Monday Night Football Preview

Added on Sep 14, 2009 by sbworld in

NFL

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

The line for this one is either 10.5 or 11 with the total at 47 at most books.

Patriots fans will be holding their collective breaths every time quarterback Tom Brady drops back for a pass Monday night. The three-time Super Bowl champion looked a little tentative stepping into his throws during the preseason after tearing his ACL during the 2008 season opener against Kansas City.

Brady is a warrior and should be fine, so bettors can ease their worries about that. He has a tremendous offensive line and a group of receivers headlined by star Randy Moss and the steady Wes Welker. Fred Taylor has been signed to add running back depth, a solid move after Laurence Maroney was injured much of last year and it turned into running back by committee. This unit, if Brady remains healthy, should score a ton of points. If Brady does get hurt, the thought of untested rookie Brian Hoyer being thrown in there gives Patriot fans the shivers.

Buffalo’s story this summer mainly revolved around the signing of one enigmatic receiver in Terrell Owens. While clearly wildly gifted, T.O. brings his me-first issues wherever he travels. It is well-documented that the first year in any new environment is when Terrell is on his best behavior, but if quarterback Trent Edwards can’t get him the ball enough to his liking early it could be a short honeymoon. The Bills have traditionally been a power running ball control team under coach Dick Jauron and it is too early to tell if that will change. Edwards also has to keep Lee Evans happy, while once he returns from suspension Marshawn Lynch is going to get a good deal of carries. Fred Jackson ran for 136 yards in the season finale against New England last season and will likely get the bulk of the carries in this one.

Lynch is serving a three-game suspension to begin the season, to the delight of the New England defense. It is a unit that is the biggest question as the Patriots attempt to get back into the Super Bowl picture. While being an aging defense at a lot of positions, the trade earlier this month of Richard Seymour to Oakland for a first round draft pick does nothing to help the current team. There is some promising youth at the linebacker and defensive back positions, but some of it is unproven right now. One benefit they have is one of the best coaching staffs in the NFL giving them guidance.

The strength of the Bills team was in its defense last year and it gave the Patriots offense fits last season in the two matchups, despite both games ending in losses. While having Brady back will change the complexion of things, Buffalo certainly has some confidence going into this contest. While the Patriots have more experience on their defense, Buffalo counters that with a solid mix of youth and athleticism.

A rusty Brady and a Bills team wanting to start the season off with a bang. This one might remain closer than the books think.

Prediction: New England 27, Buffalo 23