3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Patriots in Week 17

3 keys to a #Bills victory vs. the #Patriots in Week 17:

The Buffalo Bills (9-6) take on the New England Patriots (4-11) on Sunday during a pivotal stretch of Buffalo’s season as the team is trying to hold on to their playoff hopes.

After beating the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, the Bills have a small margin of error the rest of the season. Buffalo has to win out or they’ll likely miss out on winning the AFC East… but even that is a long shot.

With the Bills’ playoff hopes now most likely resting on making it to the postseason as a wild-card team, they will have to play perfectly down the home stretch if they want to remain in the hunt.

Here are three keys to the Bills beating the Patriots in Week 17:

Patriots place Rhamondre Stevenson on IR ahead of facing Bills

#Patriots place Rhamondre Stevenson on IR ahead of facing #Bills:

The status of Rhamondre Stevenson was very much in the air ahead of the New England Patriots’ visit to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17.

Early this week, we know his fate. He will not play on Sunday at Highmark Stadium and won’t for the remainder of the 2023 season.

The Patriots (4-11) have announced that Stevenson will be shut down for the rest of the year after sitting out the past few games. He has been placed on the team’s injured reserve list.

Stevenson suffered a high ankle sprain in the Patriots’ Dec. 3 meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers. At the time, it was announced he’d miss a few weeks so his status for their trip to Buffalo had long been in the air.

Without Stevenson, former Dallas Cowboys rusher Ezekiel Elliott has taken the majority of snaps since.

Stevenson had 156 carries to Elliott’s 112 when he went down with injury and was leading the Patriots with 619 rushing yards.

In the past three weeks, Elliott has managed 58, 25, and 27 yards in each outing, respectively.

Follow the Bills Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-related id=129340,120409,129316]

Patriots place RB Rhamondre Stevenson on IR, ending his 2023 season

The Patriots have placed running back Rhamondre Stevenson on injured reserve.

The New England Patriots have announced on Wednesday they are placing running back Rhamondre Stevenson on injured reserve.

Stevenson suffered a high ankle sprain in the Patriots’ December 3 meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers. There was always a long-shot chance of him returning, and it wouldn’t make sense at this point anyways with there only being two more games left on the regular season schedule.

The Patriots’ move to sign former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn to the practice squad added depth behind Ezekiel Elliott, Kevin Harris and JaMycal Hasty.

Stevenson is expected to be a major part of the Patriots’ plans in 2024, and it makes sense for him to recover completely from the ankle injury and look to come back stronger next season.

The backup running backs have done a tremendous job of stepping up in his absence. Elliott has especially proven his value with his versatility as both a rusher and receiver, while Harris has come through big with multiple angry runs, including a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster headlines absences at Friday’s practice

Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was reportedly absent during the media portion of Friday’s practice.

The New England Patriots were missing four players at Friday’s practice, ahead of their contest against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. That list of names included wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, per NESN.com’s Zack Cox.

This news just adds to what has been a difficult season for the Patriots’ wide receiver room, when it comes to injuries. Smith-Schuster did not play in last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. In turn, he was unable to build momentum from the previous game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he caught four passes for 90 yards.

Smith-Schuster has had an up-and-down season. All told, he has recorded 29 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown on the year. The lone touchdown came against the Miami Dolphins back in October.

Three other Patriots players were absent from the entirety of this week’s practices. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, safety Jabrill Peppers (hamstring) and offensive tackle Conor McDermott (head) also did not practice on Friday.

The Patriots look to secure a win over the Broncos for the first time since 2017 on Christmas Eve. Kickoff is set for Sunday night at 8:15 p.m ET.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Patriots Week 14 injury report: Multiple players ruled out vs Steelers

Multiple Patriots players have been ruled out for Thursday night’s game.

The New England Patriots will be down two of their best offensive playmakers in Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It didn’t come as any surprise seeing running back Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Demario Douglas both being listed as out for the game. But that doesn’t make it sting any less for a Patriots team that couldn’t afford more bad luck on the offensive side of the ball.

The team also ruled out offensive tackle Riley Reiff, who is done for the season after missing the injured reserve deadline, along with wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and cornerback Shaun Wade.

Here’s the full injury report for both teams on Wednesday:

New England Patriots

Player Injury Tuesday Wednesday Game Status
WR Demario Douglas Concussion DNP DNP Out
RB Rhamondre Stevenson Ankle DNP DNP Out
DL Christian Barmore Shoulder LP LP Questionable
LB Chris Board Back LP Active
WR Kayshon Boutte Shoulder LP LP Out
OT Trent Brown Ankle/Hand LP LP Questionable
WR DeVante Parker Knee LP LP Questionable
OL Riley Reiff Knee LP LP Out
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Ankle LP LP Questionable
CB Shaun Wade Illness LP Out

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

Pittsburgh Steelers

Player Injury Tuesday Wednesday Game Status
QB Kenny Pickett Ankle DNP DNP Out
RB Najee Harris Knee DNP DNP Questionable
S James Pierre Shoulder DNP DNP Out
DT Keeanu Benton Oblique LP Active
C Mason Cole Neck LP LP Questionable
LB Elandon Roberts Groin LP LP Questionable
DT Cam Heyward Not injury-related (Rest) LP Active
G Isaac Seumalo Shoulder LP DNP Questionable
S Minkah Fitzpatrick Hand FP Active
DT Montravious Adams Sr. Ankle FP Active

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

The Patriots will have their depth tested on the backend of the defense without Wade in the lineup. Of course, none of that even matters if the team can’t score points.

Douglas and Stevenson both being gone will only make things worse for the struggling offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Patriots Week 14 injury report: Key offensive starters missing on Tuesday

The Patriots were missing two key offensive starters at practice on Tuesday.

It was back to work for the New England Patriots on Tuesday, following Sunday’s shutout loss at home to the Los Angeles Chargers.

There won’t be much time to sulk in defeat with a short turnaround ahead of a Thursday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Patriots released their injury report with their top-two offensive starters, wide receiver Demario Douglas and running back Rhamondre Stevenson, both listed as non-participants at practice. Stevenson is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a high ankle sprain, while Douglas has still yet to clear concussion protocol.

So there’s a very good chance that the Patriots will be without both players against the Steelers.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are preparing to start Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback with Kenny Pickett dealing with an ankle injury. That means it’ll likely be Bailey Zappe taking on Trubisky in this matchup.

Here’s the full injury report for both teams on Tuesday:

New England Patriots

Player Injury Tuesday Game Status
WR Demario Douglas Concussion DNP
RB Rhamondre Stevenson Ankle DNP
DL Christian Barmore Shoulder LP
LB Chris Board Back LP
WR Kayshon Boutte Shoulder LP
OT Trent Brown Ankle/Hand LP
WR DeVante Parker Knee LP
OL Riley Reiff Knee LP
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Ankle LP

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

Pittsburgh Steelers

Player Injury Tuesday Game Status
QB Kenny Pickett Ankle DNP
RB Najee Harris Knee DNP
S James Pierre Shoulder DNP
DT Keeanu Benton Oblique LP
C Mason Cole Neck LP
LB Elandon Roberts Groin LP
DT Cam Heyward Not injury-related (Rest) LP
G Isaac Seumalo Shoulder LP
S Minkah Fitzpatrick Hand FP
DT Montravious Adams Sr. Ankle FP

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

The good news for the Patriots is Ezekiel Elliott no longer being on the injury report. With Stevenson out, Elliott will be the next man up to lead the offensive backfield against a terrifying Steelers defense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report: Rhamondre Stevenson expected to miss ‘a few weeks’ with ankle sprain

An MRI reportedly confirmed a high ankle sprain for Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson got the news no one wanted to hear on Tuesday morning. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the third-year running back is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a high ankle sprain.

It’s a major blow for the already sputtering Patriots offense that has dealt with injuries all season. The offensive line has been a revolving door of players coming and going, while the team lost its most productive receiver, Kendrick Bourne, earlier in the season. Standout rookie receiver Demario Douglas has also been in concussion protocol.

Stevenson was considered the Patriots’ best offensive skilled weapon. Granted, they have a strong replacement with Ezekiel Elliott on the roster, but things get thin past that point. Their next best options are Ty Montgomery and JaMycal Hasty.

One has to wonder if we’ll see Stevenson at all the rest of the season. The Patriots are sitting at 2-10 with five games left on the schedule. High ankle sprains heal differently, and it isn’t like there’s a need for Stevenson to rush his way back onto the field.

In fact, it might be wiser to stay on the sidelines, watch this dumpster fire of a season burn from afar and come back stronger in 2024.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Tunnel Vision – Injuries, free agents and Sunday stars

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Geno Smith 334-6 4
 Brock Purdy 314-9 4
 Dak Prescott 299-23 3
 Jalen Hurts 298-20 2
 Matthew Stafford 279-(-2) 3
Running Backs Rush
Receive
TD
Alvin Kamara 14-51
6-58
2
De’Von Achane 17-73
3-30
2
Derrick Henry 21-102
1-18
2
James Conner 25-105 2
Chuba Hubbard  2-104 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
DK Metcalf 6-134 3
Deebo Samuel 3-22
4-116
3
Nico Collins 9-191 1
CeeDee Lamb 2-30
12-116
1
Tyreek Hill 5-157 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
Sam LaPorta 9-140 1
Trey McBride 8-89 1
Jake Ferguson 6-77 1
Harrison Bryant 5-49 1
Taysom Hill 13-59
2-15
1
Placekickers XP FG
Brandon Aubrey 3 4
Matt Gay 1 4
Lucas Havrisik 4 2
Jason Sanders 6 1
Matt Ammendola 1 3
Defense Sack – TO TD
Chargers 5-1 0
Colts 6-2 1
Dolphins 3-1 1
Falcons 4-3 0
Texans 3-3 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Kenny Pickett – Ankle
QB Derek Carr – Concussion “plus”
WR Tank Dell – Fractured fibula
WR Marquise Brown – Heel
WR Amari Cooper – Head
WR Christian Watson – Hamstring
RB Derrick Henry – Head
RB Emari Demarco – neck
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – Ankle
RB Brian Robinson – Hamstring
TE Tyler Higbee – Concussion

Chasing Ambulances

QB Kenny Pickett – He injured his right ankle that will need a surgical procedure to fix. He is expected to miss at least a few weeks and Mitch Trubisky will replace him for this Thursday’s game against the Patriots.

QB Derek Carr – For the third time this year, Carr left the game injured. This time he was blasted when he threw the ball and suffered a concussion while also injuring his shoulder and back. The Lions Bruce Irvin was penalized for roughing the passer and Carr was carted from the field. Carr just had a concussion three weeks ago, so this a serious situation. Jameis Winston will take over until Carr returns.

WR Tank Dell – The Texans phenom fractured his fibula and will miss the rest of the season. It is a sad ending for a season that has been so bright but he should return in 2024 with no lasting problems. Noah Brown just returned after missing two games with a calf injury and should be the replacement. Brown posted two 150-yard performances in Weeks 9 and 10, so he’s already seen success in the offense. He’ll need to step up into a starting role.

WR Marquise Brown – He was already questionable heading into the game with a heel injury, and reaggravated it during the win over the Steelers. If he cannot go when they return from their Week 13 bye, Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch would share the workload.

WR Amari Cooper – He was already battling a rib injury heading into the game and was crushed by two defenders while trying to catch a pass. He is reported to have a concussion. He was already meshing well with Joe Flacco when he was hurt. There is no true replacement for Cooper who is clearly the best receiver on the team. Elijah Moore would see an uptick if Cooper remains out and he led the team with four catches for 83 yards.

WR Christian Watson – He had already scored twice on the Chiefs, but at the end of the game he went down clutching at his leg with an apparent hamstring injury. He missed three games to start the season with a hamstring issue as well, so another one is concerning. Dontayvion Wicks would become a starter if Watson remains out, but his production would be replaced by Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed.

RB Derrick Henry – Suffered a head injury expected to be a concussion. Henry has been very durable considering his career workload but hasn’t missed time with a concussion. Tyjae Spears will replace him in Miami this week if he remains out.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson – The Pats’ running back suffered an ankle injury and while his X-rays were negative, the early speculation is that he may miss multiple games. An MRI will determine the severity of the sprain but it’s highly unlikely that Stevenson plays on Thursday night at the Steelers. Ezekiel Elliott entered Week 13 with a thigh injury but was active and stepped up once Stevenson left near the end of the first quarter. Elliott handled 17 carries for 52 yards and caught a team-high four passes for 40 yards.

RB Brian Robinson – The Commanders’ back was running well against the Dolphins, gaining 53 yards on seven attempts but injured his hamstring and did not return. There was no immediate speculation as to the severity of the injury or if he would miss any games. Antonio Gibson would see the bigger boost in carries and catches, and Chris Rodriguez would also bump up to being the No. 2 back if Robinson misses any time, but the Commanders enter their bye and that gives Robinson more time to heal.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

Where did all the passes go? – It’s that time of the season when passing starts to decline. There were six teams on bye this week, but it is still notable that there were only two passers that topped 300 yards – Geno Smith (334 yards) and Brock Purdy (314 yards). Bet you didn’t see that coming.

RB De’Von Achane – We can’t be certain how long he will stay healthy, but he’s back to form at least for now. After taking last week off and flopping in Week 11, Achane ran for 73 yards on 17 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards, while scoring twice. His 20 touches topped the 12 given to Raheem Mostert.

RB Austin Ekeler – The stud of 2022 just hasn’t been nearly as effective this year. He just ran for 18 yards on 14 carries and caught just two passes for nine yards. He was on the road, but the Patriots run defense has declined to being only average – until this week.

RB Ezekiel Elliott – The injury to Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to last at least a week or two.  The ex-Cowboy star gets a chance to handle a workhorse load until Stevenson returns. Three of their next four games are on the road which is not ideal, nor is scoring zero points at home this week. But Elliott can help an RB-hungry fantasy team reach the playoffs.

TE Kyle Pitts – He led the Falcons in Week 13 with eight targets for four catches and 51 yards. That was versus the Jets defense. The Falcons host the Buccaneers this week for a violent shift in the quality of the secondary. He had a minor boost from the Jets taking Drake London (1-8) out of the game, but it is good to see his name atop the box core for once.

RB Tyjae Spears – Derrick Henry consumed 21 rushes for 102 yards and two scores before leaving with a head injury in the loss to the Colts. But Tyjae Spears also turned in 16 carries for 75 yards (4.7 YPC) and caught four passes for 13 yards. He ran well enough that the Titans may not be in a hurry to replace Derrick Henry next season.

WR Jonathan Mingo – The Panthers second-round rookie is picking up steam as the offense appears to intentionally involving him more while relying less on Adam Thielen. This season was over long ago and working on next year by throwing more to the younger players makes sense. Thielen is sighed through 2025 and the Panthers cannot get out of that until after next year, so Thielen still needs to be involved.

QB Joe Flacco – Compared to Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker, the aged Flacco looked sharp passing for 254 yards and two scores in the loss to the Rams. Amari Cooper was lost in the game, and Elijah Moore ended with 12 targets that became four catches for 83 yards to lead the Browns. Flacco needs Cooper to be healthy, but he gets a lighter time for the next two weeks at home against the Jaguars and Bears.

QB Patrick Mahomes – He’s ranked as the No. 14 fantasy quarterback and hasn’t missed any games. Eight of his last nine games did not record more than two passing scores and no games this year had him rushing in a touchdown. Over the last five games, he’s averaged 222 passing yards and 1.4 touchdowns which is pretty much the definition of an average NFL quarterback. What I’m trying to figure out is if we can say that he is a… you know,,, “average quarterback”? Can we even say that aloud? Is that even legal? I’m asking for a friend.

Huddle player of the week

Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Deebo Samuel  –  You’d think visitors would be less aggressive in the City of Brotherly Love, but not so for Samuel. The 49ers Swiss Army knife caught four passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns at the Eagles, and ran for 22 yards and another score on three carries. Oh yeah, he also gained 60 yards on his two kick returns. He may have several blades, but each one can cut you.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Geno Smith 334-6 4 QB Justin Herbert 212 0
RB James Conner 25-105 2 RB D’Andre Swift 6-13
2-7
0
RB Chuba Hubbard 25-104 2 RB Austin Ekeler 14-18
2-9
0
WR Alec Pierce 3-100 1 WR Tank Dell 0 0
WR DeMarcus Robinson 4-55 1 WR Terry McLaurin 0 0
WR Jauan Jennings 3-44 1 WR Adam Thielen 3-25 0
TE Trey McBride 8-89 1 TE David Njoku 2-17 0
PK Lucan Havrisik  4  XP   2 FG PK Joey Slye  1 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 163 Huddle Fantasy Points = 27

Now get back to work…

Latest update on injured Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Here’s the latest news on Rhamondre Stevenson, who went down in Sunday’s game with an ankle injury.

The New England Patriots already came into Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers with one of their best playmakers on offense, wide receiver Demario Douglas, out of the lineup.

Before they even made it out of the first quarter, they were down another key player on offense, and this time, it was running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

The injury came on a hip drop tackle by Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu. It was a scary injury on looks alone, and when trying to stand up, Stevenson couldn’t put weight on his ankle. He was ultimately helped off the field and taken to the locker room for x-rays.

Per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, the x-rays came back negative for Stevenson, but there’s belief an MRI will show a sprain.

Further testing will show if Stevenson’s ankle is indeed sprained, and if so, they can determine the severity of the injury and issue a potential timetable for a return.

Ezekiel Elliott, who is the top backup running back, should see more reps with Ty Montgomery and JaMycal Hasty possibly getting into the mix as well. With five games left to go, there aren’t many options on the current roster for the Patriots.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson helped off field with ankle injury

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson is questionable to return with an ankle injury.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson was helped off the field after an ankle injury in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Stevenson had rumbled on the ground for nine rushes and 40 yards in the first quarter, before the hit sidelined him. The Patriots’ running back was brought down awkwardly on a nasty looking tackle from Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu.

He was ultimately helped off the field by the Patriots’ training staff, when it was obvious that he couldn’t put weight on his ankle. Soon after the injury, the Patriots announced Stevenson was questionable to return to the game.

Losing Stevenson would be another blow to an already banged up Patriots offense. Ezekiel Elliott has already been working his way through injuries, and he would be the next man up behind Stevenson. The team is also missing multiple wide receivers, including burgeoning rookie wideout Demario Douglas.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]