Tom Brady has had almost unprecedented success in Buffalo and against the Bills overall.
Not only can the New England passer set a record for the most wins against a single opponent with a victory in Buffalo on Sunday, he could become the third-most successful quarterback in New Era Field (formerly Ralph Wilson Stadium) history trialing only longtime Bills starters Jim Kelly and Joe Ferguson in wins and touchdown passes in that facility.
The Boston Globe notes that after missing work on Wednesday due to an Achilles issue, Brady returned to the practice field on Thursday to get ready to continue to his productive ways against Buffalo. The Globe *writes about one of Brady's new favorite targets, Brandin Cooks, still working to find his favored route in Foxborough. The *Globe *previews the game in Buffalo, noting that the Bills have improved under new coach Sean McDermott but that it won’t likely matter much on Sunday. The *Globe also looks at Bill Belichick’s preparations for Bills QB Tyrod Taylor.
The* Boston Herald *compares Stephon Gilmore’s first season in New England to Darrelle Revis’ arrival with the Patriots back in 2014, saying the parallels are "staggering." The *Herald *Patriots notebook has Rob Gronkowski excited to play in front of his hometown fans in Buffalo, where he's found a lot of success over the years against the Bills.
The Providence Journal declares that Gronkowski is always happy to play in Buffalo. The* Pro Jo* says that while Belichick has dominated the Bills over the years, the coach still touts the division foe.
ESPNBoston.com wonders if the Patriots Dion Lewis-led running game could exploit the Bills D on Sunday. ESPNBoston.com notes that unlike last season, the New England offensive line has been forced to deal with lineup changes this fall. ESPNBoston.com passes along Brady saying Eli Manning’s benching by the Giants is an “unfortunate situation.” ESPNBoston.com notes that the banged up Patroits had just a walk through on Thursday, observing that receiver Chris Hogan may be at least another week away from returning from a shoulder injury. ESPNBoston.com has Devin McCourty talking about the reception the Patriots will receive from Bills fans as well as center David Andrews (illness) “getting better and better every day.”
WEEI.com writes that Gronkowski is having a strong but underrated season, one that could earn the tight end $5.5 million. WEEI.com observes that Hogan and tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle) appear unlikely to play in Buffalo. WEEI.com looks at the Patriots turnaround on defense, which actually has the unit in the company of some historic units.
NBCSports.com takes a hometown view and declares that Brady is the clear choice for MVP at this point, not Eagles QB Carson Wentz. NBCSports.com has Gronkowski sharing his unique experiences smashing through tables. NBCSports.com looks at the differences between how the Giants and Patriots handled QB changes. NBCSports.com says the Patriots are preparing for LeSean McCoy’s best on Sunday.
NFL.com also notes Brady’s comments on the Manning benching. NFL.com analyzes how Belichick celebrates Patriots touchdowns. NFL.com predicts the Patriots to secure a 34-17 win in Buffalo.
*USA Today *alliterates that the Bills are bracing for Brady’s latest trip to Buffalo.
