The last time the Patriots and the Bills met, back in Week 4, there was a pregame scuffle that began when a Bills player pushed New England rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett.


It might all seem unprovoked but the Bills took issue with several Patriots players -- including Brissett -- running through their warmup area. On Thursday, coach Rex Ryan suggested that Brissett broke an unwritten rule, tempers flared, and scuffling ensued.

"It's no big deal. It's kind of an unwritten thing in the NFL," Ryan said this week, via ESPN.com's Mike Rodak. ..."I mean, you got your spot on the field where you're supposed to be, and that's just the way it is. It's always been that way for the 20 years I've been in the league and much longer than that. But trust me, it's no big deal. I've never thought one second of it. It's about the game, and that's all that matters."

It may not be a big deal to Ryan, but his players feel differently.

"It's gonna be the same reaction that they got last time," Bills defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman said Wednesday. "There ain't no other way around that situation, you know? Just respect each other's sideline and move on."

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore added: "We're not gonna let nobody push us around. You know what I'm saying? We're gonna play smart. We know them guys like to try to get under your skin and make you react a certain way. We're gonna try to take it in between the lines and play good football."

To recap: The Bills went on to win that day, 16-0. And now, four weeks later, the teams face off again. Except this time, Tom Brady won't be on his couch. He'll be on the field, where he's been nearly perfect since returning from the absurd Deflategate suspension. In three starts, he's thrown for 1,004 yards with eight touchdowns, no interceptions and a 132.6 passer rating. Brady also ranks first in Football Outsiders' value-per-play metric for all quarterbacks.

Fun facts

(via STATs)

  • The Bills are looking to sweep the season series against the Patriots for the first time since 1999. The Pats have been swept by a divisional opponent just twice during the Bill Belichick era.
  • Since 2000, the Bills has just five victories against the Patriots, but two of those victories have been shutouts.
  • Brady now has 197 career wins (regular and postseason combined), two behind Brett Favre for the No. 2 spot, and three from tying Peyton Manning for the most of any NFL quarterback all-time.
  • Since 2013, Bills running back LeSean McCoy leads the NFL in rushing yards (4,419), just ahead of DeMarco Murray (4,301).

How to Watch

  • What: New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
  • When: Sunday, Oct. 30, 1:00 p.m. ET
  • Where: New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
  • TV: CBS
  • Streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile App
  • Sunday Ticket: DirecTV
  • Online: NFL Game Pass (available to watch online after midnight)
  • Odds: The Patriots are 6-point favorites, according to SportsLine.

Injury report

Bills

Patriots

Prisco's Pick

When these teams met in Week 4, the Bills won. But that was with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. This will be Tom Brady. The Bills will be amped up here after losing last week to Miami, but this is a different Pats team and Brady will light them up.

Pick: Patriots 28, Bills 20