Rematch whole new game
One month later, New England brings Brady to Buffffalo.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Rex Ryan readily concedes he had a much easier time drawing up a defensive game plan the last time the Buffffalo Bills prepared to face the New England Patriots.
It goes without question, the biggest factor working in the Bills coach’s favor was he didn’t have Tom Brady to worry about four weeks ago.
“It was a great time to play them,” Ryan said Wednesday, reflflecting back on Buffffalo’s 16-0 win against a Jacoby Brissett-led New England offffffffffffense Oct. 2.
“They have a new player back there for some reason,” he added, with a distinct roll of his eyes in referring Brady. “He looks decent.”
Once the laughter sub - sided, Ryan went on to praise Brady by calling him the best quarterback he’s faced.
The Bills (4-3) have their hands full Sunday, when the Patriots (6-1) come to town with Brady back at his familiar spot under center since serving a four-game “Deflflate- gate” suspension.
In reeling offff three consecutive wins, Brady has completed 75 percent of his passes for 1,004 yards w i t h e i g h t t o u c h d o w n s and no interceptions. New England has combined for 85 points, 1,300 yards and 70 fifirst downs.
That’s a signifificant turnaround from an offffffffffffense that managed just 277 yards, 13 fifirst downs and was shut out at home for the first time since 1993 against Buffffalo.
Brady has been so productive Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams wondered how much of an advantage the quarterback might have actually gotten for using under-inflflated footballs.
“Maybe it didn’t make a bit of difffffffffffference,” Williams said.
The AFC East-rival Bills know Brady all too well. Since taking over the starter’s job from Drew Bledsoe in 2001, Brady has a 25-3 record against Buffffffffffffalo. One more win and Brady matches the NFL record for most wins by a quarterback against one opponent: Brett Favre had 26 over Detroit.
Ryan credited Brady for how well he c an identify mismatches from the line of scrimmage based on how the defense is aligned.
“You don’t want to present the same picture because once he’s seen it, he’s got great recall and he’s got the skill to beat you,” Ryan said. “So hopefully, you can paint a difffffffffffferent picture for him.”
Another concern is how the Patriots keep defense’s off-balance with a sturdy running game led by LeGarrette Blount. It doesn’t help that the injury-depleted Bills had a four-game winning streak snapped in a 28-25 loss at Miami during which Ryan’s defense surrendered 256 yards rushing.
“W h a t r u n n i n g b a c k wouldn’t be happy seeing the team he’s about to play just gave up 200 yards,” linebacker Preston Brown said.
The key remains keeping Brady in check.
“It’s the same team, but you know when you have Tom Brady it’s a new team,” Brown said. “It’s defifinitely going to be a totally difffffffffffferent challenge with the pass.”