Patriots Week 14: T-Shirt game in Buffalo

Teddy Bruschi said in 2004 that the Patriots never lose T-shirt games, aka games for a division/conference/world title. This week the Pats have a T-shirt game in Buffalo, as they can win the AFC East by defeating the Bills plus a San Diego win over Miami.

By winning the division today, the Pats will secure at least a home playoff game in the Wild Card round. Last year in Buffalo the Pats beat the Bills as part of their record breaking 21 game winning streak. The Patriots currently hold a 5 game winning streak over Buffalo, and the Bills are the only AFC East team that the Patriots hold an all-time edge over.

The Pats catch a break in this one to as Eric Moulds was suspended for "conduct detrimental to our team."

Playing in Buffalo can be a dog fight as the Patriots know, their last loss there came in the 2003 opener, 31-0. Of course the Pats avenged that on the last day of the season, scoring a 31-0 victory of their own in Foxboro. Buffalo is tough at home with a 4-2 record (0-6 on the road) and the Pats will have to avoid a let down, as comebacks in front of the Bills fans are not as easy to produce.

It was in the Pats-Bills game earlier this year that Teddy Bruschi made his return to football. Even with the heightened emotion of his comeback the Patriots had to put together a late rally to win the game.

The Bills are coming off a 24-23 loss last week in Miami, giving up 21 points in the 4th quarter. The team isn't responding well to coach Mike Mularkey, who will most likely be gone at the end of the year. The Bills as a while have been a major disappointment since 2001. First they gave the Pats a 1st round pick to select Drew Bledsoe, then used a #3 pick in the draft to select Mike Williams, who is now an average Guard. Later they were talked into using a 1st round pick on Willis McGahee, who had to sit out a year, and while he has proven to be a good back, the Bills needed defense. More recently they sent Dallas a 1st round pick to draft J.P. Losman, who has spent much of the year on the bench.

The way UB sees it the Pats will have some new laundry around 8pm...