Prior to the Week 4 meeting with the Bills in Foxborough the Patriots ended up in a pregame scuffle when Buffalo defensive backs took offense to how and where New England rookies Jacoby Brissett and Malcolm Mitchell did their warmup run.
Word out of the Bills locker room this week as the teams prepare for a rematch on Sunday in Buffalo is that the home team will be ready to defend its turf yet again.
The Patriots, however, sound ready to simply play a solid football game on the road.
The Boston Globe writes that Bill Belichick isn’t focused on revenge against the Bills. On the flipside, the Globe has Rex Ryan joking that he’s waiting for Tom Brady to retire. The *Globe *says that Brady’s scrambling has added a new dimension to the Patriots offense, though the unit will have a to wait a little longer to add Dion Lewis to the mix as the PUP passing back did not begin practicing as of yet.
The Boston Herald says the Bills are ready to go again if a pregame issue arises. The Herald looks at the Patriots issues with fumbles this season. The* Herald *notes that Ryan won’t miss Brady this time around, while the Patriots could miss out on LeSean McCoy as he battles a hamstring injury.
The Providence Journal writes that safety Patrick Chung has been a much better fit for the team in his second tour of duty in New England. The ProJo declares that Lewis is close to a return to action, while also looking at the Patriots motivations going into Sunday’s trip to Buffalo.
ESPN has Belichick pleading for people to not overlook Rob Gronkowski’s abilities as a route runner. ESPN notes the Patriots head to Buffalo looking to avoid a season sweep by a division foe for the first time since 2000. The site also has Brady passing along word that his mother thinks he’s the fastest player on the field.
Well before the game kicks off, WEEI.com says the Bills are already losing the battle with the Patriots leading up to the AFC East contest. WEEI.com passes along word that the Bills are ready to scrap yet again, while Brady makes it clear the Patriots aren’t into the bully mentality. In the story that no one will let die, WEEI.com has ESPN's Chris Mortensen admitting that he handled Deflategate poorly. WEEI.com also notes what it calls the redemption of Chung.
CSNNE.com has Ryan stating the Bills will have “zero focus” on the potential for pregame “extracurricular things.” CSNNE.com relays Ben Roethlisberger asking a mic’ed up Brady for his jersey prior to last week's game in Pittsburgh. CSNNE.com wonders if Brady’s season-opening four-game suspension might actually benefit the quarterback and his team down the stretch this season. CSNNE.com says the Patriots will tread carefully with Lewis’ health and return.
NFL.com has a story about title contenders as potential trade teams before the deadline, but doesn't include the Patriots because they “don’t even have too many holes to fill.” NFL.com's ranking of the top cornerbacks still has Malcolm Butler on the outside looking in. The site also has Brady saying he doesn't want to coach when he retires from playing. "Coaching wouldn't be for me," Brady said.
NESN.com calls safety Duron Harmon New England’s secret weapon on defense.
