Another work shift for Patriots; Monday night madness in Buffalo

At 2-5 the Buffalo Bills are struggling, but they'll be hosting their first 'Monday Night Football' game in a decade when they entertain the Patriots, no strangers to prime-time TV, at New Era Field in Week 8 of the NFL season. The Bills will also be retiring the No. 34 worn by running back Thurman Thomas at halftime of the game.

FOXBORO – It’s just another night shift for the NFL team from Foxboro.

It’s a major change in schedule for the team from Orchard Park, N.Y.

“It’s been a while,” Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott acknowledged during a conference call with the New England media. “I just got here last year with my staff. As you’ve guys have experienced up there, when you’ve got a good football team you’re on quite a bit, those prime-time games they become kind of second nature. Just getting here this last year, we haven’t experienced it as much, as many here, but I’m happy for the fans of western New York that they can experience it.”

The upcoming 8:15 p.m. kickoff with the Patriots on ESPN at New Era Field will mark the Bills’ first “Monday Night Football” game at home in nearly a decade, since they lost to Cleveland, 29-27, on Nov. 17, 2008, when Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field with 38 seconds to play at what was then known as Ralph Wilson Stadium.

And you’ll have to go back nearly 2-1/2 decades to Sept. 26, 1994, for the last time the Bills won a Monday night game at home, Thurman Thomas rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns as they defeated the John Elway-quarterbacked Denver Broncos, 27-20, at what was then known as Rich Stadium. Twenty-four years later, with many of his former teammates expected to be on hand, Thomas will have his No. 34 jersey retired by the Bills at halftime of Monday night’s game.

Bill Belichick has obviously been apprised of the items on Monday night’s agenda at New Era Field.

“We know it’ll be tough up there Monday night,” the Patriots head coach said. “It’s always tough in Buffalo. I’m sure there will be a lot of energy in the stadium given all that they have going on and so forth. This will be a good test for us on the road to go out and play well in the division.”

But while the game may constitute an event on the Bills’ calendar, it’s nothing out of the ordinary for the Patriots, who have appeared on “Monday Night Football” at least one each year dating back to 2002, this game marking their 24th game over that time. It will also be the Patriots’ fourth prime-time kickoff in six weeks, the following Sunday night’s hosting of the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium pushing that number to five prime-time games in seven weeks (three on Sunday night, one each on Monday and Thursday nights).

According to McDermott, that’s another check mark in the Patriots’ column leading into this game.

“You can probably give them the advantage in most boxes this week including that one,” said McDermott. “We’ve got young players, a lot of first- and second-year players really that are getting their first NFL work (the Bills rank third in the league with 34.1 percent of their offensive and defensive snaps played by rookies and second-year players). So this will be (the) first Monday night game (for a lot of them), so it’s important that we can execute at a high level against probably the best team in the NFL at this point in the season.”

Winners of four straight games, a streak that’s surged them to the top of the AFC East, the Patriots will carry a 5-2 record into Monday night’s game. Losers of three of their last four, a stretch that’s seen them score just 31 points, the Bills have sunk to 2-5 and slipped into the division cellar.

As for Belichick, he boasts a 17-8 record as head coach of the Patriots on “Monday Night Football,” but his teams are just one game above .500 (8-7) when playing them on the road.

Quarterback Tom Brady’s gone 15-7 on Monday night, his 48 touchdown passes in those 22 games the fourth-most on “Monday Night Football” behind Dan Marino’s 74 in 38 games, Brett Favre’s 69 in 38 games and Drew Brees’ 50 in 22 appearances and ahead of Steve Young’s 42 in 25 games, Peyton Manning’s 38 in 18 games and Joe Montana’s 36 in 20 games.

In contrast, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who has spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Bills, is the only member of the team to have experienced a Monday night game at home.

Still, the Bills’ fervent fan base – they don’t call ’em the Bills Mafia for nothing – figures to be in the spirit of things come 8:15 p.m. Monday.

“It’s definitely going to be a hostile environment,” Patriots running back James White said. “It’s always tough playing up there in Buffalo. I mean, those fans are going to be excited for a ‘Monday Night Football’ game, and divisional games are always tough, no matter what those guys’ record is.

“They’re still a good football team. They’re going to play you tough for four quarters. I mean, going to be a good environment, got to be ready to go from the get-go.”