NEng. -11 Over Buf.
1st write-up TY - bear w/ me:
Don't know who pays attention to/participates in NFL League Contest, to me it's a good cap tool. The leaders are going @ a 75% - 85% YTD clip - avg. around 25 picks each YTD. I have found certain have produced 100% consensus, amongst top 10 cappers and virtually all have cashed (I think ALL but could be off by 1 or 2). Notables from Yday: ATL., ATL. Under, MIN., MIN. Over, JAC and GBay.CHI. Under (there r more). Of 4 possibles for tonight's game there is one N.Eng. -10.5 (picked prior to line change).
Good place to start.
Buff. enjoys a 11 game loosing streak V. NEng. scoring an average of 8.7 PPG over the streak. Buff fired their Off. Coord. 10 days ago and replaced him w/ QB coach Alex Van Pelt, who, spent L2 seasons as an off Quality Control Asistant. A long time NFL man quoted in SI said: "you don't train a guy for this job - 'on the job', if you want to keep your job". You have 10 secs. each play to decide what play to call, while conidering: down/dist., field posit., pers. pckgs., D tendacies and a bunch of other variables - we'll see how he does. Buff. does have T.O., but, not M. Lynch (star RB suspended) and will play injured (wrist) F. Jackson.
NEng. will do well to focus on shutting down Buff. passing game and protecting Brady. NEng. has gutted their Linebacker core - loosing Bruschi (Ret.) and Vrabel (traded) and other Def.stars: Richard Seymour (traded TW) and Rodney Harrison (Ret.). On the positve: they will lean heavily on off line and off 'stand-outs', J. Galloway (WR), Wes Weker (WR) , R. Moss (WR), Chris Baker (TE) and RBs Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor.
Buf's strength will be their D secondary and DL - to have a chance to keep this one close.
NEng will counter with, what I expect to be, a D wrecking crew on Buff Off line and a medocre (at best) QB, some short field oppurtunities for Brady and a few big Off. plays.
NEng. by 14 - 17. BOL