Pats Preview: Pats @ Bills

As the New England Patriots prepare for their Week 8 divisional match up with the Buffalo Bills, Let's take a look at some of the top story lines heading into the game.

A Dose Of Revenge- The two teams linked up back in Week 4, with the Bills pulling out a somewhat surprising 16-0 victory at Gillette. The game, of course, was the Patriots' final one of the season before the return of Tom Brady. Not only were the Pats playing without TB12 under center, but they also did not have backup Jimmy Garoppolo available, meaning rookie Jacoby Brissett got the start. Brissett, who was also battling a thumb ligament injury that has since seen him get placed on IR, was limited in the game plan and didn't present a huge threat to the Buffalo defense. The lack of offense for the Patriots coupled with the team's inability to get off the field on third down defensively were the biggest causes for the final score. With Brady back, the offense clicking and the defense coming off of a couple of stronger performances, the Pats are looking for a chance to serve up a large dose of revenge to the Ryan brothers and their middle-of-the-pack team.

What Could Have Been- Heading into last week, this game was expected to be a battle for first place in the AFC East. After starting the season 0-2, the Bills had rattled off four consecutive wins, including the Week 4 shutout of New England. A win over the lowly Miami Dolphins, which didn't seem to be that difficult, would have guaranteed the Bills a chance to take over first place in the AFC East with a second win over the Pats. Instead, Buffalo squandered that chance by playing horribly in Miami  and now sit two games back of New England. Given the fact that the Pats were always the heavy favorite to win the rematch it might not have mattered, but the story line of first place being on the line would have made the game a bit more interesting.

A Lack Of Shade- The Patriots defense had their hands full trying to neutralize Buffalo's top running back LeSean "Shady" McCoy during their first meeting this season. McCoy totaled 108 yards from scrimmage and produced the team's only touchdown on 25 touches, as he paced the Bills to victory. Last week, after tweaking his hamstring in practice the Bills coaching staff surprisingly ran the shifty playmaker out on the field against the Dolphins. Of course, McCoy left that game early, after re-aggravating the injury and has yet to practice this week. He is currently listed as doubtful for Sunday, which is good news for New England as well as a big shot to the Bills. Provided that McCoy doesn't make a miraculous comeback, the New England defense will have a little less to worry about Sunday and a chance to focus more on Buffalo's other tough-to-tackle back, Tyrod Taylor.

Wounded Wide Outs- Along with the potential lack of LeSean McCoy, the Bills are dealing with uncertainty around the availability of their top wide out, Robert Woods. While McCoy left last week's game with an injury, Woods never even suited up due to a knee injury and has been limited all week in practice. Woods is leading the team with 25 receptions for 240 yards so far this season. He also became a thorn in the side of the Pats in Week 4, as he sat underneath the coverage all day long and caught seven of 10 targets for 89 yards. Woods is listed as questionable for Sunday, but even if he plays he will probably be short of 100 percent. The Bills are also officially going to be without Marquise Goodwin, who has the second most receiving yards on the team and a team-high three touchdowns. Without McCoy or Goodwin and with an underwhelming version of Woods out on the field, the Buffalo offense could be troubled to manufacture scoring drives.

Taking Aim AT The Record Books- Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and quarterback Tom Brady both have chances to make some history Sunday. After his touchdown reception at Pittsburgh last week, Gronkowski tied former Patriots receiver Stanley Morgan for first place on the team's all-time touchdowns list with 68 scores. One score on Sunday would give Gronkowski his 69th overall touchdown and place him atop the franchise's TD list. If he scores by way of reception, he will also pass Morgan as franchise's all-time touchdown receptions leader with 68. As for Brady, a win against the Bills would give him his 26th such victory of his career. The win would also tie the All-Pro with Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who beat the Detroit Lions 26 times throughout his illustrious career.

Dominant Vs. The Bills- One word to describe Tom Brady's play against Buffalo throughout his career; dominant. Aside from the fact that Brady is poised to tie an all-time league record for wins against a single opponent, if the Pats sink the Bills, his individual numbers against Buffalo are scary good. In 28 games, the future Hall-of-Famer has thrown 62 touchdowns and passed for 300 yards nine times. Both of those marks rank as career highs for Brady against any single opponent. It's safe to expect that Brady, having missed the first of two meeting between these teams earlier this season, will be looking to add to those totals Sunday.

Expecting More- The first meeting between the teams marked just the second game of the season for Gronkowski, who had been held out of the team's first two games with a hamstring injury. In his first game of the season, Gronkowski was essentially a non-factor, not regarding a catch on one target. Against the Bills Gronkowski was again quiet on the afternoon, catching just one pass for 11 yards on only two targets. Of course, with Brissett at quarterback and the team managing his snaps, there was a plausible excuse for the All-Pro's underwhelming performance. Since Brady's return, however, Gronkowski has been set loose from all restrictions and has tortured his opponents. Over that three game stretch, Gronk has caught 16 passes for 364 yards and two scores. Pats Nation can expect more of that type of production from the big tight end this Sunday and less of his Week 4 performance against Buffalo.

Switching It Up- For the Pats to come away victorious Sunday, each team's top tackler from their first match up will have to change. For New England, corner Logan Ryan led the team in tackles with 17 total. That is far to high of a number for a defensive back to have and lends itself to the fact that the Pats pass rush couldn't get to Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and a lot of passes were completed. The Patriots will need a better effort up front and a stronger performance from their linebackers to stop Ryan from claiming the tackle title again. For the Bills, linebacker Zach Brown put together a dominant performance, totaling 17 tackles, including a sack and four tackles for loss. Putting it simply, the Pats must find away to neutralize Brown on Sunday in order to get their offense moving in the right direction.

Prediction- This game almost has the reverse feel of the first match up between these two teams. When they first met, the Pats were hamstrung offensively and Bills were relatively healthy and able to control the game. This time around, Buffalo is shorthanded and the Pats are fully loaded on both sides of the ball. I expect the Patriots to play both intensely and intelligently and to easily come away with a victory. Anytime the Pats have a chance to come out and shut Rex Ryan up from the jump they usually rise to the occasion and do so. This one should not be close and should leave the Pats feeling as though revenge was served, even if they won't admit it.

Patriots 45, Bills 12