Rob Gronkowski has an opportunity to put a bow on a historic season.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) has a chance to become the first tight end to lead the league in touchdown catches. A few things to keep an eye on when the Patriots (12-3) host the Buffalo Bills (6-9) Sunday afternoon:
Tom Brady’s arm: Brady’s injured left shoulder has overshadowed all other elements of this game. It sounds like he is going to try and play, but if he’s unable to go it could give the region its first extended look of backup Brian Hoyer in a meaningful game. The guess is that Brady will do everything he can to keep him on the bench. But it will be interesting to see long he plays if he’s able to go.
Stevie Johnson and Devin McCourty’s quest for epic futility: Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson may be better known for his outlandish antics outside of Buffalo, but he remains one of the more talented receivers in the NFL. The last time the Patriots met, he torched them for 94 yards. That’s bad news for Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty. He’ll likely be on Johnson most of the afternoon and is just 15 yards away from giving up 1,000 yards, which would make him the first player to reach the mark since ProFootballFocus.com began tracking the stat in 2008.
Gronk’d records: Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has the opportunity to put a bow on a historic season. With 15 touchdowns, he enters the final week of the season tied with Calvin Johnson and has a legitimate shot to become the first tight end to lead the league in touchdown catches. He is also 72 yards away from breaking Kellen Winslow Sr.’s single-season receiving mark for a tight end (1,290 set in 1980).
C.J. Spiller’s runs: Having Fred Jackson out with a broken leg isn’t a bad thing for the Patriots considering that he ran 12 times for 74 yards and caught five passes 87 more during their Week 3 meeting, but backup C.J. Spiller has proven equally effective. He’s totaled 305 total yards the last two weeks against, including 91 rushing yards against a Miami defense that ranks third against the run.
The offensive line and other injured players: The Patriots are battling injuries to players at several key positions. Offensive linemen Logan Mankins (knee) and Sebastian Vollmer (back/foot) have already been ruled out, but what about center Dan Connolly (groin), safety Patrick Chung (foot), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee) and others who have been battling injuries? How much will they play, if at all?
Turnovers: Winning the turnover battle is always paramount to success, but the Patriots have to protect the ball with special care this week. The Bills lead the AFC with 20 interceptions, four of which came at Brady’s expense the last time they met. Brady has thrown one interception over the last seven weeks and will need that trend to continue this week.
Prediction: It may be enticing to take the points this week, but the Patriots saw how easily a big lead can erase against this Bills team after watching a 21-0 lead turn into a 34-31 defeat. So even if the Pats go up big, it’s not likely they’ll take their foot off the pedal until late in the game. Patriots 38, Bills 24.