Bills Seek To End 14-Game Skid Against Patriots
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills' losing streak against the New England Patriots has lasted so long that kicker Rian Lindell has lost track.
"Is that what it is, 14 games?" Lindell asked, with genuine surprise. "It's hard to believe it's 14. Geez, already?"
And that's not the worst of it after Lindell was reminded that the Bills have lost 19 of the past 20 meetings — the lone win coming in the 2003 opener, his first game with Buffalo.
"Yeah, that's not good," he said. "Now it's our turn then, maybe."
Maybe not.
As sure as the snow falls in Buffalo come winter, the Bills (4-12) are once again being dismissed from having a chance against the Patriots (12-2), who make their annual trip to Orchard Park today. Buffalo opened as 8-point underdogs and is expected to once again play the role of AFC East pushover.
New England has already secured its sixth playoff berth in seven years, is riding a six-game winning streak and is one victory from clinching home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs.
The Bills have won four of six, but had their playoff chances dry up for an 11th straight year following an 0-8 start.
Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick knows what Buffalo's up against.
"If you look at the matchup on paper, obviously, they're a lot better team than we are in terms of everything they've done this year, their record, they're in the playoffs, and everything we haven't done," Fitzpatrick said. "But we're looking forward to the challenge. All we can do is go out there and play, and hopefully it's good enough."
The Patriots are tough to beat — and not just against Buffalo — especially this late in the season in having gone a league-best 36-5 record in December since 2001.
And playing meaningful games at this time of year had Patriots coach Bill Belichick in a playful mood.
"There's no place I'd rather be at this time of year than coaching football," said Belichick, who opened his conference call with Buffalo-area reporters by wondering how balmy the temperatures might be and whether he'd have to pack his familiar hooded sweat shirt.
Of course, Belichick knew the answers, which begged a question of how fond he is of his baggy trademark cold-weather attire.
"We just try to go out there and compete," Belichick said.
It might be OK to kid the coach about the clothes, just don't question the results with Tom Brady running the show.
The quarterback is tied for the NFL lead with 31 touchdowns passing and is two games shy of becoming only the seventh player throw a TD pass in each game of a 16-game season. Brady also hasn't thrown an interception in 292 attempts — 17 short of breaking the NFL record Bernie Kosar set spanning the 1990-91 seasons.
The Patriots are coming off a 31-27 win over Green Bay, and have scored 31 or more points in each of their past six, and nine times this season. The offensive production has proven necessary to make up for a young inconsistent defense that's allowing nearly 22 points and 375 yards a game.
There's too many things to work on for the Patriots to feel too comfortable. And their last loss — a 34-17 defeat at Cleveland on Nov. 7 — provides enough of a reminder to not look past anyone.
"I'll tell you what, Cleveland was a wake-up call for us. They put it to us," defensive lineman Vince Wilfork said. "You know, every week we say, 'Win.' And that's how we're looking at it. We're not looking past Buffalo."
What can't be discounted is how the Patriots have dominated the Bills, having outscored them 401-160 during their 14-game run. Buffalo's scored 20 or more points twice during that stretch, including a 38-30 loss this season, but been shut out twice and held to 10 points or less eight times.
The margin of victory has been even more decisive in the second meeting of the annual series, in which the Patriots own a 209-39 edge against Buffalo over seven games.
The Bills have made things close in each of the past three meetings, but still found ways to lose. The most improbable defeat came in last year's season-opener, a 25-24 loss in which Buffalo squandered an 11-point lead in the final 2:06.
Third-year safety Jon Corto is all too familiar with Buffalo's struggles against the Pats. He grew up in Orchard Park and was a Bills fan long before he started playing for the team.
"My friends, my family, they get frustrated with the Patriots. Out of every team that we play, they always ask, 'Are you going to beat the Patriots this year?'" Corto said. "There is an added emphasis any time you play a division opponent. And then on top of it, to lose this many games to this team ... "
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