Buffalo offense vs. New England defense

	BILLS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	8
	Pass	22
	Tot. Yds.	14
	Scoring	17
	Int's allowed	13
	Sacks allowed	24
	PATRIOTS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	16
	vs. Pass	6
	Total yds. allowed	22
	# of Ints.	14
	# of Sacks	32
	Turnover differential	-7

Buffalo's offensive productivity hinges on the running game. Perhaps the most inflated statistic in all of the NFL is that the Bills average 124.3 yards per game on the ground. Their inability to run the ball in crucial situations has been a thorn in the team's side all season long, although when their running game is on track, the Bills are one of the toughest teams in all of football to beat.

With Antowain Smith returning to the lineup this week, the Bills now have three healthy running backs who should be able to keep each other fresh late in games. The Bills were extremely successful last week, rushing for 159 yards against a Cardinal front seven that is experiencing many of the same problems the Patriots are going through.

Even with the return of MLB Ted Johnson, the Patriots are overmatched against teams that have strong interior running attacks. Many of the defense's problems stem from injuries in their secondary, which forces Pete Carroll's unit to play less aggressive against the run. With Ty Law out of the lineup, the Patriots are having to play more conservative at the safety position, which means SS Lawyer Milloy is not giving the unit the same "44" look against the run that he was earlier in the season.

The Patriots are again at a disadvantage in the secondary with Law on the sideline. Kato Serwanga and Tebucky Jones will split time at the cornerback position, forcing New England to match Steve Israel up on Eric Moulds. Israel has been banged up recently, and even though he has had a huge season as the teams' No. 2 cover corner, Israel is outmatched in size and speed, and is going to require assistance in the deep third. This presents a problem for the Pats, who ordinarily like to play aggressive with their safeties. Expect New England to run a lot of cover-two looks in the secondary, giving the corners help in the middle of the field, but leaving the pressure up to the front four in most cases.

The Patriots have one matchup advantage that could keep them in this game; DE Willie McGinnest versus OT Marcus Spriggs. Spriggs continues to improve at tackle, but he still has trouble with some of his footwork and technique. McGinnest should be able to beat Spriggs to the spot on several occasions and even win the battle of strength in pass rush. The Patriots are also going to target this position in blitz, meaning that the Bills are going to need to give their inexperienced tackle some extra help in pass protection.

Teams have found the way to disrupt Zampese's offense by incorporating a heavy blitz package and pressing the New England receivers off the line of scrimmage. The other scheme that defenses have employed is a double team on WR Terry Glenn. With Glenn taken out of the game, and the Patriot receivers doing little to break free from bump-and-run coverage, Bledsoe has been a sitting duck in the pocket.

Adding to the Patriot troubles this week will be a relentless pass rush from the Bills, who rarely blitz more than one linebacker, but frequently get to the quarterback. The Bill only have 31 sacks on the season, but it is their ability to get in quarterbacks faces and force hurried throws that makes this unit so special. Buffalo usually drops at least six men in coverage to defend against the pass, but expect more of an aggressive approach on Sunday.

A key player for the Bills is going to be nickel corner Antoine Winfield, who will frequently match up against the Patriot slot receiver (Troy Brown) in three-receiver sets. Brown has emerged as a go-to receiver the past couple of weeks and he should match up well against Winfield. Both players are undersized with great speed and natural athleticism. Winfield has stepped up to the test this season, even though teams have been targeting the rookie in nickel situations. Considering that the Bills will double Glenn and play soft coverage on WR Shawn Jefferson's side, this could be the one matchup that the Patriots rely on during 3rd-down situations.

On top of all the problems that the Patriots face throwing the ball, the running game has become a major liability. With the injury to rookie RB Kevin Faulk, Terry Allen has taken over full-time duties and fumbled the ball, twice last week against the Eagles. Allen finished the game with 31 yards on 14 carries, a 2.2 average. The Bills are third in the league in run defense, yielding just 83.4-yards per game, and should have very little trouble shutting down the Patriots stagnant running attack.

Adam Vinatieri remains extremely reliable for the Patriots, connecting on 23-of-27. Lee Johnson is averaging 42.3-yards per punt, but his directional punting has only been marginal. Troy Brown has emerged as a solid punt return specialist, averaging 9.5 yards per return. The Patriots coverage units have been solid, allowing 10.4 yards per punt return and 23.0 yards per kickoff return.