Week 4 – Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots *CBS 1:00pm EST*
The thorn in New England’s side. Not because he is difficult to play against. In fact, The Patriots are 9-1 vs. Rex Ryan-coached teams since 2011.
The real reason is having to hear bold statements and some unnecessary comments about New England all week leading up to this matchup. Rex Ryan’s players also don’t pass up the opportunity to talk about their long hated division rival. However, playing against Ryan always ends in an entertaining game.
Rex Ryan has been known to disguise coverages and confuse Tom Brady in the past, but wasn’t able to close the deal as the veteran almost always caught on to his tricks. With a first time staring QB, the Ryan and Bills will be licking their chops. With a strong secondary, the Patriots’ best bet is to limit Garoppolo holding onto the throwing the ball for too long to avoid making mistakes.
That being said, this particular game will have a different ending that New England fans aren’t quite used to. One that hasn’t happened in over five seasons: Not only will Rex Ryan pick up a win for the first time since 2013, he will have his first win in Foxboro since 2010.
This will could also be Garoppolo’s last game as starting QB (granted there is no injury to Brady). Depending on how he performs, could the Patriots deal him away for first round pick after the season ends?
Record: 2-2
Next: Week 5 - The Return