This week is the first time in 2015 that the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots will meet, and it’s been surrounded by mass media coverage, trash talk, and now not so subtle jabs at deflated balls.
The hype machine, that is the Bills head coach Rex Ryan, has seemingly transformed One Bills Drive into the spotlight, and there are some who think the talented roster makes it deservedly so. With the additions of running back LeSean McCoy, wide receiver Percy Harvin in the off-season, the ability to resign stars like defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to big time contracts, and start a quarterback like Tyrod Taylor, has created a splash in the NFL and the topics that have been covered.
Is There A New NFL Rivalry?
The New England Patriots haven’t been ones to shy from the media either since winning their fourth Super Bowl. Mired in controversy since the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts; where they found deflated footballs being used by Tom Brady throughout the game, to Brady’s subsequent suspension, then his case of appeal where he was suspension was thrown out – the Patriots have been on the tongues of most NFL analysts for the whole off-season.
It is only fitting that this upcoming Sunday, that ESPN would create a whirlwind of coverage for this game, as both teams have started out 1-0 in what could be one of the best divisions in football right now, AFC East, with the most controversial coach versus the most controversial team.
Tom Brady has commented in the past he hates to come to Buffalo. “I don’t know if any of you guys have ever been to the hotels in Buffalo, but they’re not the nicest places in the world,” said Brady.
Brady was asked earlier in the week if he was ready for Buffalo after the Bills convincing win against the Colts last Sunday. “I think the Colts, they got pushed around, and when you get pushed around by a team like this, they really feed off of that,” Brady said.
That started talk about the Patriots from Bills players like Aaron Williams who said he doesn’t like them at all, no one does… which lead for Dareus, who is returning from a one game suspension, to say that he also doesn’t like Brady or the Patriots with this gem.
“Don’t nobody like the Patriots. Let’s just be honest about it now. Put it out there,” said Dareus.
With Dareus back and a hopefully healthy Shady McCoy, the Bills might give big fits to the Patriots.
Brady doesn’t seemed worried. “It doesn’t matter to me. The games are won by what you do over the course of the week and how you go about your preparation so that you can be prepared for the game on Sunday,” said Brady.
Not Much Of A Rivarly
Yet, in the prior years, the hotel has been his only worry, as playing the Bills on the field, he has dominated them throughout his career, with a career record 23-3. The Bills haven’t helped themselves in this matter, as the product on the field has been abysmal at best, missing the last 15 seasons with the longest active post-season drought in the NFL.
But as soon as Rex Ryan came on as head coach, he promised this year would be different even saying the playoffs would be in the future, and is going to try to live up to that promise. This Sunday will be one of his many tests to that prediction.
The defending Super Bowl champs have to come to Buffalo this Sunday, and they won’t have to just face the players on the field. They also have to face a whole stadium of ravenous fans waiting for the Bills defense to eat Tom Brady alive. A fan even raised eight thousand dollars for the Guinness World Books of Records to be on hand to see who has the loudest fans in the NFL.
More Media Coverage?!
If that wasn’t enough, ESPN will be on hand live with the SportsCenter crew interviewing players prior to the game and getting fan reactions.
The Bills Store in Orchard Park is now selling football pumps and has moved them to the front of the store to troll the Patriots and their deflated balls just that more, coincidentally the Patriots organization has re-instated the two equipment managers who were involved with the AFC Championship balls.
Brady has even started more nonsense in the media by coming out in support of presidential candidate Donald Trump. Really Tom… Really?!
No matter what happens up until game time, the only way these two teams can become a rivalry is if the Bills can pull out an early victory against the Patriots this weekend. The Patriots are the betting man’s favorite with a slim opening spread of 1.5 points. This means that even the odds makers are at odds if the Bills are for real or not.
But this is why they play the games, to see who is the better team on that Sunday. For Bills fans, it feels good to be even in the thought of a team that could legitimately upset Head Coach and mastermind, Bill Belchick. Cheating to win has become a struggle enough, let alone creating a new rivalry in the NFL.
