Three and six. That is what the Buffalo Bills are staring right in the face on Sunday if they can’t pull out a win against the hated New England Patriots.
The team needs a win to save their season and give them a glimmer of hope that this could still be the year that they end their 12 year playoff drought. However, there really isn’t that much confidence that the team can get it done. In fact, it seems as if a win on Sunday in Foxboro is nearly impossible. And it’s not based off opinion, it’s based off fact.
The Bills are 0-10 in New England since the Patriots began playing at Gillette Stadium in 2002. The Bills have lost by an average score, rounded up, of 31-14. The closest the Bills came to beating the Patriots in their home stadium was that 25-24 collapse on Monday Night Football in 2009. It just has not been a pretty sight watching the Bills play in the Boston suburb.
Another reason to believe that this game is seemingly impossible for Buffalo to win is the man who quarterbacks the Patriots.
Tom Brady is an astounding 19-2 against Buffalo in his career. What’s even more remarkable are the numbers that he has accumulated against the Bills. Brady has completed just over 65% of his passes against Buffalo for 5,170 yards and 49 touchdowns. That’s over 200 yards and two touchdowns per game. Even when he had a bad day, last year’s 34-31 loss to Buffalo, he still completed 66% of his passes, threw for nearly 400 yards, and added four touchdowns.
Nov 4, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams (94) sacks Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) during the first half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE
Now that’s a quarterback who knows how to get the job done. Sure, he through four picks in that game, but every great player is allowed at least one bad game against the team they constantly beat up on. It’s like a pity win.
The Bills have a lot of work to do on Sunday to pull off the win, however there is a little ray of hope for Buffalo on Sunday.
The defense, aside from the cornerbacks, looked solid against the juggernaut Texans last Sunday, holding them to just 21 points. Mario Williams, finally healthy, played his best game as a Bill to this date, recording a sack and 5 solo tackles. Rookie Kyle Moore has also looked good for the Bills since joining the active roster when Mark Anderson goes down.
The biggest hope for the Bills though is still their running backs. CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson are the team’s two most dynamic players. They NEED to get the ball. Six carries a piece isn’t going to cut it this weekend against New England. The Bills need to run the ball with their stud backs and keep Brady off the field as long as possible.
Run the ball, control the clock, win the game. It’s as simple as that.