The New England Patriots: Madden 16

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2015 Preseason Review

Roster Review, Off-season Winners/Losers, Look at the Schedule and More

Roster Review
Offense:

Spoiler

Attachment 110072
QB:
With the greatest to ever do it under center, the Patriots will always have a chance to win the Superbowl with Tom Brady as starting QB. Although he is almost comically slow, Brady can make any throw you ask of him with pin point accuracy and enough power to send the ball into orbit. What will be extremely important for the team this year will be his play action ability which will be taken advantage of. Backing him up is Jimmy Garoppolo who came into the NFL with one of the fastest releases we've seen in recent years. He is one of the better young pocket passers in the league while also having a dash or two of speed to help him out.

HB:
After losing Ridley, Vereen and Gray, the "Thunder and Lightning" duo of this year is the powerful LeGarrette Blount, and the elusive Dion Lewis. Depending on the match up, one of these backs will get the call to take the majority of the snaps. On default, Blount will be the bell cow while Lewis will be a 3rd down back. Backing them up is Brandon Bolden who, weirdly enough, is almost like a mixture of both. Not as strong as Blount or as fast as Lewis, Bolden is a nose to the ground player who is just waiting for his number to be called. At FB, James Develin will get few snaps, but we're confident in his blocking abilities.

WR:
With Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell being their own "Thunder and Lightning" type of combo, Edelman is the quick and shifty slot receiver that can pick up yards after the catch. LaFell is more of the deep threat on the boundary who picks up massive yards when the opposing team is trying to get to close to the line of scrimmage. What they both have in common is that they are both great catchers of the ball and can come down with the ball when needed to. Danny Amendola is the primary Edelman sub as he is almost a carbon copy. Aaron Dobson is a player more of the LaFell type who will try to show that he is good enough for this team after disappointing in the past 2 years.

TE:
Rob Gronkowski. The best TE in the NFL, and already one of the best in league history after just 5 years. He will go down as the greatest TE in history in all facets of the game. Future Hall of Famer. Behind him is former Bills TE Scott Chandler who will probably get alot of attempts in goalline situations. Expect a few 2 TE sets where the Patriots exploit their large size. Next is Michael Williams, who made the roster because his pass blocking is the best out of any of the TE's. He could help a alot in fake runs in 3 TE sets.

Offensive Line:
At the two tackle positions, the Patriots have Nate Solder who is a great run blocking tackle. On the other side, they have Sebastian Vollmer who is also a great run blocker but is also an elite pass blocker. Backing them up, is the powerful Marcus Cannon who is a great option if NE go into a jumbo set. At LG, rookie Shaq Mason will take the role because of his physical ability and great run blocking. Out of any O-lineman on the roster, he has the best combination of STR, ACC, AGI and SPD. His pass blocking is poor but that can be coached. On the other side will be another rookie in Tre' Jackson. Jackson already has great ability in both run and pass blocking, although he doesn't have the physical ability of Mason. Backing them up are Ryan Wendell and Josh Kline. Wendell is a purely run blocking O-lineman, as his pass blocking is about even with Mason. Mason, however, is a rookie and can improve that part of his game. Kline is another athletic specimen, who is decent in both pass and run blocking. Expect to see numerous combinations of these 4 players through the year against different teams. In the center position, Bryan Stork takes the role he won during his rookie year. He is similar to Tre' Jackson, his college teammate, but a bit better in all aspects of the game. Backing him up is UDFA David Andrews. The rookie is a quicker than Stork, but isn't nearly as good in blocking.

Defense:

Spoiler

Attachment 110071

DE:
With Chandler Jones taking a big step forward during the Playoffs and with new signing Jabaal Sheard taking over the opposite spot, the Patriots have a great pair of starting DE's. Supporting them will be last years starting LE, Rob Ninkovich and a rookie from Arkansas Trey Flowers. Ninkovich contributes a winning mentality and an amazing understanding of the game. Flowers, on the other hand, provides an amazing athletic ability which teams can find hard to sustain. The 4th round pick is the strongest DE on the team by far, while also being just a bit slower than Sheard who is the fastest.

DT:
Interesting selection here as Dominique Easley is the starting DT after barely seeing the field last year. Now, with both knees healthy, the Patriots believe they can cash in on the explosiveness of the former 1st round pick. Partnering with him is Sealver Siliga. The former undrafted free agent, who started for the Patriots in the Superbowl, will be tasked as the "nose tackle" while Easley tries to get after the QB. Backing them up are Malcom Brown and Alan Branch. Brown, who was the Patriots 1st round pick in this past draft, has the prototypical size and talent to take over the nose tackle role in the long term. Branch is a veteran who is considered the strongest man on the team, along with RT Sebastian Vollmer.

LB:
It's here that the Patriots defense will make a difference in games. With arguably the best starting linebacking unit in the game, the Patriots should look to use this group in as many ways possible. On the LOLB position, Jamie Collins is one of the most athletic men in this league. At only 25, expect big things from this guy as he goes through his career. In the MLB position, the Patriots get back their defensive leader in Jerod Mayo. After missing most of the past 2 years, expect Mayo's return to take an already extraordinary unit to new heights. At ROLB, the Patriots have one of the greatest tackler's in the league. Dont'a Hightower is arguably the best ROLB in the league at only 25 years old. Their main backups are Dane Fletcher and Jon Bostic. Fletcher is a linebacker who excels in his coverage duties. Bostic, who just came over from the Bears, is more of a jack of all trades. He can rush the passer, drop into coverage, or come up with a tackle.

Secondary:
At the CB position, we have Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan. Both players are good CB2 players, but neither has the ability to match up with the Julio Jones or the Antonio Browns of the league. Both, however, are young enough to continue developing. Butler is the better prospect since Ryan lacks the physical qualities to stand up to the best WR's in the league. If there weren't a need for Ryan to stay at CB, I might move him to Safety where his physical ability wouldn't be as much of a factor. The only capable CB behind them is Tarell Brown who will act as a mentor to both players off the field. At FS, we have one of the best in the league in Devin McCourty. With an amazing ability to cover any zone on the field, amazing speed, and great hands McCourty can be counted on to get some interceptions and help the CB's with coverage. At SS, Patrick Chung is a safety who excels in stopping the run. While he might get beat in man to man coverage, he can also cause turnovers with massive hits on WR's over the middle. Backing them up are Duron Harmon, Jordan Richards, and Tavon Wilson. Harmon doesn't have close to Chung's tackling ability but he does have a slightly better ability to cover. Richards, the 2nd round pick out of Stanford this year, is exceptional in his physical ability and has good hands. Problem is that he is poor in coverage at this point in his career. Wilson is similar to Harmon, but with a bit lesser ability in coverage.

Most Improved Teams

Spoiler

*New York Jets
Main Additions- CB Darrelle Revis, CB Antonio Cromartie, RE Leonard Williams(R) and WR Brandon Marshall.

*Indianapolis Colts
Main Additions- WR Phillip Dorsett(R), WR Andre Johnson, HB Frank Gore

Miami Dolphins
Main Additions- WR Devante Parker(R), WR Kenny Stills, TE Jordan Cameron, DT Ndamukong Suh,

Patriots Season Preview:Weeks 1-8

Spoiler

weeks 1-8.jpg

1. vs Steelers- Close game but the Patriots should be in good position to win as long as WR Antonio Brown is contained.
2. @Bills- Another winnable game for the Patriots. Bills have an amazing D-Line but Brady is far better than any QB on that roster.
3. vs Jaguars- Should be an easy game. Bortles isn't good enough to compete with Brady yet.
4. @ Cowboys- 1st of 3 tough games in a row, key to this game is if the Patriots pass rush will be snuffed out by the Cowboys elite offensive line.
5. @ Colts- Another tough game which will more than likely be a shoot out between Luck and Brady. Likely winner are the Patriots because of the difference in quality of defense.
6. vs Jets- Where the Colts have an elite offense and weak defense, the Jets have an elite defense(arguably the best in the league) and a poor offense. If the Patriots can stop the Jets from getting points on the board, Brady can be expected to put on a few.
7. vs Dolphins- The best offense in the AFC East after the Patriots, this game will be decided in how the Dolphins D-Line effect the game.

Preseason All-Pro Predictions

Spoiler

QB:
Aaron Rodgers(Packers)

HB:
Adrian Peterson(Vikings)

FB:
Mike Tolbert(Panthers)

WR:
Antonio Brown(Steelers)
Dez Bryant(Cowboys)
Julio Jones(Falcons)

TE:
Rob Gronkowski(Patriots)

LT:
Joe Thomas(Browns)

LG:
Mike Iupati(Cardinals)

C:
Alex Mack(Browns)

RG:
Zack Martin(Cowboys)

RT:
Lane Johnson(Eagles)

LE:
Muhammad Wilkerson(Jets)

RE:
J.J. Watt(Texans)

DT:
Ndamukong Suh(Dolphins)
Marcell Dareus(Bills)

LOLB:
Justin Houston(Chiefs)

ROLB:
Von Miller(Broncos)

MLB:
Luke Keuchly(Panthers)
Clay Matthews(Packers)

CB:
Richard Sherman(Seahawks)
Darrelle Revis(Jets)

FS:
Earl Thomas(Seahawks)

SS:
Kam Chancellor(Seahawks)

K:
Stephen Gostkowski(Patriots)

P:
Pat McAfee(Colts)

[dm92]

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Steelers @ Patriots: Live
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Steelers @ Patriots

1st Quarter

Spoiler

14:57
The New NFL season starts with a 17 yard return from Amendola to give the Patriots the ball at their own 27. Tom Brady steps on the field for the 1st time since his 4th Superbowl win.

12:59
After 3 consecutive rushes, Patriots fool the Steelers with play action on 2nd down for a 14 yard pick up. Patriots get the 1st down on the Steelers 14 yard line. Nice route by Julian Edelman.

11:34
2 consecutive incompletions after a LaFell 7 yard gain gives the Patriots 4th down. Patriots punt the ball and the Steelers start on their own 20.

11:19
TOUCHDOWN STEELERS! Both Ryan and McCourty go for the ball and miss as Martavis Bryant goes untouched for the 80 yard touchdown play. Only the second play in this game, and this Patriots secondary already messes up.

9:49
Patriots with a 3 and out after Scott Chandler drops the 1st down. Disappointing start for the Patriots, Steelers start on their 20 with all of the momentum.

8:48
The secondary let the Patriots down once again. After forcing 3rd and 14 after a Mayo sack, the Patrick Chung lets Wheaton make an easy catch he takes for 32 yards. Steelers 1st and 10 on their own 48.

5:47
After 3rd and 1, Hightower comes up big with a TFL(Tackle for loss) on Le'Veon Bell forcing the field goal. Steelers on the 33 yard line and decide its to long for a field goal. They get into punt formation.

5:36
ITS A FAKE! The pass is an incompletion after the Patriots jammed Golson on the line, messing up the timing on that play. Patriots with the ball on their own 33 and get some momentum back. Steelers still lead 7-0.

4:06
The offense finally seems to be get moving with 2 first downs followed by a 25 yard pass to Gronkowski to get a third first down and the ball on the Steelers 32 yard line.

2:37
Touchdown Patriots! After a few more plays, the Pats fake a run which leaves Gronk alone with Lawrence Timmons. 13 yard Touchdown pass from Brady to Gronk and the Patriots seem to be back in the game. 7-7 tie.

1:16
3 and out! The Patriots get behind the line twice to knock Bell down for -2 yards on 2 carries. Jamie Collins then blitz's from the other side to force Big Ben to throw the ball away and take a big hit.

:00
4th and inches after Blount is stopped just short of the 1st down on a pass.

2nd Quarter

Spoiler

13:25
Terrible punt by Allen gives the Steelers the ball on their own 45 yard line. Steelers can't capitalize though, with Butler tackling Wheaton on a crossing route to cause a 4th and 1. Patriots start with the ball on their own 20.

12:33
Another 3 and out for the Patriots. They give the ball right with the Steelers secondary doing their job. Steelers with the ball on their own 34.

11:48
And another 3 and out as the Patriots D-Line doesn't allow Big Ben to get set long enough to complete a pass. Patriots ball on their own 20.

8:21
Huge sack on Tom Brady as David Andrew misses his man and allows Vince Williams to go through untouched. Patriots with the ball on their own 43, 3rd and 16.

7:39
Gronkowski is left wide open after a Tom Brady audible when he sees the Steelers in cover 1. 24 yard completion and more importantly the 1st down. Patriots with the ball on the opposing 33.

3:24
Touchdown Patriots! After cutting the defense up with his passes, Brady hands it off for Blount to take it in from 2 yards out. Patriots lead 14-7, Steelers get the ball back with 3 timeouts remaining.

2:37
INTERCEPTION! After Hightower once again stopped Bell behind the LOS, Easley and Jones get a hit on Big Ben, causing him to throw a dangerous pass. That pass is intercepted by Superbowl hero, Malcolm Butler. The 2nd year corner back makes a catch that would make Odell Beckham Jr. proud. Patriots with the ball on the Steelers 41 with all 3 time outs and the 2 minute warning coming.

:51
The Steelers defense flexes its muscles and causes a 3 and out for the Patriots offense. Steeler start with the ball on their own 31.

:40
After a huge 35 yard pass by Big Ben, Easley forces Roethlisberger into a risky throw that is almost picked off by Butler again. Steelers 2nd and 10 at the NE 34.


0:00
Steelers have to settle for a field goal as Bostic covers TE Heath Miller perfectly. Patriots run out the clock to get to half time. Patriots lead 14-10.

Half-time Points Of Interest

Spoiler

Big Ben, if you disregard the huge 80 yard TD throw, only has 78 yards on 4 completions and 14 attempts. Patriots are forcing him to throw early as the Blitz's from Hightower and disruption from Easley in the middle are creating havoc. The reason Ben can't get anything done is because Le'Veon Bell, who is considered a top 5 RB in the league, can't pick up any yards. He has 17 yards on his 8 attempts. Compare this to Blount who has 20 yards on 65 attempts. Steelers unable to sustain a drive against this Patriots defense, and the Patriots running hot or cold on offense. When their hot, they pick up 1st down after 1st down with short yardage plays. When their cold, they end up 3 and out. Steelers receive the ball to start the 2nd half.

3rd Quarter

Spoiler

15:00
Touchback to start the half so the Steelers start on their own 20.

14:05
FUMBLE! Chandler Jones completely dodges Pouncey's block and runs into Le'Veon Bell right when he was being handed the ball by Ben. The ball is recovered by Pouncey for a loss of 10 yards. Steelers 3rd and 11 on their own 19 yard line.

13:23
First beautiful pocket that Roethlisberger has had all game and he takes advantage go hit Antonio Brown for 19 yards.

12:54
Another great pocket and Ben makes a great pass to the rookie WR Coates.
CB Tarrel Brown is called for pass interference since he pulled the rookie down to stop the catch. Steelers with the ball on the NE 46.

12:25
Patriots defense looking a bit winded, with the O-Line finally giving their QB the time he needs as he gets another 1st down pass.

12:01
And of course right after I say that, the Patriots outsmart the Steelers offensive line. Jamie Collins beats RT Glibert easily, forcing Big Ben to run to his left. While this occured, Easley ran backwards from his DT position and around the LT, the location Big Ben was running towards. 9 yard sack by the 2nd year pro.

11:23
Another huge Sack! Patriots rush with 8 against the O-line plus TE Heath Miller. By simple math, Dont'a Hightower is the extra man and he goes untouched into the backfield. There, Roethlisberger tries to continue to play action in hopes that Hightower falls for it. Hightower, however, follows the ball and takes the QB down 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. 3rd and 26 for the Steelers.

10:05
Ben gets about 11 yards, but it isn't enough. Steelers go for the punt and the Patriots, who left their defense on the field to combat any potential fakes, start with the ball on their own 9 yard line.

8:15
Patriots offense does nothing on that play, barely picking up 1 first down. They punt it and Allen makes up for his mistake earlier and pins the Steelers on their own 12 yard line to start their drive.

6:45
3 and out and the Patriots start on their own 40 yard line.

5:54
Dion Lewis with a killer juke move to dodge the would-be tackler at the LOS. Goes on to pick up 21 yards for a Patriots 1st down at the Steelers 32.

3:54
Steelers hold tight on 3rd and 3. Patriots are forced to settle for a field goal at the 10 yard line. Patriots lead 17-10.

3:33
And again, when the Steelers have a clean pocket, Ben makes the Patriots pay. This time with a 37 yard catch and run by Antonio Brown the the NE 38.

1:37
Le'Veon Bell wakes up!!! On third and inches, Hightower again is the untouched man on an 8 man blitz. Bell had other ideas, as he sheds the Hightower tackle, accelerates through the hole Hightower came through, and gets the 20 yard touchdown. Game is tied 17-17.


:00
Patriots end the quarter with the ball on their 31. 2nd and 3

4th Quarter

Spoiler

14:57
HUGE PLAY!!!! Brady had Amendola running across the middle with no one in front of him. Before he could make the throw however, Ryan Shazier takes Brady down. BUT there was a flag because Shazier took Brady down by his facemask. So instead of the sack, the Patriots get an extra 15 yards and a new set of downs. Terrible mistake by the linebacker.

14:46
GRONKOWSKI! The All-Pro tight end catches the ball on a beautiful pass from Brady at the 36 before shedding 3 tackles and finally being taken down at the 25 yard line by 3 defensive players. Huge play by the TE that shows how much of an impact he can have in any game.

13:15
Injury on the field. Julian Edelman is slow to get up after a hit SS Shamarko Thomas hits the ball he was catching loose. He got up clutching his arm, could be a big blow to the Patriots. 2nd and 15.

12:00
3rd and 12 and the Patriots again go to their star TE. He catches the ball for a 16 yard gain, and the ball is now at the Steelers 1 yard line. No word yet on Edelman.

11:52
And who else deserves that TD but him. Gronkowski is left alone with rookie LOLB Bud Dupree while the Steelers blitz. Patriots make them pay as Brady makes a high pass that Gronk brings down easily. Patriots lead 24-17.

Injury Update
Seems like Edelman's injury is only a Sprained Elbow. Patriots want to keep him on the field unless the Steelers score on this drive I'm told. Steelers will start with the ball on their own 20.

10:57
BIG BEN SHEDS A SACK! Chandler Jones, who beat David DeCastro, is easily handled by Ben who makes a great 12 yard pass to Antonio Brown for the 1st down. Steelers on their own 40 yard line. Note, other than DeCastro being beaten by Jones on that play, the other 4 Patriots rushers were all handled easily. Let's see if the Steelers O-line can give ben some time.

10:15
Ben does it again!! He sheds a sack by Jon Bostic, recomposes himself and throws a short pass to Le'Veon Bell. Singled handily turned a loss of 6 yards into a gain of 7. 2nd and 3

8:51
Easley gets the sack. After getting the 1st down, Ben was rewarded with a clean pocket for 2 consecutive plays where he tried deep passes which were just off by inches. On 3rd and 10, Easley bursts through, and easily takes Ben down. 4th and 18 from the 50. Steelers will punt.

7:03
Patriots with 3rd and 10 and their going to run the ball for the third time in a row. How do I know? Well they have their normal 0-Line, Gronkowski, and then back up tackles Marcus Cannon and Cameron Fleming on the field.

6:12
Steelers stop them easily to force the 4th down! They'll get another chance to tie the game up. Steelers start on their own 27.

5:45
Malcolm Butler!!! Dominique Easley gets in the backfield easily after Maurkice Pouncey missed his assignment. Ben absorbed the hit and through a ball out to Coates. Butler, however, had other ideas reached up and grabbed the interception. Chung immediatley blocked Coates while Mayo blocked Brown. This allowed Malcolm Butler to run to the endzone with on difficulty. Patriots lead 31-17.

5:40
Patriots look to have made a few changes on defense. Trey Flowers comes on for Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich comes on for Sheard, Malcom Brown comes on for Siliga and Jordan Richards comes on for Patrick Chung. Lets hope it doesn't come back to bite them in the @$%.

4:14
Big pass interferance called on Logan Ryan as he pulls Bryant to stop him from making the 3rd down conversion. Steelers 1st and 10 from the NE 37.

4:08
Antonio Brown!!! He beats Malcolm Butler with a crisp route to catch the ball in stride for a 37 yard touchdown play. Steelers are back in this. Patriots lead 31-24.

2:00
Patriots with the ball on their own 45 to reach the 2 minute warning. Steelers have all of their timeouts, Patriots are in 2nd and 9. If the Patriots get the 1st down, their chances of winning go up astronomically.

1:55
Beautiful 26 yard pass to LaFell on the play action. With Cameron Fleming and Marcus Cannon on the field, all the Steelers though run. Patriots were smart enough to fake it and to hit LaFell down the field. Only down part was that LaFells catch was a toe catch on the sideline, so he had to step out to stop the clock. Patriots with the ball on the Steelers 29 yard line.

1:50
Blount with a strong run after the O-line opened a huge gap. Picks up 9 yards and the Patriots are at 2nd and 1 at the opposing 20.

1:47
Trying to be a bit too cute, the Patriots try an end around with Amendola. End up losing 1 yard. Patriots have the ball at the 21, 3rd and 2. Steelers have 1 TO remaining.

1:42
Blount powers his way to a 1st down. Looked like he wouldn't make it at first with Lawrence Timmons reaching him at the 22 yard line. Blount, true to his nature, kept running and fell forward for an extra 3 yards. 1st down for the Patriots at the Steelers 17. Steelers use their last time out.

:00
Patriots win the game 34:24, hitting a field goal in the final second just for good measure and to give Gostkowski a practice shot with no pressure.

Game Stats and Review

Spoiler

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
Sep 10, 2015	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Pittsburgh Steelers ()	7	3	7	7	24
New England Patriots ()	7	7	3	17	34

Team Stats Comparison
	PIT	NWE
Total Offense	366	396
Rushing Yards	37	132
Passing Yards	319	264
First Downs	9	21
Punt Return Yards	15	2
Kick Return Yards	17	104
Total Yards	398	502
Turnovers	2	0
3rd Down Converstion	3	5
4th Down Conversion	0	0
2-Point Conversion	0	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	0/0	3/2
Penalties	30	71
Posession Time	23:47	36:13

Pittsburgh Steelers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Ben Roethlisberger 17/34 352 2 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Le'Veon Bell 13 53 4.1 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Antonio Brown 6 138 23.0 1 Markus Wheaton 5 65 13.0 0 Martavis Bryant 4 131 32.8 1 Le'Veon Bell 1 5 5.0 0 Darrius Heyward-Bey 1 11 11.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Maurkice Pouncey 0 1 Davin Joseph 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Shamarko Thomas 16 William Gay 16 Lawrence Timmons 15 Ryan Shazier 13 Mike Mitchell 11 Bud Dupree 6 Arthur Moats 4 Cortez Allen 3 Stephon Tuitt 3 Ross Cockrell 2 Anthongy Chickillo 2 Steve Mclendon 2 Brandon Boykin 2 Vince Williams 0 1 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Shaun Suisham 1/1 3/3 6 51 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Jordan Berry 5 203 40.6 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Antonio Brown 1 17 17.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Antonio Brown 2 15 7.5 0

New England Patriots PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Tom Brady 28/41 278 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD LeGarrette Blount 27 82 3.1 1 Dion Lewis 9 40 5.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Rob Gronkowski 8 120 15.0 2 Brandon LaFell 7 81 11.6 0 Julian Edelman 4 34 8.5 0 Dion Lewis 3 7 2.3 0 Scott Chandler 2 10 5.0 0 Danny Amendola 2 21 10.5 0 LeGarrette Blount 1 3 3.0 0 James Develin 1 2 2.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Nate Solder 3 0 David Andrews 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Jerod Mayo 9 1 Dont'a Hightower 6 1.5 Malcolm Butler 5 2 1 Patrick Chung 4 Devin McCourty 4 Jon Bostic 3 Chandler Jones 3 Jamie Collins 2 Logan Ryan 2 Dominique Easley 2 1.5 Tarell Brown 1 Jabaal Sheard 1 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Stephen Gostkowski 2/2 4/4 10 33 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Ryan Allen 7 301 43.0 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Danny Amendola 4 88 22.0 0 Julian Edelman 1 16 16.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Julian Edelman 1 2 2.0 0

*Patriots collapsed in the second half. Where in the 1st half, the Patriots were easily in control of the game being the better team, it wasn't as true for the second half.

*Patriots had no type of deep game. Tom Brady needs to start going for Big plays down the field or teams will start playing closer to the line, like the Steelers did during the second half.

*Patriots offensive line did very well in the game, keeping Brady clean for large periods of time. Big part of that were the 3 young interior lineman(Mason, Jackson, and Stork) since interior rushes were widely successful throughout the game.

*Defensive Line also did very well, with Easley dominating in a way that his stats wont show. Was unplayable in the game with his explosive first step.

*Steelers offensive line needs to regroup. That the Patriots only got 4 sacks was due to Ben, not them. He shed 2 sure sacks and managed to get the ball out right before he was hit on the others.

*The also did a poor job opening lanes for Bell. He had about 2.1 yards per carry at half time.

*Patriots secondary were a huge weak point. Logan Ryan was a liability all game long and the team overall just allowed way to many big plays that could have been avoided. Antonio Brown also went off on them in the second half, when he was kept to 1 or 2 passes for about 20 yards in the first. Disappointing considering the pass rush was doing its job.

*As huge as Easley was in getting to Ben, Hightower was arguably the player in the game. He came up with 1.5 sacks as well, but also had 3 TFL. He was the reason the Steelers gave up on the run so early on, getting Bell behind the line on multiple occasions.

[dm92]

NFL News
Weekly Scores, Biggest Stories, Power Rankings and More

Weekly Scoreboard

Spoiler

2015: Week 1

Thursday's Games

Steelers 24 @ Patriots 34

Sunday's Games

Packers 45 @ Bears 17

Chiefs 30 @ Texans 20

Browns 16 @ Jets 20

Colts 24 @ Bills 48

Dolphins 13 @ Redskins 9

Panthers 34 @ Jaguars 28

Seahawks 27 @ Rams 7

Saints 45 @ Cardinals 35

Lions 14 @ Chargers 20

Titans 35 @ Buccaneers 14

Bengals 7 @ Raiders 45

Ravens 14 @ Broncos 21

Giants 13 @ Cowboys 35

Monday's Games

Eagles 20 @ 17 Falcons

Vikings 28 @ 49ers 21

BYE WEEKS: None

Game of the Week and Upsets

Spoiler

Saints @ Cardinals

An epic battle in the desert in what would be the best game of the Week. The Arizona Cardinals almost come back from 14 points down, scoring 21 points in just the 4th quarter. Carson Palmer threw for 357 yards and 3 TD's, with the legendary Larry Fitzgerald catching 122 of those yards and 2 touchdowns. The difference in the game was the lack of running game for the Cardinals(had 45 yards compared to the Saints 140) and a perfect game by Drew Brees. The QB started his season with a 158.3 QBR after throwing 306 yards, 3 touchdowns and 20 completions on 23 attempts. Interesting to note that the longest pass of the game was only 27 yards by Carson Palmer.

Colts @ Bills

Now, before anything else, lets state that this game was an upset simply because of the Superbowl aspirations of the Colts. The Bills came out as the stronger side in large part due to their offense. The game was tied going into the 4th quarter, where the Bills knocked 24 points on the poor Colts. Tyrod Taylor, the new Bills starter, couldn't have starting his career in Buffalo any better. The agile QB had a 158.3 QBR for his 343 yards, 3 touchdowns and 20 completions on 23 attempts. Andrew Luck had a pedestrian(by his standards) 220 yards and 1 TD on 34 passes. Part of the cause could be the 7 sacks the Colts allowed. The running game was a big difference in the game. LeSean McCoy, another new Bills acquisition, ran for 152 yards and a Touchdown on 19 attempts. Rookie Karlos Williams added 51 yards on his 15 attempts. In the passing game Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin(ANOTHER player they picked up this offseason) combined for 12 catches for 251 yards and a touchdown. The biggest thing the Bills will want to improve on before taking on the New England Patriots next week is holding on to the ball. Although he was great as a pocket passer and even added a rushing touchdown, Tyrod Taylor lost 2 fumbles that the Colts recovered, while 3rd year WR Robert Woods lost one as well.

Bengals @ Raiders

THE upset of the week, the Raiders start their season on a high note with a 45-7 demolition of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals, who were seen as a lock for the playoff's, couldn't contend with the Raiders defense. The Raiders forced 3 turnovers, including an interception and fumble on Andy Dalton(caused by future All-Pro RE Khalil Mack). The Raiders led in Time of Possession 40:36 to 19:24. 2nd year Rookie Derek Carr had 3 touchdowns in the air to go along with 1 he picked up on the ground. His 190 yards were unimpressive until you consider he only passed 20 times. Raiders RB Latavius Murray was the lead rusher in the game, picking up 94 on 24 attempts. Teammate Roy Helu added 36 on 11 rushes while Carr picked up 22 on 12 carries when he had to avoid the pass rush. Giovanni Bernard had 50 on 14 attempts for the Bengals, but they abandoned the run early on as the Raiders had a 28-0 lead by half time(Bengals scored in garbage time.) Interesting to note that the 4th overall pick of this years draft only had 1 catch for 15 yards in his NFL debut, thought the catch was for a touchdown.

Injury Report

Spoiler

Cardinals:
LT Jared Veldheer(Broken Thumb, 1 Week)

Chargers:
HB Danny Woodhead(Dislocated Elbow, 2 Weeks)

Dolphins:
TE Jordan Cameron(Broken Collarbone, 6 Weeks)

Jaguars:
DT Michael Bennett(Quad Tear, 4 Weeks)
RE Jared Odrick(Partial PCL Tear, 4 Weeks)

Panthers:
HB Jonathan Stewart(Achilles Tear, 50 Weeks) IR

Texans:
QB Brian Hoyer(Dislocated Elbow, 2 Weeks)

Week 1 Transactions

Spoiler

Notable Releases-

Quote:

LOLB Willie Young From the Bears CB Josh Shaw from the Bengals LT Jake Fisher from the Bengals DT Domata Peko from the Bengals QB Josh McCown from the Browns WR Andrew Hawkins from the Browns RT Gosder Cherilus from the Buccaneers HB Chris Johnson from the Cardinals ROLB Dwight Freeney from the Cardinals HB Donald Brown from the Chargers RE Arthur Jones from the Colts CB Morris Claiborne from the Cowboys HB Darren McFadden from the Cowboys LE Tyson Jackson from the Falcons WR Devin Hester from the Falcons RE Tyson Alualu from the Jaguars RG Brian Winters from the Jets RG Willie Colon from the Jets WR Paul Richardson from the Seahawks QB Mike Vick from the Steelers FS Michael Griffin from the Titans HB David Cobb from the Titans ROLB Chad Greenway from the Vikings

Notable Signings-

Quote:

RE Darnell Dockett to the Bears(2.2M) LG Donald Thomas to the Browns(1.28M) LG Carl Nicks to the Chargers(1.9M) C Brian De La Puente to the Chiefs(3.0M) WR Hakeem Nicks to the Chiefs(1.82M) SS Bernard Pollard to the Colts(4.0M) MLB Brandon Spikes to the Lions(4.32M) DT Phil Taylor to the Packers(2.16M) CB Alfonzo Dennard to the Panthers(1.7M) LOLB Geno Hayes to the Raiders(4.81M) C Chris Myers to the Seahawks(2.61M)

Key Trades-

Quote:

*Patriots have sent 24 SS Duron Harmon to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the team's 3rd round draft pick in the upcoming draft. Harmon will be an automatic starter on the team. *The Raiders have traded their 3rd round draft pick for this coming year for Eagles LE, Vinny Curry. Seems like the Raiders are trying to build a strong defense around Khalil Mack. *Saints have traded their upcoming 3rd round draft pick to the Rams for LE William Hayes. Position of need as the Saints can use as much talent as they can on defense. *The 49ers trade LOLB Ahmad Brooks to the Falcons for a 3rd round pick. The LOLB will help boost the front 7 of the Falcons as they aim to fit their new HC. *The Bengals trade their 2nd round Draft pick for Giants RE Damontre Moore. The 22 year old can challenge starting RE Michael Johnson for starting reps as he is already a 2 year pro and has the talent to excel in the league.

Power Rankings After Week 1

Spoiler

Power Rankings: Week 2
RK (LW)	Team	Record	Next Game
1 (-)	New England Patriots	1-0	@ Bills(15)
2 (-)	Green Bay Packers	1-0	vs Seahawks(3)
3 (-)	Seattle Seahawks	1-0	@ Packers(2)
4 (-)	Denver Broncos	1-0	@ Chiefs(11)
5 (-)	Dallas Cowboys	1-0	@ Eagles(16)
6 (-)	New Orleans Saints	1-0	vs Buccaneers(32)
7 (-)	Pittsburgh Steelers	0-1	vs 49ers(31)
8 (-)	Arizona Cardinals	0-1	@ Bears(24)
9 (-)	Indianapolis Colts	0-1	vs Jets(13)
10 (-)	Carolina Panthers	1-0	vs Texans(25)
11 (-)	Kansas City Chiefs	1-0	vs Broncos(4)
12 (-)	Cincinnati Bengals	0-1	vs Chargers(14)
13 (-)	New York Jets	1-0	@ Colts(9)
14 (-)	San Diego Chargers	1-0	@ Bengals(12)
15 (-)	Buffalo Bills	1-0	vs Patriots(1)
16 (-)	Philadelphia Eagles	1-0	vs Cowboys(5)
17 (-)	Miami Dolphins	1-0	@ Jaguars(28)
18 (-)	Baltimore Ravens	1-0	@ Raiders(22)
19 (-)	Atlanta Falcons	0-1	@ Giants(21)
20 (-)	St. Louis Rams	0-1	@ Redskins(30)
21 (-)	New York Giants	0-1	vs Falcons(19)
22 (-)	Oakland Raiders	1-0	vs Ravens(18)
23 (-)	Detroit Lions	0-1	@ Vikings(26)
24 (-)	Chicago Bears	0-1	vs Cardinals(8)
25 (-)	Houston Texans	0-1	@ Panthers(10)
26 (-)	Minnesota Vikings	1-0	vs Lions(23)
27 (-)	Tennessee Titans	1-0	@ Browns(29)
28 (-)	Jacksonville Jaguars	0-1	vs Dolphins(17)
29 (-)	Cleveland Browns	0-1	vs Titans(27)
30 (-)	Washington Redskins	0-1	vs Rams(20)
31 (-)	San Francisco 49ers	0-1	@ Steelers(7)
32 (-)	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	0-1	@ Saints(6)

Tale Of The Tape

Spoiler

Dolphins lose Jordan Cameron for 6 Weeks

On his regular season debut for his newest team, TE Jordan Cameron left the game only 3 snaps into the 13-6 win over the Redskins. Sources say that the Dolphins expect him to be out for 6 weeks and have promoted TE Dion Sims to the starting role. Big blow for the Dolphins who signed the former Browns star to a 2 year $15.000.000 deal this offseason.

RG3 and Manziel on the Bench

In probably the deathblow to RG3's career, the former rookie of the year started the year as the third QB in the Redskins roster. Kirk Cousins, who was expected to start, actually lost the job to former Texas Longhorn great, Colt McCoy. McCoy had a mediocre 201 yards and a 74.7 QBR. Jonny Manziel, on the other hand, lost the job to former UDFA Austin Davis. Davis played well against the Jets, throwing 230 yards and a touchdown despite the fact that his offensive line allowed him to be sacked 6 times.
7-3

Mariota vs Winston

In their NFL debuts, the 1st and 2nd overall picks of this past draft were asked to compete against each other. The clear winner in this match was Marcus Mariota. Mariota threw for 3 touchdowns, 1 interception and 128 yards on 22 attempts. Winston, who had 30 passing attempts, had 105 yards and an interception. His 36% completion rate was a big reason for the Buccaneers 35-14 loss. While the Titans did have a strong running game that helped Mariota(Titans had 194 yards on the ground), Winston had 7 passes that were deflected by opposing players. That 7 of his passes were touched by opposing players mean's they could have been intercepted. Winston can't just fit the ball into 10 yard wide holes anymore like he did in college. He needs to increase his accuracy and decision making. As for Mariota, he depended to much on the short passing game and will need to start leading his team soon. As of right now though:
Mariota- 1
Winston-0

Same Old Texans

I wish to say this. Based on what I have seen the past 2 years, the Texans will not make it to the Playoffs unless they get a competent QB. No matter how far their defense takes them. No matter how much of a herculean season JJ Watt puts up, they will still be in contention for an early 1st round pick. The fact that the Texans defense held the Chiefs to 30 points after 3 Ryan Mallet interceptions and their offense gaining just 329 yards is impressive. Last years 1st overall pick, Jadeveon Clowney took advantage of the double teams on JJ Watt to come up with 1.5 sacks in the game. Overall, Texans need to figure their team out and improve the QB position. Brian Hoyer, after taking over for a benched Ryan Mallet, dislocated his elbow 3 plays into the drive which will keep him out for 2 weeks. This means Mallet is back at QB next week or Tom Savage will need to get ready to take over the QB role.

Week 2 Schedule

Spoiler

Thursday's Games

Broncos @ Chiefs

Sunday's Games

Texans @ Panthers

49ers @ Steelers

Buccaneers @ Saints

Lions @ Vikings

Cardinals @ Bears

Patriots @ Bills

Chargers @ Bengals

Titans @ Browns

Falcons @ Giants

Rams @ Redskins

Dolphins @ Jaguars

Ravens @ Raiders

Cowboys @ Eagles

Seahawks @ Packers

Monday's Games

Jets @ Colts

**Game of the Week**
Seahawks visit the Packers in what will be a rematch of last years NFC Championship game. Both team's are perfectly healthy so expect an amazing game. Rodgers will have to play well against the Legion of Boom to have a chance while Russell Wilson will have to play much better than he did against the Rams(58.5 QBR, 194 yards, 1 interception and 17 completions on 32 throws) to keep his game up to the pace of the Packers. With the way the game went last year, the Packers being at home in this game and the Seahawks losing key pieces on the O-line during the off season(C Max Unger traded to the Saints and LG James Carpenter signed with the Jets), Packers win in my eyes.

Prediction:Packers 27, Seahawks 17

Upset Watch!!
1) Ravens @ Raiders
After the way the Raiders handled the Bengals, we seem them come up against another tough defense. The Raven's gave the Broncos everything they could handle and played them confidently. Peyton Manning was held to just 199 yards, 2 Touchdowns, 1 interception, and 16 completions on 34 pass attempts. The reason the Broncos won the game was because their defense and special teams saved them. Ravens QB Joe Flacco was picked off 2 times, Broncos MLB Brandon Marshall blocked a field goal and Emmanuel Sanders destroyed the team with an 84 yards punt returned for a Touchdown. The Raiders aren't the Broncos, but if they can play like they did last week, then they have a chance in this game.

Prediction: Ravens 17, Raiders 14

2)Bills @ Patriots
Tyrod Taylor has a chance to demolish the Patriots secondary. He has to if the Bills will have a chance in this game. Last week the Patriots more or less minimized the impact Le'Veon Bell had on the game except for a play or two. Expect them to do the same against LeSean McCoy. Reason the game falls to Tyrod Taylor is because although he doesn't have a star receiver like the Steelers Antonio Brown, but they do have depth at the position, with WR Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin and Robert Woods all great catchers. If Tyrod Taylor target's who ever isn't covered by CB1 Malcolm Butler, he can be confident that his receivers will win their 1on1 match ups. CB2 Logan Ryan was a liability last week, and the depth behind him is even worse.

Prediction: Patriots 31, Bills 24

[dm92]

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Preview: Patriots @ Bills
Game Preview, Key Match-ups and Prediction

Game Preview

Matchup Preview *|* September 20, 2015
	@
New England Patriots (1-0, - Away)		Buffalo Bills (1-0, - Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 502 Total Yards 706 396 Total Offensive Yards 576 264 Passing Yards 343 132 Rushing Yards 233 34.0 Points Per Game 48.0 2 Passing TD 3 1 Rushing TD 3 21 First Downs 19 6 Red Zone Attempts 7 3-2 Red Zone TD-FG 2-2 83% Red Zone Percentage 57% Defensive Stats Comparison 366 Total Yards Allowed 312 319 Passing Yards Allowed 220 47 Rushing Yards Allowed 92 24 Points Allowed 24 4 Sacks 7 0 Fumble Recoveries 4 2 Interceptions 0 24.0 Points Per Game 24.0 0 Red Zone Attempts 3 0-0 Red Zone TD-FG 3 0% Red Zone Percentage 100% Injury Report N/A N/A

Key Matchup

The most important match ups in this game start in the trenches and end in the trenches. The Patriots offensive line will have to contend with an elite defensive line that had 7 sacks just last week against Andrew Luck. With 3 rookies being rotated into the interior offensive line(including Shaq Mason who started during week 1), the Patriots might have to make a switch or get creative as this is a battle I can't see them winning.

The second important battle is in the other trench. The Patriots defensive line were much more impressive than stats show last week. While Easley was the start D-lineman last week, this week Jabaal Sheard and Chandler Jones will have to take over. With the Patriots expected to stay mostly in a 4-3 defense(to combat the run), Sheard and Jones will have to set the edge to make sure McCoy doesn't go for large runs on the outside and to make sure Tyrod Taylor stays in the pocket.

Prediction

Patriots take home the W with a 31-24 win. Bills will lead early on until Tom Brady can put some long drives together that will put the defense on their back foot.

[dm92]

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Patriots @ Bills: Live
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Patriots @ Bills

*A bit of news for those of you who didn't hear. That Patriots, after trading Duron Harmon to the Buccaneers, have signed CB Sanders Commings as a 4th CB. The former Chief has never been in an NFL game as he enters his 3rd year in the league. Patriots, who had him in for a work out last week, signed him as HC David M. said ,"The only thing this young man is missing is the mental side of the game. He has more speed and tackling ability than any other CB on our roster and has a strong covering ability. His ability to press at the line is among the best in the league. He's just missing the ability to recognize plays due to lack of experience and just a general awareness of the game. That can be taught." Another move by the team has been to release TE Asante Cleveland and to sign last year's LG Dan Connolly back onto the team. Connolly has reportedly kept in football shape all offseason and was "ready to go whenever they(the Patriots) need me."


1st Quarter

Spoiler

14:57
Bills start the game on their own 25 after a 27 yard return by Sammy Watkins. Bills fans have to be feeling a bit of hope as they come into this game looking the better team.

13:28
Tyrod Taylor throws an interception!! After Logan Ryan leaves Percy Harvin free for a 26 yard gain, and TE Clay picks up 10, Taylor tricks the Patriots with a play action. With his receivers covered, he thinks about running but notices Patrick Chung waiting for him. He decides throw a ball to Clay again on the sideline but under throws it as he threw it across his body to the other side of the field. Logan Ryan makes up for his mistake earlier to grab the interception. Patriots ball at their own 34.

12:31
Disappointing series by the offense as Blount carries twice for 2 yards and Brady over throws Gronkowski. 3 and out and the Bill start with the ball on their own 18 after a booming kick. Interesting change to the offensive line here from last game. Wendell seems to have moved to LG while Tre Jackson is starting at RG.

9:01
And again Tyrod Taylor makes a couple great throws before making a poor one. On the drive, he connected with Clay 2 more times for 35 yards. Then, after 2 runs, he criminally overthrows Watkins on an easy pass. Would have easily been at least 15 yards, they only needed 5. Patriots start on their own 28.

5:01
Patriots, with 3rd and 8 at the 19 yard line try a deep pass down to Gronkowski. Bills manage to get a hand on the ball to swat it down right before it gets to the TE. Patriots settle for a FG after a confident drive. Patriots lead 3-0.

3:36
Patriots force the three and out as McCoy again can't generate any yardage. Taylor misses the 3rd and 10 opportunity. Patriots start with the ball on their own 20.

:00
Brady keeps the drive going with little help from the run game. Patriots have 2nd and 8 from the Bills 39 yard line to end the quarter.

2nd Quarter

Spoiler

14:19
Interception! Brady targets Brandon LaFell who bumped into Scott Chandler. Unfortunately, the ball was already in the air and CB Stephen Gilmore makes the easy interception. Bills get the ball back on their own 33 yard line.

11:38
McCoy finally contributing to the game. Racks up 15 yards on 2 carries. Bills 1st and 10 at the NE 39 yard line.

10:47
High tower with a huge 8 yard sack on Taylor! Bills facing a 3rd and 18 on the NE 46.

10:07
Patriots force the 4th down! Taylor has to pass the ball short to McCoy for a 3 yard gain as the QB gets hit hard by Chandler Jones a second later.

7:54
After a holding call on Nate Solder, Tom Brady is drilled on 2nd and 20 as ROLB Manny Lawson embarrasses Solder once again. Causes an incomplete pass and 3rd and 20 from the Patriots 22 yard line.

7:54
And another penalty as Dan Connolly, who came on to give Tre Jackson a rest, gets called for false start. Not a great way to keep his roster spot. Patriots with 3rd and 25 from their own 17 yard line.

7:40
Ball is over thrown and the Patriots punt the ball the Bills star on their own 40.

5:29
Taylor is passing well again agasint this defense as Percy Harvin again gets past Logan Ryan easily. 3rd consecutive pass for 1st down by Taylor and the Bills face 1st and 10 from the Patriots 10.

4:52
McCoy with a 16 yard gain! 1st and 10 from the Patriots 4 yard line.

4:19
Touchdown, Karlos Williams. Bills gutted the Patriots secondary and finished the drive on the ground, 16 by McCoy and 4 by the power running back, Karlos Williams. Patriots offense have just over 4 minutes and all 4 time outs to get down the field. Bills lead 7-3. Patriots start on their own 28.

2:17
1st and 10 from the Bills 45 yard line, Brady sends a short pass to Edelman on the sideline for a 7 yard gain. Rex Ryan challenges the play, but loses the challenge. Patriots with the ball on the Bills 38, 2nd and 3.

2:00
2 minute warning is here as Tom Brady gets a short 6 yard pass to Gronkowski on the sideline as well. Patriots with 1st and 10 from the Bills 31.

1:33
Crucial 3rd and 4 play on the Bills 25 yard line and Brady completes the 6 yard pass to Danny Amendola. Patriots 1st and 10.

:54
Touchdown Patriots! A beautiful throw by Tom Brady, he notices the zone defense and has to throw a pinpoint strike to Danny Amendola between the safety and the CB. 13 yard touchdown pass and the Patriots regain the lead 10-7 right before half time.

:54
After having a touchback on every kick off except one last game, Stephen Gostkowski gets his 1st touchback on his 3rd kick. Bills start on their own 20 with 2 time outs. Keep in mind also that the Patriots receive the ball to start the 2nd half.

:49
Interception!!! Another terrible throw where Taylor tries to force the pass once again. This time he tries to force it to Sammy Watkins who had both of the Patriots top DB's in Malcolm Butler and Devin McCourty covering him(below). Butler gets the interception for his third of the year after only 2 games. Patriots start on the Bills 42 with all their time outs and 49 seconds.

:44
Brandon LaFell steps out of bounce after beating Stephen Gilmore to the ball on his first catch of the day for 19 yards. Patriots with the ball at the Bill's 23 and well within field goal range.

:39
Patriots take their first time out as Brady connects with Julian Edelman for a 13 yard pass. Patriots with 1st and goal at the Bills 10 yard line.

:29
Patriots face need 2 more yards on third down after a Brandon LaFell catch for 8 yards. Dion Lewis is out on the field, Patriots still have 1 more time out so they can do what they run if they want.

:25
Touchdown Patriots! They fake a HB run and toss it over to Dion Lewis who goes in untouched. Patriots lead 17-10 as we get ready for half time.

:00
Bills rush once for 2 yards to end the half.

Half Time Notes

Spoiler

Although he hasn't been anywhere near perfect, Tom Brady is showing the difference in ability between him and Tyrod Taylor. Compared to Taylor, Brady is making calculated throws and spreading the ball to take advantage of what the defense gives him. He has 5 players, all with at least 2 catches each. Taylor is also making poor decisions, throwing 2 interceptions that shouldn't have been thrown. The second was particularly bad since Watkins was in double coverage and the pass rush wasn't anywhere near Taylor. Both defenses have done a good job of stopping the run game, With McCoy limited to 43 yards on 12 carries and Blount being benched for Dion Lewis after getting 32 yards on 9 carries. Second half will start now, with the Patriots getting the ball back and with a chance to start putting the game away.

3rd Quarter

Spoiler

13:57
3 and out by the Patriots as Marcell Dareus destroy's Bryan Stork and forces an incompletion with a big hit on Brady. Bills start on their own 42.

11:49
And Patriots get the ball back. After moving the ball down the field well, LeSean McCoy is taken down in the backfield on 2 consecutive rushes. Then, on third and long, Dominique Easley gets a sack on Taylor to cause 4th and 24 at the 50. Bills will punt.

9:16
30 yard pass to Gronkowski! Brady picks up two 1st downs with short yardage plays before sending Gronk down the right sideline. Patriots with 1st and 10 at the Bills 29 yard line.

7:18
Patriots have to settle for the field goal. Brady throws 3 incompletions from the 19 yard line, including a deep ball for LaFell and Gronkowski each that were both hit out of the recievers hands. Great plays by the Bill's CB's who save the TD on 2 occasions. Patriots lead 20-7.

5:51
3 and out! After a poor pass by Taylor and a run for no gain by McCoy, Malcolm Butler brings Taylor down in the backfield after Easley scared him out of the pocket on the 5 step drop back. 4th and 20.

:57
LeGarrette Blount back out there at running back. Picks up 17 on his first 3 attempts. Patriots drive stalls at the Bills 17 and they settle for a field goa. Patriots lead 23-7.

:00
Bills end the quarter with 2nd and 2 after a LeSean McCoy carry brings them to their own 47 yard line.

4th Quarter

Spoiler

14:51
Another corner back blitz that hits home, this time Tarell Brown taking down Taylor to force 3rd and 11. Ball at the Bills 38.

14:16
Touchdown Bills!! Patriots went for a blitz and almost got it as all their cornerbacks were defending their men well. Well, all except for Logan Ryan.
Percy Harvin gets past his man to catch a ball in stride and complete a 62 yard touchdown play. Patriots, once again, give away an easy touchdown on a long pass. Bills go for 2 and they get it on a pass to McCoy. Patriots lead 23-15.

12:13
Patriots forced to punt from their own 43 yard line. Bill's defensive backs deserve all the credit there as they did well to guard the Patriots defenders perfectly on the last 3 downs. Bills start on their own 20.

11:50
Clay with a big catch over the middle for a 21 yard catch to get over 100 yards receiving on the day. Bills with 1st and 10 and their own 41.

11:14
Uh oh Bills fans. After making a a nice 13 yard catch across the middle, beating Logan Ryan once again, Percy Harvin gets up slowly and can't put any weight on his right foot. Head's to the sideline to get checked out. He's had injury issues in the past so lets hope its nothing. Bills with 1st down at the Patriots 47.

10:59
PATRIOTS!!!!!! After seeing Logan Ryan get burned all game, the Patriots took him out of the game. They moved Brown up to CB2 and they moved Sander Commings up to CB3. On his first ever NFL defensive snap(made a tackle earlier on a kick return to force the Bills to start at the 17), Commings was tasked with guarding TE Clay who had 105 yards so far on the day. Taylor, with a poor and illadviced throw, was picked off by Commings who ended up taking it back for a touchdown. Patriots lead 30-15 on the interception, thanks in large part to their ball hawking secondary.

10:46
This game is over. Taylor just launched the ball down the field to Sammy Watkins who was again double covered. The pass is easily intercepted by McCourty who has been shadowing over Watkins all game long. 4 interceptions by Taylor who has been poor all game long. The Patriots have made their fair share of plays, but all 4 interceptions have been Taylor's fault. All 4 have been bad decisions that QB's shouldn't make if they wish to stay in this league. Patriots start on their own 41.

7:11
Patriots rush the ball on every play except 1. They are happy running down the clock and get 4th and inches.

6:51
Patriots get the field goal and take 4 minutes off the clock with a 33-15 lead over the Bills. With the deficit of 18, it's a 3 score game now.

5:55
Silly penalty by the Patriots. With 4th and 5, the Bill's decide to go for it. They trick Chandler Jones to jump offsides and get the free 1st down. Bills ball at their own 40.

5:46
Harvin is back on the field to the relief of Bill's fans. This game may be over, but Harvin will be important in other matches. He celebrates his return with a 13 yard catch. Bills with 1st down at their own 47.

5:01
Sack by Jamie Collins to force 3rd and 18! Taylor had held on to that ball for a bit to long. Patriots(Patrick Chung) forces the incompletion on the next play, and the Bills will go for 4th and 18.

4:22
Patriots take over after Taylor send a ball 10 yards off target. Poor game by Talor, especially with the players he has to throw to.

2:56
Patriots happy to run the clock down. They send in Shaq Mason for Tre' Jackson, have LT Marcus Cannon playing as a 6th O-lineman and have Brandon Bolden as a pair of fresh legs at RB.

:47
Patriots are stopped on a 3rd down rush and settle for the field goal from the 20. Patriots lead 36-15, 12 points coming off field goals.

:19
Trying to get into the endzone, maybe for honor and pride, Taylor makes an amazing throw down the right sideline. Percy Harvin gets half a step on Butler and has to dive for the ball. 41 yard play and the Bills have the ball on the NE 25.

:00
Taylor gets a bit too confident and sends another pass down the field deep. Pass, however, is way to close to McCourty who intercepts it easily for his 2nd of the day(5th of the team). Patriots ran the clock out and win the game. Complete implosion of Taylor and the Bill's offense.

Game Stats and Review

Spoiler

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Sep 20, 2015	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New England Patriots (1-0)	0	17	6	13	36
Buffalo Bills (1-0)	0	7	0	8	15

Team Stats Comparison
	NWE	BUF
Total Offense	384	319
Rushing Yards	122	57
Passing Yards	262	262
First Downs	21	15
Punt Return Yards	0	27
Kick Return Yards	63	104
Total Yards	447	450
Turnovers	1	5
3rd Down Converstion	6	3
4th Down Conversion	0	0
2-Point Conversion	0	1
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-5	1-0
Penalties	40	5
Posession Time	34:41	25:19

New England Patriots PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Tom Brady 25/42 262 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD LeGarrette Blount 22 79 3.6 0 Dion Lewis 7 19 2.7 1 Brandon Bolden 5 17 3.4 0 James Develin 2 7 3.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Julian Edelman 10 87 8.7 0 Rob Gronkowski 7 84 12.0 0 Brandon LaFell 2 27 13.5 0 Scott Chandler 2 38 19.0 0 Danny Amendola 2 19 9.5 1 Dion Lewis 1 9 9.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Ryan Wendell 1 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Devin McCourty 10 2 Patrick Chung 8 Dominique Easley 7 1.5 Dont'a Hightower 6 1 Logan Ryan 5 1 Jerod Mayo 5 Jamie Collins 3 1 Jon Bostic 3 Malcolm Butler 3 .5 1 Jabaal Sheard 3 Tarell Brown 3 1 Sealver Siliga 2 Darius Fleming 2 Jordan Richards 1 Sanders Commings 1 0 1 1 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Stephen Gostkowski 5/5 3/3 18 37 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Ryan Allen 4 212 53.0 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Danny Amendola 2 46 23.0 0 Julian Edleman 1 17 17.0 0

Buffalo Bills PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Tyrod Taylor 17/37 311 1 5 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD LeSean McCoy 17 50 2.9 0 Karlos Williams 2 7 3.5 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Charles Clay 8 119 14.9 0 Percy Harvin 6 165 27.5 1 LeSean McCoy 2 15 7.5 0 Robert Woods 1 12 12.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Cordy Glenn 1 1 Eric Wood 1 1 Seantrel Henderson 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Corey Graham 18 Preston Brown 17 Aaron Williams 12 Ty Powell 8 Stephon Gilmore 7 1 Nigel Bradham 6 Manny Lawson 6 Marcell Dareus 3 Mario WIlliams 3 Leodis McKelvin 3 Chris Cook 3 Jerry Hughes 2 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Dan Carpenter 0/0 1/1 1 - PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Colton Schmidt 5 198 39.6 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Sammy Watkins 3 85 28.3 Percy Harvin 1 19 19.0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Sammy Watkins 2 27.0 13.55

*Poor game overall. The only unit's that impressed were the Patriots front 7 and the Bill's secondary. Patriots offense, even with 5 turnovers caused by their defense(so 5 extra drives), still couldn't move the ball consistently all game. They ended 9 of their drives in kicks while only finishing 2 drives in the endzone.

*Patriots offensive line didn't allow any sack's, but that was in large plan do to the Patriots game plan. The team focus on getting the ball out of Brady's hands quickly, seen by the 10 catches by Julian Edelman compared to 2 by LaFell.

*Tyrod Taylor can't make these types of throws. You can almost say that the Bills loss falls on his shoulders. The QB made 5 bad throws which allowed for easy interceptions by the Patriots defense. Further proof of this was his 2nd quarter interception. He threw the ball to a Sammy Watkins who was completely covered.

*Speaking of Sammy Watkins, the Patriots secondary did do some really impressive things. Although they did get burned by Percy Harvin(Cough Logan Ryan Cough), they completely shut down Sammy Watkins all game long. Malcolm Butler was on the young WR's for large parts of the game with help from McCourty. The 5 interceptions are not really as impressive as they sound as Taylor essentially just gave the ball away each time.

*Dominique Easley again showed up to play this week and is easily making this DT spot his own. One of the best young DT's in the league today at getting to the QB. Not so great in RB, but that's ok when you have such a great linebacking core behind you.

*Another stud RB stopped for minimal yardage. McCoy came into the game with 152 yards on just 19 carries against the Colts. The Patriots humbled him to the tune of 50 yards on 17 carries. Patriots looked content to let Taylor pass the ball all game and it worked out of them.