1 - Only revenge Tre'Davious White wants is on the scoreboard
Just over two weeks ago, Bills rookie Tre'Davious White was placed in the concussion protocol after an unnecessary hit from the Patriots Rob Gronkowski. The two teams are set to revisit each other this Sunday in New England.
"I just want to go into Gillette [Stadium] and win. That'd be the biggest revenge of it all," White said on the John Murphy Show. "For us to go in there in a tough environment and win would be a big deal." [
Gronkowski served a one-game suspension in Week 14. He returned to the field in Week 15 against the Steelers. The tight end had his typical performance, tallying nine receptions for 168 yards. White discussed covering the 6-6, 265-pound TE.
"It's a tough task. He's a wide body, strong guy," White said. "Earlier, a couple of drives before that (Gronkowski's hit), I had an interception in my hands that he took from me. That just shows the strength and the athleticism that he has. He's probably the best tight end in the game right now."
Unfortunately, since Gronkowski's hit on White, the NFL's seen more plays resulting in suspension. The most recent case came this Sunday. Panthers linebacker, Thomas Davis, dealt a helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. The shot resulted in a two-game suspension for Davis, opposed to the one-game suspension on Gronkowski.
"I didn't see the Thomas Davis hit, but I've been getting a lot of tweets about it. How he got two games and Gronk got one," said White. "It doesn't come down to what I think or anybody else thinks. The league has a strict policy on how they handle things like that and they felt one was more severe than the other."
NFL VP of football operations, Jon Runyan, put out a statement explaining how Davis being a repeat offender resulted in the increased penalty.
When Gronkowski struck White, he was lying out of bounds and the play was over. Bills players didn't retaliate too much, and for some reason received criticism for remaining disciplined. White was encouraged with his teammates response.
"Yes, I feel like one player is not more important than the team," he said. "If we were to start a brawl, who knows how that thing may go. We might've lost Preston [Brown], [Lafayette] Pitts, Jordan [Poyer], and Micah [Hyde]. Those are three key guys that we need, so if we started a brawl and get suspended for a couple of games it wouldn't be worth it. The poise that we had just shows the character that we have."
The chatter surrounding Gronkowski and White will be inevitable come Sunday. For the Bills rookie, improving to 9-6 would be the biggest revenge.
"Nothing dirty. I've never been a guy who tries to get it after the whistle," said White. "We're going to try to get it on the scoreboard. That would be the greatest thing."
2 - Playoff race bringing publicity to Buffalo
Two games remain in the regular season, and the Bills are close to breaking their 17-season playoff drought. The national media is buzzing around Buffalo's postseason chances.
Baltimore, Buffalo, and Tennessee are all 8-6 and fighting for the final two Wild Card spots. Sporting News discussed the Bills current seeding and the road ahead.
The Bills currently are the sixth seed in the AFC, but it won't be an easy spot to hold with road games against the Patriots and Dolphins remaining.
The Bills first-of-two road games to finish the season are against the Patriots. Per usual, it will be no easy task taming Tom Brady. USA Today shared a satisfying stat before Sunday's game.
They need a pass defense that's given up a league-low 11 TD passes to show up in a big way Sunday at Foxborough in order to maintain a playoff dream.
Yahoo Sports honed in on the hectic playoff race. They noted that a loss this Sunday wouldn't end Buffalo's playoff hopes.
*The Bills are very much alive in the playoff race thanks to the Titans' collapse. There's still the issue of having one of their two remaining games at New England, but a loss to the Patriots doesn't ruin their chances. There are roughly a billion scenarios in play. *
The Titans have suffered back-to-back losses to the Cardinals and 49ers. That's benefitted the Bills greatly. Though Buffalo fans are cheering for certain teams to lose, you want to end the season at 10-6. That would almost guarantee a playoff berth for the Bills.
3 - Power Rankings round-up heading into Week 16
After Sunday's win over the Dolphins, the Bills remain in the middle of the pack in this week's Power Rankings. Buffalo's now 8-6 and face top-ranked New England (11-3) this Sunday.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports has the Bills ranked at 14th heading into Week 16. He was encouraged by their recent performance and that resulted in a three-spot boost from last week (17th).
They dominated the Dolphins and kept their playoff hopes alive. Can they beat New England this week in Foxboro?
Chris Simms of Bleacher Report ranked Buffalo at 17th this week. He gave his insight on the Bills formula for their winning ways.
*The Bills ran the ball well, Tyrod Taylor made some good throws, the offense protected the ball, and the defense didn't allow many big plays. This is the formula that has allowed Buffalo to win this year, and it's the one that got the Bills out to such a strong start to the season. *
It's never going to be pretty with the Bills, but that's not the kind of game they want to be in. Buffalo wants to be the more efficient and disciplined team in an ugly, physical contest.
A Bills win over the Patriots this Sunday would surely boost their ranking next week. But more importantly, it would be a step in the right direction for making the playoffs.
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