The Patriots are considered one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2013
The Patriots are considered one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2013 Reuters

The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills are set to square off in Week 4 of the 2012 NFL season.

The contest gets under way at 1 p.m. EDT at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The game will be broadcast on CBS. If you can’t get to a TV or don’t have the game in your local market, you can watch a live stream online by purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket Max.

Buffalo actually enters the game with the better record. They’re 2-1, while New England is 1-2 after losing to Baltimore on Sunday Night Football. Still, the Patriots are favored by four points on the road.

Tom Brady has played well, despite the team’s lack of success. He’s thrown for 887 yards and just one interception.

The quarterback’s top red zone target in 2011 hasn’t had the same type of success this season. Rob Gronkowski has 156 yards on the year. He was dominant against Bills last season with two 100-yard performances.

An improved Bills defense will look to stop a high-powered Patriots offense. After allowing 48 points to the Jets in the opener, they’ve given up just 31 total points in the last two weeks.

The Bills will finally face some good competition, after beating up on two of the worst teams in the league. They defeated the Chiefs and Browns by an average of two touchdowns in their last two matchups.

Entering the contest with one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, Buffalo could have three options at running back. Fred Jackson will return to the field after injuring himself in Week 1. C.J. Spiller is recovering from a shoulder injury, but he’ll probably be ready to go. In both Spiller and Jackson’s absence on Sunday, Tashard Choice got 91 yards on 20 rushes.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is tied for the lead league with eight touchdown passes. He’s played well this year, following a poor second half performance in 2011.

Prediction: The Bills have taken advantage of weaker competition in the past two weeks, so they might come back to earth in Week 4. Don’t expect the Patriots to lose three games in a row. Brady should hit Gronkowski and Wes Welker a couple of times in the end zone.

Predicted Score: New England 37, Buffalo 20