When linebacker Brandon Spikes’s time as a member of the Patriots came to an end this offseason, he wasn’t shy about sharing his opinions about the organization.
Spikes accused the team of falsifying injuries, including the one that sent him to injured reserve last season amid reports that Spikes was disciplined for showing up late to practice, and celebrated his arrival in Buffalo by saying that it would be “icing on the cake” to hand the Patriots two losses this season. The chance to hand them loss No. 1 comes this weekend, but Spikes is making things about the team and not himself as Sunday approaches.
“I mean, what do you expect me to say? You know, I’m on a new team, and they’re a big team in this division,” Spikes said, via the Buffalo News. “You’ve got to get after them if you want to get to the playoffs, so this is big for us. I’m not going to say it’s personal, but it’s big for this organization, it’s big for Buffalo. We all need this. Not just the players, the entire city.”
Spikes would only cop to being excited, but he’s right about what this one means to the Bills even if he’s downplaying the personal motivations at play. A Bills win would put them in first place in the AFC East, deal a blow to the longtime divisional bully and kick off the Pegula era with a memorable victory. Should all of that come to pass, perhaps then Spikes will let us know whether it really was just another Sunday.