Four Downs: Oh the weather outside is frightful

The Buffalo Bills are set to take on the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football, which means we have another edition of Four Downs to get you ready for kickoff. Enjoy!

Watching the weather on Monday night

If you haven’t heard yet, the weather could be a factor during Monday night’s game between the Bills and the Patriots. Recent reports are calling for lake-effect snow, temperatures dropping into the 20s, and wind gusts in the 40-mph range. It will be something to monitor leading to kickoff, in what could be a messy game on Monday night. What impact could this have on the game? WGR 550 AM’s Sal Capaccio sums it up best.

The return of Star?

While it is not definite that Star Lotulelei will return to the line-up on Monday, Bills fans certainly hope that he does. The Patriots are expected to rely on their run game against the Bills, and the run-stuffing 1-tech defensive end will be key to the Bills’ success if healthy. Per the last injury report (below), Lotulelei was a full participant on Saturday, and is not listed with any injury designation.

Podcast of the Week

One of my favorite listens this week came from Joe Marino, host of Locked on Bills. In a recent episode, Joe caught up with Mark Schofeild of Pats Pulpit. Mark always brings a great perspective on the Bills, in an entertaining back and forth with the host. If you haven’t caught the episode yet, you can give it a listen here.

The Dawson Knox Game

Instead of making a prediction for the game, I am going to highlight a player that I am expecting to shine on Monday night. Considering that the weather could have an effect on the style of play, I am going to predict that Dawson Knox has a breakout game on primetime. It looks as if Kyle Dugger will not be cleared in time for Monday, so I’m banking on Knox getting 10+ touches and a score.