Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will try to avoid a three-game losing streak when they face their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills, Sunday afternoon.
Event: New England Patriots (1-2) vs. Buffalo Bills (2-1) - Week 4.
Date/Time: Sunday, September 30, 2012 - 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium (Capacity: 73,079), Buffalo, New York.
Broadcast Information: Sunday afternoon's game between the Patriots and Bills will be aired regionally on CBS (Ch. 4 in Boston and surrounding areas) and can be heard on the radio on WBZ-FM 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Odds: New England is a 4 1/2-point favorite over Buffalo, per Bovada.
Patriots 53-Man Roster: View the New England Patriots' roster here.
Bills 53-Man Roster: View the Buffalo Bills' roster by clicking here.
Injuries: Below is a list of injuries for both New England and Buffalo.
Last Time Out: New England lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 31-30, last weekend on Sunday Night Football. The game came down to a 27-yard field goal kicked by Justin Tucker as time expired. Tom Brady threw for 335 yards and one touchdown and Wes Welker grabbed eight passes for 142 yards. Buffalo, meanwhile, is coming off a 24-14 win over the Cleveland Browns. Ryan Fitzpatrick had 208 passing yards and three scoring tosses while Tashard Choice had 91 rushing yards fillin in for C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson.
Last Meeting: New England and Buffalo last met on January 1, 2012 in last year's regular season finale, with the New England cruising to a 49-21 win. The two teams also met in Week 3 of last season, with the Bills winning 34-31.
Storyline/Players To Watch: Never thought the Patriots would be in this position, did you? New England is staring at a 1-3 start and its first three-game losing streak since the 2003 season if it drops Sunday's contest against Buffalo, and while a game in Week 4 of the regular season should never be considered a "must win," this is pretty close to one. Should the Pats drop this meeting, it would put them in a decent sized hole in the AFC East, and more importantly, it takes their own fate out of their hands. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick know what's on the line, and hopefully they will have their troops ready for action. Aaron Hernandez is still out for New England, and fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski might join him on the sidelines with a hip injury. Buffalo is looking to put its pricey pass rush to good use against their divisional foe, but could be at a major disadvantage on offense if C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, both questionable, don't play. Expect both teams to put it all on the line.
Prediction: It's hard to predict the Bill Belichick-run Patriots falling to 1-3, but the Bills will likely treat this game as one of their biggest of the season, which should make it a close (and fun) game. Final Score: Patriots 28, Bills 24.