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The immobile force is about to go up against the penetrable object.

What will happen when one of the NFL's worst pass matches up with one of the worst pass-blocking offensive lines?

It might look like a seven-on-seven drill Sunday in Gillette Stadium.

Or it might be pure mayhem.

The Buffalo Bills enter their game against the New England Patriots with 13 sacks. Only four teams have fewer, and the Bills once again will line up without Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel. Hard-hitting strong safety Donte Whitner also is out.

The Patriots have given up the third-most sacks and already have surpassed last year's total. Even though they didn't yield any sacks in Sunday night's loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Patriots allowed 29 through their first seven games.

"We knew that [the Colts] had a good rush last week," Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel told reporters Thursday in Foxborough, Mass. "Part of the game plan was to go out, get the ball out quick, go through the reads and if you didn't have anything downfield then get the ball to the backs.

"We were able to do a good job last week. Whatever the game plan calls for that is what we try to accomplish. We were able to execute that well last week."

Unless the Bills unveil some dramatic new strategy, Cassel will have much more time Sunday than he did in Indianapolis.

But if Sunday night was a fluke and Cassel holds onto the ball too long, Buffalo's defense could enjoy a revitalizing afternoon, running amok in New England's backfield.