Patriots vs Bills

Offense: The Patriots are coming off a dominating performance against a reeling Cardinals team, and will look to carry the momentum into their final game of the season. At home, Cassel feels much more comfortable and does a better job of controlling his team and leading them to scores. Over the season, he has become a pretty accurate passer and is much improved on deep throws. The running game for New England has received a lot of attention in the play calling and has performed up to expectations. New England will want to start off by establishing the run and getting themselves into short yardage situations. They have the size advantage on the offensive line and Faulk and Morris have shown they can handle a heavy amount of carries. Both backs have had some troubles in the first half, but with all of the playoff motivations, they will at lest put forth their full efforts. Power running will be a part of the offensive strategy, as will short passes that stretch the defense. New England will want to give players the ball with room to run, either on a handoff or on a pass. In what is likely to be poor weather conditions, the Patriots should be willing to build a lead and manage the game from there. A lot of time consuming drives and first down conversions is what the Patriots will hope to accomplish. Inside opposing territory, Cassel may take some chances downfield, and while big plays will help the team, they won't be the main focus of the offense.

Defense: In the last matchup, the defensive line got great penetration and stuffed the Bills rushing attack. Right now it seems like the Bills want to establish the run and set up the pass, which is different from their early season gameplans. With running plays probably called on first and second downs, the Patriots rush defense will have to be at its best. New England has the more experienced line, so if the players bring energy and toughness on each play, they should be able to repeat their results from the last matchup. Marshawn Lynch isn't quite as effective as he was in the past couple of seasons, but he still presents an opportunity for a game changing run on each carry, so New England can't get complacent, even if they have early success. The Bills passing game tries to stretch the field in a similar way to the Patriots. Pass completions in open space and in the middle of the field are a cartical part of their offense. Trent Edwards is a capable wuarterback and has had some excellent passing games. He may have struggled a bit in the second half of the season, but the potential for a solid game is there. New England could shut down the passing game with consistent quarterback pressure since Edwards has fallen apart when he doesn't get solid protection. At home, Buffalo is an improved team so New England will need to start quickly.

Playoff Chances: New England secures the AFC East and a playoff spot with a win and a Dolphins loss. They secure a wild card spot with a win and a Ravens loss.

By Chad Fukuoka
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent