Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - LOCKED ON PATRIOTS- 10/28/16- Can The Bills Sweep The Patriots?

Episode Date: October 28, 2016

Chris Simoneau discusses Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and Bills. #nomccoy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Minimum purchase required, U.S. only. Good afternoon, I'm Chris Cimino, your host of Locked On Patriots, your source for everything Patriots. Today is Friday, October 28, 2016. In roughly two days, a little bit less than 48 hours now. The Patriots will battle the Bills in a game that will go a long way towards deciding the 2016 AFC East Championship. Today we break down the Bills, the Patriots, and we also give you an idea of how the Patriots

are going to attack the Bills. Lastly, we'll give you our prediction and why we believe that will be the end result. As always, we begin with Patriots news and notes. Big news today for those big Deion Lewis fans out there, because I know there's a lot of them. He returned to practice yesterday, actually, which is great news for their offense as a whole. This morning, he showed up to practice with no knee brace, so that's a good sign.

If he's practicing without a brace on, that means that he's fully healthy. But at the same time, I would still caution, you know, this guy's had injury battles his entire career, so there's no guarantee that he's going to be on the field in the next two weeks. But if they're going to get him out there, like I said yesterday, they have until November 17th. That's the date. If they don't get him out there by then,

then he will be put on injured reserve for the season. Trey Jackson and Sebastian Vollmer are still not practicing, which isn't that much of a surprise. So that really isn't that big of a surprise. I personally think Jackson will be back. I don't think Vollmer is going to be back. This is my personal opinion. As far as yesterday's injury report from practice, nothing changed.

The eight, Martellus Bennett, Brandon Bolden, Jamie Collins, Julian Edelman, Woody Hamilton, Malcolm Mitchell, Landon Roberts, Vincent Valentine. Again, status quo. Nothing changed. Same guys as the day before, but they were all limited participation, which is obviously better than no participation, so that's a positive. New England needs all hands on deck Sunday, so I'll be shocked if Bennett, Collins, or Edelman misses the game. I, again, think that all three will be out there, but again, you never know.

Things happen sometimes, and it could be a situation where maybe Collins' hips has to bother him, or maybe Bennett's ankle is bothering him. I know Bennett did miss practice today. He was the only one who wasn't out there. But it could be more of a managing the injury type situation. They want to make sure that he's ready to go. Because it's funny, when he got hurt, it looked bad, and people just kind of forgot about it.

But I think that injury was worse than we originally believed. But he's tough. So he's managing it, but something to keep an eye on this week. Speaking of injuries, I read a very interesting article yesterday regarding former Patriots and current New York Jet Darrell Rivas, who was a player that I openly expressed anger over losing. I thought that when the Patriots let him go, I thought it was a huge mistake. I thought it was going to cost him at least one title.

But last season, his presence wouldn't have mattered. It would not have mattered. Unless he can block, which is their biggest problem last year was their offensive line, Rivas would not have made all the difference. So, you know, he definitely didn't, that didn't cost him a championship last year. There's no question about it.

Last season wouldn't have mattered. He was still pretty good. This year, if the Patriots had him, he'd be getting torn apart because he's been downright terrible in the article revis stated that his quote body is breaking down he says that he can still play as he said he's not thinking about retirement quote at this moment but he did say that some of the injuries linger which is telling which is a telling statement regarding his future i'm going to go on record in saying I was wrong about Rivas, but still at the same time, if the Patriots did resign him to the deal

that they offered him on their terms, I think that Patriots fans would be okay with it because I also don't think he would be playing quite as bad, as much as people don't quite understand this. If you've been on a bad team, you kind of have an idea that it's not going to get that much better. And you can't really get as into it as you would with the Patriots. When you're with a great team, you can focus more. He's trying to fight through stuff for a team that's not that good.

It's hard to do. Fighting through stuff for a team where you know there's something at the end, possibly winning a championship, it is easy to do. I know the Patriots had managed his practices and all those type of things. It makes sense now why they had to do those type of things because again he even said it himself, the injuries linger and he's 31 years old. He actually talked about some of the older cornerbacks in the league and how he's so shocked that they can still do it. I don't think that Revis is long for the NFL. I would say if he doesn't retire at the end of this season, it'll be at the end of next season after his

bonuses are all said and done. I honestly don't think he's got much time left in his career. We saw the same thing with Nnamdi Asamoah. He was good, great. Signed with Philly, was awful. And then two years later, out of the league completely. He did pretty good for himself with Mary and Kerry Washington. You can't knock him on that one.

But it just goes to show, cornerbacks are one of those positions where athleticism is so important. And if you lose a step or even two steps, and then you start to have issues with the injuries It can be over for you very quickly And I think that might be what we're seeing here with Rivas He's been in the league for This is his 10th season in the league I believe

And I just I think he's at the end here It's unfortunate, I really do wish that he had stuck with the Patriots On their terms Because again like I said, I think he'd be good with just that extra juice of playing for a winning team, but at the same time, I've got to look at it from a business end, the guy did what he had to do for himself so he could make sure that he's secure financially for the rest of his

life, and it's not just him, he's trying to secure his family to be wealthy forever, so I get it, but again, former Patriot Jarrell Reeves talking about his body is breaking down, that says a lot, and it also says a great, it says everything about the Patriots So I get it. But again, former Patriot Jarrell Reeves talking about his body is breaking down. That says a lot. And it also says a great, it says everything about the Patriots scouting department. And also their doctors. They did a good job. You know, they probably knew this was happening, and that's why they didn't resign.

So apparently, on the Bills, apparently they're still upset about the Patriots breaking an unwritten rule the last time that they met in Foxborough when they, that was Jacoby Brissett actually, ran through the Bills warm-ups. And I agree with the Bills to an extent. I've told you guys before, I coach. You get one side of the field, the other team gets the other side of the field. No matter what level it's at, college, high school, pro, you don't go through the other team's warm-ups. You just don't do that.

You know, the teams are down there. They're getting ready for the game. You know, people are getting fired up. People are doing their things to get themselves ready, and then all of a sudden an opponent comes walking through one of their drills. Not cool. Big mistake on Jacoby Brissett's part. At the time, I wrote about it saying that I thought the Bills were a little bit immature,

but doing some research on the situation and hearing firsthand accounts from some people that were there, I definitely agree that the Bills were not in the wrong, the Patriots were, but again, that was Jacoby Brissett, a rookie quarterback who really might not quite get it yet. So if it happens again, if it does happen again, the Bills have said that they're ready to fight again. Rex Ryan has already stated that he doesn't see the same thing occurring, especially with Brady back in the center. He's the one that will be bringing the guys out.

So I just don't see it being a problem going forward. But, again, the Bills are still a little bit upset about the Patriots breaking that unwritten rule. So if somebody has a brain cramp and does it again, don't be surprised if we hear another fight going on in pregame. Do you love football? I do. Are you ready to get into the action? I think you should. What you

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Check it out, BetDSI.com. So let's talk about the matchup for this week. We've got the Patriots and the Bills. Last time these two teams met was in Foxborough. The Bills actually shut out the Patriots in Foxborough 16-0. Yes, Jacoby Brissett was on the center, and he actually was nursing a torn ligament in his thumb. So, it's kind of hard to get a read from that game, but we're going to give it a try anyways. First and foremost, let's take a look at the Bills offense.

An offense that's averaging 26.7 points per game, which is sixth in the league. That's excellent scoring. They're averaging 327.4 total yards per game, which is not good. That's 26th in the league. So they've had a little trouble actually moving the ball, but when they do, they score. And I'll explain the reason for that in a moment. Their passing yards per game is actually second to last. They're only 175.1 yards per game.

And after the big contract they just gave Tyrod Taylor, you start to question whether that was a mistake or not because regardless of how they've been getting their offense, you need to have a quarterback that can throw the ball, and Tyrod Taylor does not look like that type of guy. Now, this is why they have been scoring. They average 152.3 yards per game, rushing yards per game. That's one of the main reasons why Tyrod Taylor was signed is because of his legs,

but that's only going to take you so far in today's NFL. You need to be able to throw. But they are second in the league in rushing, and that's the reason for the 26.7 points per game and great efficiency as far as points compared to yards. It's because they run the ball, and teams that run the ball typically can score because they're running the ball. You can't stop them. They're going to get in the end zone. That's just the way it is. But here's the huge, huge, huge issue that they're facing

this week. No LaShawn McCoy. LaShawn McCoy has been listed as doubtful, and it was reported this afternoon by ESPN's Adam Schefter, who is pretty much the godfather of media, and he knows who's going to be out and who's going to be in. And if Schefter says that he's doubtful, in my mind, he's not playing. So the Bills' offense is in some serious trouble because their running game

has been their calling card. And without McCoy, who tore the Patriots defense apart the last time they played, they're not going to win. Buffalo cannot win this game without LaShawn McCoy in the backfield. End of story. So that's something to keep an eye on. Now the Patriots, they've been a little bit up and down. Obviously, you know, getting Brady back has made a big difference. They've gone 3-0 since he's been back. They're averaging 25.1 points per game, which is 10th in the league. That's a little low for them. That's going to come up.

They're averaging 383.6 yards per game, which is 7th in the league. That's excellent. That's typical Patriots. But also, I wouldn't mind seeing that come up a little bit too. I wouldn't mind seeing them get over 400 yards per game, and I think that's going to happen. As far as the passing yards, they're averaging 260.9 yards per game, so literally about 261 a game. That's 10th in the league.

And then rushing yards, they're rushing for 122.7 yards per game. That speaks to how well they've blocked and how well LeGarrette Blount has done. Their run blocking is 100% better than their pass blocking. It's very obvious. They like to get out and get after it, and the guys that they have as their offensive line are clearly more geared towards the run game than they are towards the pass game. But you can make that work because, again, like I said before,

with play action and draws and screens and all these other things that the Patriots have in their offense, it'll keep the defense on their heels enough so that they can get time for Brady to throw. But again, it's great balance. It's good to see that they're running and throwing the ball, and they're scoring both ways. That's going to make it very, very difficult for teams to figure out how to stop them. Defensively, they're fourth in the league in points allowed at 15.3. I've been saying it, I've said it on this

podcast last week, if they finish in the top five in points allowed, they're going to go to the Super Bowl. Assuming that Tom Brady's upright and Rob Gronkowski's upright. If they're giving up less, if they're in the top five in scoring points allowed, they will be in the Super Bowl. End of story. Yards-wise, people may be surprised by this one. The Patriots are giving up 351 yards per game, which is 14th in the league. It's not all that bad when you consider their bend-but-don't-break philosophy, but still, you know, 351 yards per game total, it's pretty good.

So that was a number I was a little bit surprised and impressed by. Passing yards, they could be doing better, and this is mainly because they don't have any pass rush. They've given up 258.7 yards per game, which is 19th in the NFL. They've got to clean that up, period. I know that, like I just said, but don't break and this and that. At the same time, you know Belichick wants them to make plays and shut down the passing game and get that yardage down a little bit because the more that yardage comes down, the more those points are going to come down.

If they get those points down, if they're the top team in the league in points allowed, that's going to say a lot for their chances to go and win their fifth Super Bowl. As far as rush yards, they've given up 92.3 rushing yards per game, which is 11th in the league. It's really good considering some of the running backs that they've faced. Now that they most likely won't be facing LaShawn McCoy, their workload just got a little bit easier for this week. They'll have to deal with Michael Isley out of Florida, who's actually been a pretty good change of pace back for Buffalo. I know a lot of guys

in the fantasy league that I run have gone and picked him up and dropped him, and then another guy picked him up and dropped him. He's one of those guys who's tantalizing because he's fast and he makes plays and he scores touchdowns here and there. But I'm interested to see what he does having the full-time job on his hands. I don't think it's going to be so easy for him. So Michael Isley will be the number one guy in the backfield for Buffalo. I think the Patriots will shut him down.

So overall, if LaShawn McCoy was playing, I think the Patriots will shut him down. So overall, you know, if LaShawn McCoy was playing, I think that this game would be very close. I do. I just think that McCoy gives the Patriots all type of trouble with his cutbacks and the way that he runs. He's one of the few backs that the Patriots have trouble hemming in. He's out, most likely, doubtful, so I'm going to say he's out. And even if he does play, he's not going to be the same. so I'm going to say he's out. And even if he does play, he's not going to be the same. So I'm going to go ahead and say Sunday the Patriots are going to win the game. My predicted score is New England 41 and Buffalo 17.

Okay, and a lot of people out there are saying, oh, wow, I thought this was going to be a close game. I did when I thought LaShawn McCoy was going to play. So, with no McCoy, the Patriots can focus on Tyrod Taylor. They can shut down this passing game. One of the things that does put a little fear into me is that, because Taylor can run, I know the Patriots are going to want to keep him in the pocket, so sometimes a pass rush is not as strong by design. But at the same time, with how bad they've been getting after the quarterback,

I think they just have to let it go and go get him. You know, let's blitz Jamie Collins. He's got the speed to get him and catch him and run him down. You want to blitz Hightower. Start using these guys in the blitzing game a little bit and start getting after the quarterback. I don't care if he can run or not. They have to start doing it.

So, again, Patriots, they're going to win big, I believe, and get a stranglehold on the AFC East. So my question is, we're going into week 8. Okay, it's week 8. And there's a lot of teams out there, a lot of guys out there whose fantasy football teams have completely gone down the tubes. Do you have Adrian Peterson on your roster? Yeah, I guarantee your team's not doing all that great. So one thing you can do is head on over to FanDuel.

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So go check it out. This week's Sunday Million Contest is paying out $2 million, $200,000 going to first place. So, again, I've had great experiences on FanDuel. You're not going to win every week, but if you do your homework, you'll do okay. So all you've got to do now to try FanDuel, if you want to get up to $50 in free entries, new users who deposit will get five free entries to the NFL. 50-50 beginning contest valued up to $50.

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promo code LOPATRIOTS void where prohibited so I want to thank you all again for listening to the fastest growing podcast network in the world, again in the world for all my local listeners that own businesses, be sure to email me or reach out to me via Twitter or Facebook

to discuss advertising on Locked On Patriots. Tomorrow we will have a special Saturday edition of Locked On Patriots. We're going to discuss injuries and who looks like they're going to be playing on Sunday, who practiced today, give you guys all the updates on the news. It won't be our regular half an hour, 20 minutes to half an hour show, but

we'll have about 10 to 15 minutes to go over some things, and then on Sunday, we'll have our pregame and our postgame show, so be sure to tune in this weekend to Locked On Patriots. Again, I'm your host, Chris Cimino. Thank you so much for joining us. Everybody have a great weekend. Go Patriots.

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