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New England Patriots links 10/20/23 - Week 7 Bills at Patriots: Previews, matchups, Keys to Victory

Daily news and links for Friday.

By Marima
/ new

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NFL: OCT 01 Patriots at Cowboys
Demario Douglas makes a catch
Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Sunday’s forecast calls for wind, rain and a crushing Buffalo Bills’ pressure system over Gillette Stadium. Take a peek at the experts’ picks for New England’s Week 7 matchup vs. Buffalo for the cold, hard predictions. All the talk about the wind potentially being a factor in the Patriots favor — like how it handed the Pats a win in 2021, is bogus. The suggestion that only the Bills were forced to play in those weather conditions in Buffalo but the Pats didn’t, is flat-out ridiculous. Penalizing a team for being smart.

Tom Brady took criticism for throwing shorter, successful passes to open receivers instead of heaving it downfield every play to test an opponents’ best man-coverage cornerbacks, and somehow that was low-level play. He made use of YAC receivers like Wes Welker to move the chains and got no respect for it. I say, a win is a win. By one point or 30, in rain, snow or dome it’s still the same single point in the W column.

I’m still riding the same horse: If the Patriots can limit mistakes and not turn the ball over, they have a chance to make it a game tomorrow. If not, it’s going to be a long, miserable afternoon - regardless of the weather. Godspeed and good luck. Go Pats!

TEAM TALK

LOCAL LINKS

  • Murph gives us his Monster Keys to Patriots victory over the Bills. 1. Revenge is a dish best served mid-rare. The Patriots are completely ignoring the midrange passing game.
  • Mike Kadlick identifies three crucial clashes in Pats-Bills Week 7 matchup. 1. Bills’ pass rush vs. Patriots right tackle spot. “Oh, and Buffalo also has Von Miller back after he started the season on the PUP list.”
  • Alex Barth tells us what to watch for when the Patriots host the Bills this Sunday at Gillette Stadium. 1. Slowing down Stephon Diggs.
  • Andrew Callahan says it’s time for a Patriots kitchen sink game against Buffalo.
  • Mike Kadlick identifies 10 players to watch in this Sunday Pats-Bills matchup.
  • Dakota Randall notes that wind could be a factor in another Patriots-Bills game; Forecasts are calling for some pretty heavy gusts Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
  • Nick O’Malley’s Pats-Bills anti-analysis: Fans ask for a lot of crazy things. But signing a baby? That’s a new one.
  • Michael Hurley ranks the most dire situations across the NFL, and makes his Week 7 picks.
  • Eric Wilbur rounds up what the experts are predicting for Sunday’s Patriots-Bills game. ‘If the Patriots have any shot to beat the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, it’s going to take the same sort of Act of God that handed the Patriots a win in Buffalo two seasons ago.’
  • Zack Cox highlights Kendrick Bourne, who said he’s relishing the Patriots’ “underdog” status and believes they’re fully capable of pulling off upsets if they play to their potential.
  • Phil Perry wonders who are the Patriots’ “torch-bearers”? ‘There’s a short list of true veteran leaders who should be a part of this team’s future.’
  • Andy Hart argues that the future is now for the Patriots. Not in the ‘win now’ sense, but in the ‘2023 is a lost cause so play the rookies, sit the unproductive veterans and make trades.
  • Mark Daniels suggests which players the Patriots should sell at the NFL trade deadline.
  • Doug Kyed’s Patriots mailbag: What changes are coming in the next year?
  • Chris Mason’s Patriots Mailbag: Could Patriots trade for Kyler Murray?
  • Zack Cox’ Patriots Mailbag: One move New England must make for 2024; Plus: Can Mac Jones be fixed?
  • Ian Logue’s Patriots Notebook: Bourne hears the trade talk; Moving Bourne would create a big void; More.
  • Mark Daniels shares some stories on why Patriots offensive linemen loved playing for Dante Scarnecchia.
  • Ian Logue explains why firing Bill Belichick may complicate the Patriots’ future even further.
  • Khari Thompson highlights Robert Kraft explaining why he’ll never sell the Patriots. Kraft said that there’s value in owning the Patriots beyond just the financial aspect.
  • Khari Thompson passes along a report that price concerns may be holding up Tom Brady’s Raiders deal from getting league approval. Also, owners don’t like Brady’s broadcasting deal with Fox Sports. /Owners screwed Brady over with Deflategate and they know it.
  • A Clare Perspective podcast: Clare Cooper and Mike Dussault talk all things Patriots. (22 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

  • Nate Tice (Yahoo! Sports) The Overhang: NFL scoring is down and offenses have been sputtering; Here’s why.
  • Ben Austro (Football Zebras) Week 7 referee assignments. Bills at Patriots: Clete Blakeman.
  • Jeremy Cluff (USA Today) NFL Week 7 announcers. Bills at Patriots: CBS Ian Eagle and Charles Davis.
  • Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) The Super Bowl needs to stay in the United States. Roger Goodell turned heads when he floated the idea of staging a Super Bowl in London. There are a billion reasons why that would be a bad idea.
  • Jori Epstein (Yahoo! Sports) NFL just extended Roger Goodell’s commissioner term 3 years. Now what?
  • Brandon Contes (Awful Announcing) Peyton Manning says ManningCast may have ‘stumbled on’ something by having less guests. “We’ve only had two guests, so it’s given more time for Eli to make fun of me.”
  • Will Brinson (CBS Sports) NFL Week 7 picks, best bets: Bills thrash Patriots.
  • Sheil Kapadia (The Ringer) Week 7 NFL picks against the spread. Bills win, beat the -8.5 spread.
  • Around the NFL (NFL.com) Week 7 NFL picks. Five of 5 pick Bills to win. All by 10 points or more.
  • Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Week 7 NFL picks. Bills win 31-14.

VIEW FROM BUFFALO

  • Mark Gaughan (Buffalo News) PlayAction Column: Bill Belichick has earned right to fix Patriots’ problems.
  • Matt Byham (Buffalo Rumblings) Bills’ offensive identity runs through Josh Allen & Stefon Diggs.
  • Nick Wojton (BillsWire) Bills at Patriots: 5 things to watch for during Week 7’s matchup. 1. How do the Bills start?
  • Kyle Hightower (AP) Bills hope to sharpen their offense, add to recent success over floundering Patriots.
  • Josh Rawdin (Buffalo Rumblings) Quick Out: New England Patriots opponent preview.
  • Katherine Fitzgerald and Ryan O’Halloran (Buffalo News) Bills notebook: Josh Allen a full participant; Patriots big home underdogs.

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