Bills officially AFC East's second-place team after surprising Patriots stay hot
Just two weeks ago the Buffalo Bills were undefeated, in control of their division, clear favorites to make Super Bowl LX from the AFC, and preparing for a "White Out" primetime game at Highmark Stadium.
Don't look now, but they're suddenly in second place in the AFC East and their five-year reign atop the division is being seriously threatened.
While the Bills spent their Sunday enjoying a much-needed bye after consecutive sloppy losses, the feisty New England Patriots won another game. Under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel, the Pats have reeled off four consecutive wins — highlighted by the 23-20 upset of the Bills on that Sunday night at Highmark Stadium — to improve to 5-2.
After starting 4-0, the Bills are now officially in second at 4-2.
A year ago after Week 7, the Bills were 5-2 and no other team in the division had more than two wins. There are signs - from both the Bills and the Patriots — that winning this year's AFC East won't be the cakewalk many predicted.
In their last two losses, the Bills have committed 19 penalties and five turnovers. Meanwhile, the Patriots and second-year quarterback Drake Maye are heating up. (No need to mention the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, as they both lost again Sunday to fall to a combined 1-13 and serve as nothing but fodder for the Bills and Pats.)
New England trailed at the Tennessee Titans early, 13-10, but scored the final 21 points for an easy win. The Pats are 4-0 on the road.
There's lots of football to be played between now and then, but it's setting up to be an important clash when the Bills play in Foxboro in Week 15 on Dec. 14.
The Bills, who haven't lost three consecutive games since Josh Allen's rookie season in 2018, visit the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.
Browns Star Myles Garrett Defends His Comments After Week 7 Win
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Browns Myles Garrett defends his comments.
The Cleveland Browns picked up their second win of the season with a blowout win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.
The Browns picked up a 31-6 home win over the Dolphins, in a game the defense didn’t allow a touchdown. Cleveland’s defense also forced three interceptions, as it was a dominant game from the defense.
Following the game, star pass rusher Myles Garrett was asked about his comments after last week’s game, when he was frustrated with the loss. Despite Cleveland’s blowout win, Garrett defended his comments, as he said he will always say how it is.
“I’m always going to tell it how it is. I mean, that’s just my nature,” Garrett said postgame on Sunday. “I’m going to shoot you straight. And I have no problem saying what I say to them up here and vice versa.
“So I’m not trying to say anything to disparage anybody try to get anybody either removed from their position or anything like that. I want everybody here to be a benefactor to our success. So it all came together today, and I hope we continue to rally around everything that we’ve been talking about, and I’ve been talking about.”
Garrett finished the game with 2 tackles and a sack, and he was happy with his performance, as well as the defense as a whole.
Garrett Was Frustrated With Week 6 Blowout Loss
After Cleveland suffered a 23-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, Garrett made his feelings clear.
The star pass rusher called out the team for the constant losing he has faced since being drafted first overall.
“To lose the same way every time, it’s frustrating as hell,” Garrett said.
He was asked if losing makes it hard to find motivation, and he responded with a simple ‘yep.’
But it appears Garrett and the Browns found the motivation with a blowout win in Week 7.
Garrett Hopes Browns Use This Win as a Spark
Cleveland was in total control of the game, and Garrett hopes the Browns can build off that.
Garrett believes the team can use the victory as a spark to know what it takes to win in the NFL. But the star pass rusher was pleased with the Browns’ response to the blowout loss.
“(It can) be a spark as much as we want it to,” Garrett said. “You know, hopefully we’ve gotten so tired of the losses and tired of the pain that comes with them that we’re ready to inflict it on somebody else. You gotta learn to use that pain. Use that drive, it can’t just become acceptable to have those feelings. Right now, it was a good response that we had, but it’s got to continue.”
Garrett, meanwhile, believes the Browns need to chase wins and is confident in the team.
“I mean, rallied and we got a win in a fashion which we can appreciate, but that’s not enough, and we gotta continue to do that. One win is one thing, but we’ve gotta turn this into a habit, an addiction. It’s gotta be an obsession to win and win like this. And so we gotta keep on chasing that feeling.”
The Browns will go on the road to play the New England Patriots on Sunday in Week 8.
