Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
#Bills vs. #Patriots: 5 things to watch for during Week 18’s game:
The finale to the regular season has arrived, and for Buffalo, it features a familiar foe.
The New England Patriots travel to Orchard Park this week for a 1 pm EST game on Sunday.
The Pats will look to avenge an NFL week 13 loss to Sean McDermott’s club while the Bills will play for the first time since an unprecedented near-tragedy in a now-canceled game against the Bengals.
Here are five things to watch for during Thursday’s Bills-Patriots matchup:
#Bills offense welcome run game contributions vs. #Patriots:
Buffalo rookie RB James Cook had a career evening in Foxborough, MA on the way to a 24-10 Bills victory over their AFC East rival, the New England Patriots.
Cook led the team in rush attempts and yardage on the ground, also hauling in six targets that made him second in receptions on the night. In all the first-year pro had 14 carries for 64 yards with 41 yards receiving.
The contest was the third in which he logged double-digit attempts rushing, and marked the best overall performance of his young career.
Let Cook cook! 👨🍳 @thegreat__4 | @buffalobills#BUFvsNE on Prime Video
— NFL (@NFL) December 2, 2022
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/bTTcEL41DH pic.twitter.com/DmO7ntLdZ7
Much of the Bills ground game has previously been carried on RB Devin Singletary’s shoulder, so what’s led to the increased role on offense? In part, the playcalling has been more balanced, but there are some other things Cook’s head coach noticed as well.
“It was just overall his growth and seeing what he can do,” Sean McDermott said to the press postgame. “Rotating different guys in there. It was just all Motor (Devin Singletary) and I think that’s a good thing there.”
The playcalling was absolutely a factor in giving the running back’s group a chance to gain ground in the offense, and the coach acknowledged how offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey has been reading when to run or pass the football.
“I thought coach (Ken) Dorsey did a really good job of changing it up. When the run is working like it was at times, just being able to stick it–And sometimes it wasn’t–but just being able to stick with it, I thought he was very patient in that regard. I thought the O-line did a very good job up front,” McDermott added.
Cook’s teammates noticed the impact he and Singletary, who added 51 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown, had in the win.
“We got the backs that can make explosive plays. They do a great job,” WR Stefon Diggs said during his media session. “It helps the pass game.”
Diggs went on to praise Cook specifically, adding “He’s a special player… He’s young. He’s growing and he’s growing in the right direction fast.”
“He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands,” QB Josh Allen said about Cook. “The more we can get him going, in the long run, is going to benefit us.”
Veteran center Mitch Morse noticed the overall development as well, speaking favorably as well about how this Bills team is evolving and expanding to be more multi-dimensional in their offensive game plan and attack.
“It felt good to execute in the run game to give ourselves a little bit of a cushion at least to not feel like we had to just drop back and play one-dimensional,” Morse said.
The team will have the opportunity to continue to build on their performance in the coming weeks, as they square off at home against the Jets and Dolphins in back-to-back AFC East matchups on December 11th and 18th.
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#Bills ‘thankful’ to get first divisional win vs. #Patriots:
The Bills shook off losses in their first two division matchups of the season to notch their first AFC East victory of the year on Thursday Night Football.
The team, who lost road games against division foes in the Jets and Dolphins earlier in the season, ended the night with a 24-10 victory over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on a cold, blustery New England night.
Buffalo looked to be finding more rhythm on offense than they had previously this season in divisional matchups. Meanwhilte, more members of the defense stepped up to contribute as well.
“Just trying to find a way to win. Took a team effort,” DE Shaq Lawson said to the media. “Complementary football, all three ways. Just find a way to win.”
Head coach Sean McDermott was pleased with the progress and victory the team left Foxborough with.
“I mean a divisional win is important. We knew coming in here was gonna be tough,” McDermott said during his postgame press conference. “Like I said against a really good football team. They’re really well coached and prepared every week so we’re thankful to get a win, and in the division on top of that.”
The AFC East has gradually grown more competitive, something Bills LB Von Miller noted recently.
“I think (with) some of the offseason moves, you can see it starting to get better,” Miller said via the team’s website. “The Jets are definitely not the same Jets team that they’ve been over the last couple of years. The Miami Dolphins as well. The New England Patriots, they’ve put together some great games this season. It’s competitive. I don’t think it’s all of a sudden though.”
Next up, the team will head back to Buffalo to host a pair of division matchups at Orchard Park. They will once again face the Jets and Dolphins, this time at home, for their final meetings of the regular season.
Both games will be important in the Bills’ quest for a third straight AFC East crown as well as in making the playoffs.
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#Bills’ Josh Allen trolls the @Patriots after another win at Gillette Stadium:
Following their 24-10 win against the New England Patriots on Thursday, the Buffalo Bills moved to 9-3 and took back over first place in the AFC East.
The win gave the Bills their first three-game winning streak in Foxboro since the 1992-1994 seasons.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who threw for 223-yards and two touchdowns, continued his dominance in New England.
He even did some trolling over the Patriots and their fans after the game.
While speaking with the Thursday Night Football crew on Prime, Allen threw some shade while talking to former Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.
” I love your playoff beard, it’s early,” Fitz said to Allen on set.
‘Yeah, well we’re in Gillette Stadium. I’m a Gillette guy, so maybe I gotta clean it up a little bit,” Allen responded. “I think people understand that, I kinda took that Gillette, you know it’s a great sponsor to have, but I know where this stadiums at, right? I know who plays here. The fans here. Means a lot, means a lot.”
While Allen took a moment to have some fun, having good time on the field is something wide receiver Stefon Diggs is crediting for the Bills getting back to playing winning football, which includes his QB.
“It’s playing one play at a time and really getting back to being us,” Diggs told the media after the game. “You see Josh out there flying, flying around, running around, making plays and getting back to having fun and so that’s something I anticipate we just trying to keep it going.”
When asked if he has seen a difference in Allen and his health continues to improve, Diggs was candid.
“I mean, I wouldn’t know cause he doesn’t really show it. You know, he’s not really the quarterback that’s out there like, you know… dragging ass,” Diggs said laughing. “He’s out there giving it everything he’s got and guys gravitate to him. You know, a player like Josh, he’s our quarterback, it helps that he’s our quarterback and he’s out there giving it everything he’s got. I’m rockin’ with him, you know? When he’s banged up he’s still a good ass football player. And that’s when you really gotta love him up, you know what I’m saying? Cause things won’t go right all the time. When he gets back to feeling himself, you see the plays he made today like when he was scrambling and throwing guys off and finding guys. So, him playing with that confidence and getting back to having fun spills on all of us a little bit.”
While the Bills now find themselves in the midst of a three-game win streak, the win on Thursday night was their first division win of the year.
With a current division record of 1-2, the upcoming two games vs. the Jets and Dolphins could make all the difference between winning the division and battling it out, down the stretch for a Wild Card spot.
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#Bills’ Josh Allen on #Patriots matchup: ‘Last year has no effect’
The Bills will face the Patriots this week for the NFL’s Amazon Prime broadcast Thursday Night Football game.
Buffalo has performed well against New England in recent years, going 2-0 at Gillette Stadium and 3-1 overall in games that saw Bills Quarterback Josh Allen throw at least two touchdown passes with 9 total TDs in each of his past three games at Gillette Stadium, with only one interception.
Still, he knows as well as anybody that nothing’s guaranteed from one season to the next, after falling to two division opponents on the road already this season in the Dolphins and Jets.
“We understand as a team that what we did last year has no effect, and is not going to help us in any way in this next coming game,” Allen said during his media availability this week about facing the Patriots. “They’re a team that is playing at a high level right now. We’ve got to be ready for whatever they can throw at us. We’ve got to be ready to go win over there in a division game and a hostile environment.”
Bills defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Leslie Frazier echoed a similar sentiment to Allen’s.
“We really have to play extremely well as we go on the road against New England and try to find a way to get a win,” said Frazier per Patriots.com. “And that will set us up for the next game and the next game, but it starts with this game next week and really being able to put together a good game plan and being able to go out and execute at a high level. Anytime you’re playing against an AFC opponent, in particular one in your division, it just raises your awareness of what you have to get done.”
Surely having two division losses to their record this season may also provide that motivation to find a way to get a win, especially with rematches at home with the Jets and Dolphins next up on the schedule.
The good news is that Buffalo players are excited for the away game matchup against the Pats.
“Obviously, big divisional rival game this week,” Safety Jordan Poyer said to the press about the matchup. “We’re excited to play on the road in New England. This is what NFL football is about.”
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#Bills at #Patriots: 5 things to watch for during Week 13’s game:
The Buffalo Bills will remain on the road this week, following consecutive wins in Detroit they will now face the New England Patriots in Week 13.
With an opportunity to gain ground in their division, there are certain things to keep an eye out for.
Here are five things to watch for during Thursday’s Bills-Patriots matchup:
New England vs Cleveland game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 6 game on Sunday, October 16
New England vs Cleveland prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 6, Sunday, October 16
Date: Sunday, October 16
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH
How To Watch: CBS
Record: New England (2-3), Cleveland (2-3)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+
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– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
So did the Patriots find something in Bailey Zappe?
That’s a major stretch, but he was fine, the rest of the team stepped up its game considering the quarterback issues, and the Patriots got a stunning 29-0 win over Detroit.
Helping the newbie’s cause is the running game that should take all the pressure off. Damien Harris might be hurting, but Rhamondre Stevenson should be able to pound away on a Cleveland defense that’s struggling against the run.
It was good to start the season, but Atlanta and the Chargers ran at will for over 200 yards each. Now it’s New England’s turn. As long as Zappe can be a true game manager …
Here comes the Cleveland pass rush to get to 4.
The Browns might be struggling all of a sudden against the run, but the pass rush is still strong, the pass defense hasn’t been awful, and they should be able to keep the score down the game close – if they don’t take an early lead.
Detroit couldn’t run against the Patriots last week, but that’s not happening this week. Baltimore and Green Bay got physical on the New England front, and Cleveland is about to do the same. The NFL’s best running game should take over early, and …
– Week 6 NFL Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews
Just when you think Bill Belichick has lost it and the team is about to go into the tank, it pitches a gem like it did last week.
Cleveland is hardly anything great – the two wins are against bad Carolina and Pittsburgh teams – but the ground attack should be able to own the game for long stretches.
Here’s the problem for the Browns – turnovers. It doesn’t have a big problem with them, but they’re 2-0 when they don’t give the ball away and 0-3 when they do.
New England has forced two takeaways in each of the last four games.
– CFN Week 7 College Football Expert Picks
New England 23, Cleveland 20
Line: Cleveland -2.5, o/u: 43
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
New England vs Cleveland Must See Rating: 3
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Excited about the Irish’s chances this year?
If you had written off Notre Dame before ACC play began last year, no one would have blamed you. After all, the program hadn’t been that good in a while, and the Irish didn’t exactly impress in their nonconference slate other than a win over ranked Kentucky. Then, longtime coach [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] proved he had a little magic left in him and guided the Irish to their first NCAA Tournament in five years. They even won a couple of games in the tournament and nearly made it out of the first weekend.
Now, Brey is focused on how to make the 2022-23 Irish even better. Here’s what he said at Wednesday’s ACC media day in Charlotte, North Carolina:
Mack Wilson’s son takes first steps on Patriots’ field!
There are some moments in life that every parent will always remember and cherish, such as their child’s first steps. For former Alabama linebacker and current New England Patriot, [autotag]Mack Wilson[/autotag], this became a reality in the most extraordinary of ways when his son took his first steps in Gillette Stadium after the Patriots’ preseason game. Wilson and his son will forever have this moment on the field to cherish and it could not be any more adorable.
As for Wilson, this will be his first season in New England after being traded by the Cleveland Browns. While Wilson has seen his playing time and statistics decline in each of his first three years in the NFL, he will fill a starting role in a Bill Belichick-led defense which is a real chance to showcase his abilities. Through his three seasons in the league, Wilson has posted 160 tackles, nine passes deflected and one sack as well as an interception and a forced fumble.
First steps on the football field.
This is beautiful, @MackWilSr. 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/HB5njDSWGa
— NFL (@NFL) August 20, 2022
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Mack Wilson and other former Alabama stars now in the NFL.
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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.
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After a 36-hole marathon on Wednesday, two champions were crowned after a highly entertaining final round on Thursday.
After a 36-hole marathon on Wednesday, two champions were crowned after a highly entertaining final round on Thursday.
Overnight leader Carson Erick held a two-shot lead heading into Thursday’s final round action. The Hingham, Massachusetts, native plodded his way around Ledgemont Country Club carefully.
Many among the top portion of the leaderboard fell to the wayside throughout the day, with one exception. Chad Correia began the day at 9 over, seven shots back of Erick and seemingly out of contention in a tie for 11th.
Just like Erick, Correia made the most of his moves to finish the day with a tournament-best 2-under 69. As the day progressed, Correia’s name climbed the leaderboard all the way to a solo second-place finish.
Sealing the championship with a birdie on 18, Erick lapped the field with a 54-hole total of 216, four shots clear of Correia. With the win, Erick has secured himself a spot in the year-end Golfweek International Junior Invitational in November.
Rounding out the podium was Sascha Robinson at eight over.
In the girls division, a match play type feel helped push the winner over the edge,
Grace Huang held a one-shot lead over Alexandria Pool after Wednesday’s first two rounds. With Pool being the lone challenger within a reasonable distance to Huang, the final pairing felt more like a match-play championship.
Dueling early, Pool carded a front nine 1-over 37 to Huang’s up and down 38. Tied with just nine holes to play, Pool felt the pressure.
With bogeys on six of the first seven holes on the back nine, Pool was unable to stop the bleeding. With the door open, Huang slammed it shut with a birdie on 17 to give herself a three-shot lead heading to 18.
Matching each other’s pars, Huang locked up her spot in the Golfweek International Junior Invitational,
Piper Jordan joined Huang and Pool on the podium with a solo third-place finish at +18.
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