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New England Patriots Links 9/23/11 - High-Scoring Bills Big Test For Banged-Up Pats Defense

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By Marima
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<em>With Patrick Chung out for Sunday, safeties Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett will have to step it up big in Buffalo</em>.
With Patrick Chung out for Sunday, safeties Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett will have to step it up big in Buffalo.

Mike Petraglia says Vince Wilfork couldn't help but revisit his interception in last week's game before moving on to the topic of Buffalo.

"I know I can’t live on that play forever," he said. "The last thing I can do is go out here Sunday and play the worst game of my career and everybody will turn to me and say, ‘If you weren’t thinking about the interception, you probably would have played better.’ I have to turn the pages on that, after this."

"This is a new Buffalo Bills team," Wilfork said of the team that has scored an NFL-best 79 points in the first two games, six better than the Patriots. "They’re making big play after big play. It’s not smoke and mirrors with them."

"Those two together [Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller] make a good team, a good running attack," Wilfork said. "We have our hands full. It’s going to be challenging for us once again. Every week so far, we’ve been challenged."

Chris Forsberg tells us Devin McCourty isn't thinking his job will be any easier going up against the Bills receivers.

"Buffalo spreads the ball around, you talk about [David] Nelson, [Steve] Johnson, and also Donald Jones is playing well," said McCourty. "Even with Roscoe Parrish down, they have a bunch of capable wide receives. It doesn't get any easier, week by week."

Chris Forsberg notes Shaun Ellis has stressed the D-Line is a work in progress and the unit is still meshing.

"You gotta get a feel for how [the other defensive linemen] play, where they are going to be, how Vince [Wilfork] or Albert [Haynesworth] like to [play]," said Ellis. "Sometimes you have to read off of that and it's hard to get a feel for. I kind of put it like a jump shooter, who goes out and shoots a whole bunch of jumpers all day long. You're just getting that feel, so when you get into the game it comes naturally."

"They get to the run game in different ways," said Ellis, who heaped praise on the likes of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. "It's not traditional line-up-and-pound-the-ball [attack]. They spread you out, mix in some runs with the passing game."

"We just have to become more consistent throughout the year."

TEAM TALK

LOCAL LINKS

  • Tim Britton believes the Bills offense presents a different challenge to Devin McCourty and the Patriots D.
  • Chris Forsberg reports the Patriots know stopping Fred Jackson will be a key Sunday in Buffalo.
  • Tedy Bruschi and Mike Reiss break down Pats-Bills. Bills can score, but can't outpace Pats.
  • Chris Gasper tells us three keys to a win vs. the Bills. (3.28 min. video)
  • Glen Farley says these Bills are out to make a name for themselves.
  • Christopher Price offers a few thoughts from the second half of "Bill Belichick: A Football Life."
  • Steve Buckley writes Devin McCourty is approaching this game as a tough matchup between two 2-0 teams.
  • Nick Underhill thinks Devin McCourty is hoping to get it going against the Bills after a rough start to the season.
  • Christopher Price talks about Kevin Faulk's year in football purgatory.
  • Monique Walker notes OL Brian Waters has rarely been seen without his playbook, after signing with the Patriots.
  • Steve Buckley reports Vince Wilfork is taking advantage of his celebrity, announcing his partnership with EMD MIllipore and the Joslin Diabetes Center High Hopes Fund.
  • Christopher Price observes Aaron Hernandez strolling through the locker room Thursday morning - without a limp - but he politely declined to speak with the media.
  • Christopher Price charts the offensive opportunities for Patriots skill position players so far this year.
  • Mike Reiss shares some quick hits from the Patriots locker room yesterday.
  • Mike Reiss offers the transcript of his weekly online chat.
  • Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Patriots will be without Pat Chung this week, after he had surgery to stabalize his thumb; The D-line suffered a blow with the loss of Myron Pryor. Mike Wright's return is unknown and Albert Haynesworth missed practice with a back injury.
  • MIchael Whitmer Patriots Notebook: Albert Haynesworth and Dan Gronkowski are added to the injury report and miss practice today, possibly creating depth issues at TE and on the DL; Injury update; Bills rushing offense will be hard to stop; Devin McCourty is prepared to be patient and just keep playing his game; Hernandez said he was feeling "great" after being seen in the locker room walking without a limp.
  • Prim Siripipat goes inside the numbers to see how the Patriots-Bills game plays out in AccuScore game simulations.
  • Michael Hurley makes his Week 3 picks. Pats over Bills.
  • Jim Lazar announces the Party is over in Buffalo as he makes his Week 3 picks. Pats win 37-20.

NATIONAL NEWS

VIEW FROM BUFFALO

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