ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - And now, back to our regularly scheduled NFL programming in which the Patriots, refreshed after a weekend off, resume their bid for a perfect season by running up the score on any team not named the Colts. Playing the role of this week's patsy: the Buffalo Bills.
Bill Belichick, of course, won't buy into that story line in preparing for Sunday night's game at Buffalo. New England's coach spent the week conducting his familiar “building-up-the-opponent” routine by insisting the Bills (5-4) could easily be 7-2 if not for a pair of last-second losses.
The Patriots (9-0), though, are better. They've already beaten AFC East rival Buffalo 38-7 this season and opened this week pegged as 15 1/2-point favorites - on the road, no less.
Belichick's response to all that: “meaningless.”
“It's a big challenge coming to Buffalo Sunday night with the way this team's playing,” Belichick added. “Every game's a big challenge. This is a big one.”
It's important not to discount the Bills, a gutty team that's overcome a rash of injuries and a 1-3 start to win four straight and five of six.
And yet they're relegated to sideshow status because the perfect Patriots have top-billing in opening the final stretch of their magical history tour in a matchup the NFL and NBC deemed important enough to shift to prime time in the midst of sweeps month.
With a win, the Patriots would become only the 10th team since 1970 to open 10-0. A win would also inch New England within a victory of clinching a division title - and it's not even close to December yet.
New England rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to pull out a 24-20 win against the previously undefeated and defending Super Bowl champion Colts.
The four-point victory ended a run in which New England set an NFL record by winning its first eight games by 17 or more points.
The Tom Brady-led offense has been particularly unstoppable, with the Patriots leading the league in total yards (3,858), points (355), touchdowns (46), touchdowns passing (33) and first downs (234).
To put that into perspective, Buffalo produced 33 touchdowns, 300 points and 234 first downs all of last season.
Buffalo is down to four cornerbacks after Kiwaukee Thomas was placed on injured reserve this week. As strong as starters Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer have played of late, they're undersized and have their hands full in attempting to contain a Patriots passing attack featuring Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte' Stallworth.
The Bills' offense needs even more help. The popgun attack that's produced a mere 10 touchdowns this season will likely be without its most consistent threat after running back Marshawn Lynch sprained his left ankle in a 13-10 win at Miami last weekend.
With one touchdown passing, Lynch has had a hand in seven touchdowns, and ranks fifth in the NFL with 751 yards rushing.
“It'll be tough,” receiver Lee Evans said. “Everybody in here knows what we've got and that's all we need. So we'll come out, we'll play hard, we'll play together and we're going to come out swinging.”
The Patriots (9-0), though, are better. They've already beaten AFC East rival Buffalo 38-7 this season and opened this week pegged as 15 1/2-point favorites - on the road, no less.
Belichick's response to all that: “meaningless.”
“It's a big challenge coming to Buffalo Sunday night with the way this team's playing,” Belichick added. “Every game's a big challenge. This is a big one.”
It's important not to discount the Bills, a gutty team that's overcome a rash of injuries and a 1-3 start to win four straight and five of six.
And yet they're relegated to sideshow status because the perfect Patriots have top-billing in opening the final stretch of their magical history tour in a matchup the NFL and NBC deemed important enough to shift to prime time in the midst of sweeps month.
With a win, the Patriots would become only the 10th team since 1970 to open 10-0. A win would also inch New England within a victory of clinching a division title - and it's not even close to December yet.
New England rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to pull out a 24-20 win against the previously undefeated and defending Super Bowl champion Colts.
The four-point victory ended a run in which New England set an NFL record by winning its first eight games by 17 or more points.
The Tom Brady-led offense has been particularly unstoppable, with the Patriots leading the league in total yards (3,858), points (355), touchdowns (46), touchdowns passing (33) and first downs (234).
To put that into perspective, Buffalo produced 33 touchdowns, 300 points and 234 first downs all of last season.
Buffalo is down to four cornerbacks after Kiwaukee Thomas was placed on injured reserve this week. As strong as starters Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer have played of late, they're undersized and have their hands full in attempting to contain a Patriots passing attack featuring Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte' Stallworth.
The Bills' offense needs even more help. The popgun attack that's produced a mere 10 touchdowns this season will likely be without its most consistent threat after running back Marshawn Lynch sprained his left ankle in a 13-10 win at Miami last weekend.
With one touchdown passing, Lynch has had a hand in seven touchdowns, and ranks fifth in the NFL with 751 yards rushing.
“It'll be tough,” receiver Lee Evans said. “Everybody in here knows what we've got and that's all we need. So we'll come out, we'll play hard, we'll play together and we're going to come out swinging.”
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