Buffalo Bills: Must Overcome the New England Patriots Before Thinking Playoffs

(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

For years, the AFC East was considered to be among the best in the league.

Something happened since those days of old and of late the only good thing to come out of the division has been Tom Brady and the Patriots.

As of last year, the dynamics of the AFC East have changed again.

Now all four teams are highly competitive and it remains to be seen who will prevail in taking the division title. 

For the Buffalo Bills, one of the most important steps they can take is to pull off a “W” against the biggest thorn in their collective sides—the New England Patriots—in the first game of the '09 season.

A win over any division rival is of the utmost importance but the Pats have left a particularly sour taste in the mouths of Bills fans for the past six years. 

The last time Buffalo showed any productivity at all while playing the three-time Super Bowl Champions was back in the season opener of 2003, when the Patriots were blanked, 31-0.

Since then, it’s been nothing but heartache and embarrassment for a team that has been trying to recreate the success of their glory days with Jim Kelly and Marv Levy. If the Bills wish to be seen as a legitimate threat in the AFC East, they must somehow overcome the problems they have had in the past with the Patriots.

For Buffalo, there are three main areas in which they need to outplay their sneaky rivals. 

They must put the heat on Tom Brady. If he’s not feeling the flames, the Bills aren’t doing their job

There was a time when DE Aaron Schoebel was heralded for being a sackmaster when it came to Brady. Injuries and age, though, have made it more difficult for him to achieve such a large task alone. 

Enter the other Aaron. 

Aaron Maybin, the Bills 2009 first-round draft pick, held out of training camp and most of the preseason while contract negotiations were being worked out. However, when he finally appeared, his fast-as-advertised first step and ability to bring the pressure on the quarterback earned him instant recognition from fans and media alike.

If the preseason is any indication of raw talent, Maybin might be in for a big year. Recording a sack in each of the last two games is pretty impressive considering the entire defensive line only combined for a total of 14 during the 2008 season.

Hopefully the two Aarons can work together to create pocket folds and cause Brady to force the ball. Consistently putting pressure on him will lead Brady to make poor decisions, and in turn, go three-and-out or toss the ball into the hands of a defender.

The Bills secondary must contain Randy Moss and Wes Welker

While this seems almost impossible, Buffalo now has enough gifted cornerbacks to give the Pats' receivers a run for their money.

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