As the New England Patriots get ready to welcome the  division rival Buffalo Bills into Gillette Stadium on Monday night for a Week 11 match up, here are some things to think about:

Second Go Around- The match up is a rematch from a Week Two game that the Patriots won, 40-32. The score doesn't tell the whole story of the early season clash, as New England jumped out to a big lead early. Due to a lot of trash talking, leading up to the game by the Bills, the Pats tried repeatedly to go for the kill shot, with high end plays. The failure to complete on some of them allowed the Bills to sneak back into the picture by the time the game ended. Despite the slight layoff in the second half, the Pats still took the win in a decisive manner.

The Rex Factor- The match up is a rare example of a game that is more of a battle between a team and the opposing coach. Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan has long voiced his displeasure about the Pats and their ability to continually find ways to win. Ever since he took over with the New York Jets, Ryan's battles against New England have been must see NFL events, not necessarily because of on field play, but because of the antics Ryan has displayed in the lead up to the games. While he's been one of the few coaches that has consistently put together somewhat solid game plans against the Pats, his lack of both self and team control in terms of comments made to the media leading into Patriots' games have been his undoing more than once.

Missing Pieces- The Patriots have, of course, suffered high profile injuries over the last couple of weeks. First, they lost Dion Lewis to a torn ACL and, most recently, they lost top wide out Julian Edelman to a broken foot last week. Both Edelman and Lewis helped lead the way for the Pats in their Week Two win at Buffalo. Edelman made 11 catches for 97 yards, including two touchdown receptions. Lewis had a breakout game in the first match up, compiling 138 total yards and getting a rushing touchdown. He made six catches for 98 yards and ran the ball another seven times for 40 more yards. This go around, neither will be an option for quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriot offense to utilize. It will be interesting to see who New England features in the game plan this time.

The Shady Side of Buffalo- While New England will be without two of their top offensive targets for the second divisional battle, the Bills are getting one of their key offensive cogs back. The team's top running back LeSean "Shady" McCoy missed the second game of the year and was not a factor for the Patriot defense to game plan around. He's since returned and added a spark to the Buffalo running game, so the Pats must address his unique and explosive skill set out of the backfield this go around. McCoy definitely helps open up the offense for Buffalo but if New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia can devise a plan to neutralize the shifty back, the Pats should be able to quiet the Bills' attack.

Injury Report- The Patriots will, of course, be without Lewis and Edelman this week but they also won't have top linebacker Jamie Collins for the third straight week as he is still working his way back from a mysterious illness that zapped most of his strength and weight. That's a big hit to New England as backup Jonathan Freeny was exposed in pass coverage last week in the team's thrilling comeback over the New York Giants. The Pats also have four players listed as questionable this week. Offensive linemen Marcus Cannon (toe), Tre' Jackson (knee), and Sebastian Vollmer (concussion) all fall under that designation, as the team's depth along the line has been tested. The team's decision to cut backup lineman Chris Barker earlier this week shows that they believe at least one of these guys will be good to go. Vollmer and Cannon both returning would be huge for the Pats as they currently have last year's starting center, Bryan Stork, starting at right tackle, in their absence. The other questionable player is wide receiver Keshawn Martin, who has missed the last four games due to a nagging hamstring injury. The team's decision to sign practice squad receiver Chris Harper to the active roster could be because Martin is still not ready to go. If he is able to play, many people believe he offers the team'[s best in house option to help fill the void created by the loss of Edelman.

Another Chance For Dobson- New England's third year receiver Aaron Dobson has had an interesting start to his career with the team. Since being taken in the second round of the 2013 Draft, Dobson has been an after thought in the New England offense and has drawn the ire of many a fan and media member, because of his lack of production so far. While he hasn't been given many game opportunities, his top game this season, and one of his top efforts in his brief career, came in the team's Week Two win over Buffalo. In that game, Dobson caught seven passes for 87 yards. Obviously the team liked his match up that week, so it will be interesting to see if they try to go back to a similar look with him this time, especially without Edelman at their disposal. With Martin a game-time decision as well, this could be a chance for Dobson to make some positive waves and work his way into a legitimate role on this team's offense.

New Weapons, Same Problems- The Pats will look to cause the Buffalo defense the same problems they did in their first match up, with a different group of offensive options. As the Pats tend to say, it's "Next Guy Up" for New England, so guys who didn't play a major role in the first game may be larger contributors this time out. Look for the Pats to employ their mantra and succeed at it, as they always seem to do.

ESPN- The game is one of the league's games of the week so it will be televised on ESPN's coverage of Monday Night Football, Due to that fact, fans can be sure that Deflategate will work its way into the night on at least a few occasions. Let's set the over/under of Deflategate comments at 10.5.

Prediction- Obviously the Pats have taken some major hits from the injury bug, as of late, but that doesn't really seem to be throwing them off like it would to other teams. Ryan's defense will be ready to test the New England offense but Buffalo's offense shouldn't give the Pats' defense major troubles. If the Pats don't go for the jugular so many times like they did in the first match up, they should get an easy win. Look for some unsuspecting characters like Dobson, the newly signed Harper and former Bill Scott Chandler to get a chance to make plays and help the Pats continue their run at an undefeated season. Pats should get the win, 38-17.

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