Ready for prime time
Patriots prep for yet another night game
NFL. The Patriots need to get used to life in the spotlight.
As they try to stretch their mark to 10-0, Sunday night’s game against the Bills in Buffalo will be the third of six prime-time games this season for New England — the most in the league. And while some players privately groused yesterday about the number of night games they’ll have to endure this year, for quarterback Tom Brady, it’s all part of life as the No. 1 team in the NFL.
“It’s been that way for six years,” said Brady, who’s been to three Super Bowls since the 2001 season and has gotten used to the attention. “I think I’d rather be in this position than in any other position.
“If you don’t want to be in that position, you might as well quit the game because, if it’s too much that you’re winning and all of a sudden there’s pressure, this probably isn’t the right sport for you.”
That position makes them the envy of sports television executives everywhere — hence the reason behind all the prime-time games. They’ve already played one Sunday night game, a Week 2 victory at home over the Chargers, as well as a Monday night game, a Week 4 win over the Bengals in Cincinnati. After this week, the Patriots play Philadelphia the following Sunday night at Gillette Stadium, and then visit Baltimore for a Monday night game on Dec. 3.
While the pressure is likely to increase over each game as the Patriots draw closer to a possible undefeated season — on Sunday, they’ll attempt to become just the 17th team in NFL history to start a season 10-0 — it’s nothing new for many in the New England locker room.
“Some guys are trying to make the team. Some guys are trying to get out on the field. Some guys are playing for contracts. Some guys are playing for some great individual awards,” Brady said. “There’s always pressure, but pressure to win? That’s been in the NFL since I’ve been here.”
That pressure will be center stage Sunday night in Buffalo. Night games at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo can be a dicey proposition for a visiting team — Buffalo is the only franchise in the league with an unbeaten record (5-0) in Sunday night games.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of energy in the stadium on Sunday night,” said Head Coach Bill Belichick. “I hope we can match it.”
The Bills went a long time in between Monday night games in Buffalo — they played their first home Monday night game in 13 years earlier in the season against Dallas. That one was a memorable contest: Fueled by a rabid fan base, the Bills came within a last-second field goal of knocking off the Cowboys.
Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel thinks the atmosphere will be just as raucous Sunday night.
“I think they’re cranked up,” Vrabel said. “In that Dallas game, they made a big deal about the fact that they hadn’t been on a Monday night game in [13] years. I think the fans really rallied behind that and had fun with it.”