FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots ran over, around and through each of their last two opponents. This Sunday, they’ll face a Buffalo Bills team that has the ability to do the same to them.
The Bills got 110 rushing yards from LeSean McCoy and another 76 from quarterback Tyrod Taylor in Week 3 as they cruised past the Arizona Cardinals to pick up their first win of the young season.
McCoy and Taylor needed just 26 carries between them to rack up that impressive yardage total, and the Patriots know limiting that duo will be a key to victory in Week 4.
“Obviously that running back, McCoy, is elite,” Patriots defensive end Chris Long said Tuesday. “He can run the ball inside, he can get the edge. Their offensive line is a very cohesive unit, and Tyrod can hurt you all over the field. So as a defensive lineman, there’s a lot you’ve got to consider.”
Sunday’s showing was by far the best of the season for the Bills’ ground game, which managed just 151 total yards in losses to the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets before exploding for 208 against the Cardinals. McCoy averaged 6.4 yards per carry, his second-highest single-game mark since he joined the Bills last offseason.
Buffalo also changed offensive coordinators before the Arizona game, firing Greg Roman and promoting former running backs coach Anthony Lynn, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick said his team needs to prepare as much for Lynn’s game-planning as it does for McCoy’s and Taylor’s natural ability.
“The overall scheme that they employ is challenging, as well, with the read-option scheme, zone schemes and then some blocking scheme plays,” Belichick said Monday in a conference call. “Double teams, pullers, combination blocks; they have all of that. …
“Obviously, McCoy is as good as it gets. The production that he has had is outstanding, so he’s a very difficult guy to handle. So yeah, they give you a lot of different problems there between, like I said, not only the players but also the different schemes that they employ.”
The Bills enter Sunday’s AFC East matchup ranked ninth in the NFLÂ in rushing, with McCoy ranking 10th among individual rushers. The Patriots and New England running back LeGarrette Blount rank first in team and individual rushing yards, respectively.
Taylor, meanwhile, is among the NFL’s most dangerous running quarterbacks. He has gained 112 yards on 16 carries through three games — an impressive 7.0 yard-per-rush average — good for second in the league for QBs behind Cam Newton’s 117.
“I think the biggest challenge (with Taylor) is respecting his ability to step up in the pocket and break contain,” Long said. “He can be all over the place with where he wants to run, so it’s not necessarily just worrying about him getting around the corner and breaking contain. He’s also dangerous stepping up in the pocket, making throws, but then taking the option to break the pocket in the middle and gain yardage.”
Thumbnail photo via Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports Images
