense
Coming into this season, Buffalo quarterback Kyle Orton hadn't started a game in the NFL since doing so for the Denver Broncos in 2011, but after second-year quarterback EJ Manuel was benched following Week 4, Orton has started the last 11 games. Orton's performance hasn't been spectacular, but it's been a slight improvement over Manuel.
At the age of 33, running back Fred Jackson continues to be a dangerous weapon, as he leads the team in both rushing yards (467) and pass receptions (65). However, Buffalo's most explosive offensive player is rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who has caught 62 passes for 925 yards and six touchdowns.
Bills On Defense
A solid defense has kept Buffalo competitive this season despite an offense that occasionally struggles to score points. The team is currently 1st in the league in sacks (50), 4th in total defense (315 YPG), and 5th in both points allowed (18.7) and interceptions (19). Linebackers Preston Brown and Nigel Bradham have both reached the 100-tackle plateau while defensive linemen Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus have both reached double-digit sack totals, although Dareus is currently listed as questionable for Sunday's game with a knee injury.
This unit's most impressive performance came in Week 15, when it ended Green Bay's five-game winning streak with a 21-13 win over the Packers at Ralph Wilison Stadium. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed only 17-of-42 passes for 185 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Patriots had lost to the Packers 26-21 at Lambeau Field just two weeks earlier.
Outlook
The New England offense didn't have its usual swagger last week in an ugly 17-16 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. This was in part because of the absence of running back LeGarrette Blount and wide receiver Julian Edelman due to injury, but the Patriots also had issues in pass protection which led to quarterback Tom Brady getting sacked four times. The Bills have an even better pass rush that the Jets, so the Patriots will need to correct these issues in order to win the game.
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Gregory Hunt is a Boston native and a life-long fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. He's also particularly fond of lacrosse, IndyCar racing and women's college basketball. He currently works for Examiner.com where he serves as the Senior Manager of Content and Media Access. He also writes for Examiner.com as the New England Patriots Examiner. His work can be found on aExaminer.com.