Venue/Stadium: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Before the NFL regular season got underway, the majority of prognosticators had the New England Patriots and New York Jets clashing for the division title in the AFC East.
Time/Date: Sunday September 25, 2011 – 1:00 PM ET
NFL Odds from TheGreek
Moneyline: Patriots -320
Spread (ATS): Patriots -7
Over/Under: 53.5
With both teams rushing out to consecutive wins to open their respective campaign that hasn’t changed, only they aren’t alone through two contests as the Buffalo Bills have turned heads with a 2-0 start as well. The Bills capitalized on a couple of matchups against AFC West teams, including a thrilling 38-35 comeback win over the Oakland Raiders a week ago, but will now face their toughest challenge so far this season as they welcome the Patriots to Orchard Park.
New England has been dominant through two games, with quarterback Tom Brady leading the league’s most explosive passing attack to the tune of 940 total yards and seven touchdowns combined. While Brady and company have been dominant through the air, the Patriots have also benefited from a solid ground game that includes BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, who have each averaged at least 4.3 yards per carry. The only problem that New England has dealt with so far is a suspect defense that has struggled so far, including the 31st ranked pass coverage units. The Patriots showed signs of life when they forced four turnovers in last week’s win over the San Diego Chargers, but they need to be better overall.
The Bills did their best impression of the New England offense in the second half of their improbable comeback against the Raiders last week, with Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the team to touchdowns on all five of their second half possessions as they posted 35 over the final two frames. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Buffalo’s defense held strong and they rallied for the win, with Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson the offensive stars. The Bills’ starting quarterback threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns, while Fred Jackson paced the league’s No. 1 rushing attack with 117 yards and two scores. The running game will continue to be the key for Buffalo as they move the ball on the ground and help open things up for the passing game, but even then it may not be enough for this week.
The one thing that the Patriots have proven is that if an opponent struggles to put up points, the New England offense won’t let them to keep it close.
NFL Betting Pick: Patriots -7
