ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Bills were putting the finishing touches on a season-opening win over Indianapolis, when fans began looking forward to Buffalo’s next opponent: New England.
“We want Brady!” they began chanting during a 27-14 victory last weekend.
Tom Brady heard them loud and clear. And the Patriots quarterback is more than happy to oblige them Sunday, in a matchup of two 1-0 AFC East teams.
“Well, I’ll be there,” Brady said, breaking into a laugh. “So they’ll get their wish.”
Brady’s presence has never been a welcome one in Buffalo — and that was before 2012, when he criticized the city’s hotels as “not the nicest places in the world.” On the field, he’s gone 23-3 against Buffalo as part of the Patriots’ run of dominance in which they’ve won 26 of the past 29 meetings.
This year, the Bills vow, will be different.
They’re coming off an offseason in which they retooled their offense and kept the core of an attacking defense intact. Then there’s the addition of brash coach Rex Ryan, who had some success in keeping Brady in check while coaching the New York Jets.
Though joking he’d prefer facing former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan, Ryan’s eager to see what his new defense can do against Brady.
“We will see at the end of this game where we stack up against the very best,” Ryan said.
Brady’s playing status was in question until a few weeks ago before Judge Richard Berman lifted the NFL’s four-game suspension stemming from the offseason-long “Deflategate” controversy.
Bills safety Aaron Williams welcomed the decision.
“My No. 1 thing was for him to play,” Williams said, noting he doesn’t want to hear any Patriots’ excuses if the Bills win. “What happens when he does play and we win? That tells us where were at as a team when we play a Hall of Fame quarterback like that.”
The Bills defense began proving itself in playing havoc with Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who was intercepted and sacked twice, and held out of the end zone until the final minute of the third quarter.
Brady, for his part, didn’t appear distracted in a 28-21 season-opening win over Pittsburgh. He went 25 of 32 for 288 yards and four touchdowns — three to tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Brady said his offseason ordeal was not a motivating factor.
“I know it’s probably easier for people, certainly, to talk about things,” Brady said. “But that’s really my focus, trying to be the best I can be.”
A number of things to look out for:
Kong vs. Gronk
Ryan joked it might take King Kong to cover Gronkowski. Short of that, Ryan didn’t rule out using two and sometimes three defenders in a bid to blanket the 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end.
“We’re not going to ask one guy to, ‘Hey, this is your guy,’” Ryan said. “I mean, shoot, he’d have to look like whoever, King Kong or something.”
From suburban Buffalo, Gronkowski has a combined 37 catches for 543 yards and nine touchdowns in seven games against the Bills.
“Spin the wheel, see what’s out there,” Gronkowski said, regarding how he expects the Bills to cover him.
Blount talk
Ryan warned members of the Buffalo media to not be mesmerized by Patriots running back Dion Lewis combining for 120 yards (69 rushing, 51 receiving) against the Steelers. Ryan expects the Patriots to turn to LeGarrette Blount, who rejoined the team after serving a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Crowd noise
Bills fans stood and cheered for most of Sunday’s game that Buffalo’s defenders even had trouble hearing in the huddle. That led Ryan to up the volume during practice this week.
The Patriots did the same.
“We’ll deal it this week. However loud it is, it is,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “We can’t control that initially.”
Containing Brady
Ryan’s defenses have been relative successful in limiting Brady’s production. In his past four games against the Jets, Brady is 3-1 but averaged just 214 yards passing, with a combined five touchdowns and two interceptions.
Belichick didn’t seem too impressed with Ryan going 4-9 — including a playoff win — against the Patriots.
“I think our record against him has been OK,” Belichick said. “I’ll take it.”
KEEP-AWAY: The Bills hope their Tyrod Taylor-led offense can put together lengthy drives to keep Brady and Co. on the sideline.
Running back LeSean McCoy, who is bothered by a nagging left hamstring injury, managed just 41 yards rushing in his Bills debut last weekend. Buffalo, however, combined for 147 yards rushing — the team’s most since its 2014 opener against Chicago.
The Bills also scored two TDs rushing after managing just seven last year.
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