No surprise that with such an insane offensive output (580 total yards), the Patriots were only the second team in NFL history (Packers, 2008) to have a pair of 100-yard rushers and receivers in the same game. Brandon Bolden (16 carries, 137 yards) scored a touchdown against the Ravens last week but this was the rookie's first real impact performance. Combine him with Stevan Ridley (22 carries, 106 yards) and New England's running game was unstoppable. Ditto for Tom Brady (22 of 36, 340 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) and the passing game, particularly Wes Welker (9 catches, 129 yards) and Buffalo native Rob Gronkowski (5 catches, 104 yards, TD).
Ryan Fitzpatrick (22 of 39, 350 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs) is a wonderful story, coming from Harvard and being an NFL starter but he seems destined to be an average quarterback at best for the bulk of his career. He commits way too many turnovers to ever be consistently successful. For the game, Buffalo had six turnovers since C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson each had a fumble to go with Fitzpatrick's four interceptions.
Looking at the final score and statistics, it is easy to forget about Gronk and Welker's respective fumbles in the first half along with a pair of missed field goals by Stephen Gostkowski, not to mention the fact that the Bills led 21-7 early in the third quarter. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Pats could have scored in the 60-70 range without those unusual events.
It sounds silly to write this but New England's defense played well, except for their woeful safeties (Patrick Chung and Steve Gregory). Devin McCourty had two interceptions, Jerod Mayo and Tavon Wilson had interceptions, Brandon Spikes caused two fumbles, Wilson recovered one and Vince Wilfork picked up another.
Ridley's six-yard run was the only score in the first quarter. Buffalo had a pair of touchdown catches by tight end Scott Chandler (24, 20) to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. They could have been up more but Spikes crushed Spiller on the goal-line right before halftime and Wilfork recovered the football.
Things didn't look so hot when Donald Jones had a 68-yard catch and run on a basic slant early in the third quarter that went the distance. The Bills were up 21-7 but after that, the Pats rattled off a 45-7 burst.
Brady scrambled and found Danny Woodhead for a 17-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive then Brady tied it with a four-yard run. It was 21-21 heading into the fourth quarter so anyone's game, right? Turns out not so much.
Gronk caught a 28-yard touchdown right down the middle on the first play of the final frame. Ridley (2-yard run) and Bolden (7-yard run) capped off their spectacular days. Brad Smith caught a 35-yard touchdown from Fitzpatrick to cut it to 42-21 but Brandon Lloyd topped that with an unreal diving 25-yard catch for his first TD as a Patriot. Gostkowski ended his day 1 for 3 after hitting a 30-yard kick in garbage time.
Losing this game probably wouldn't have been fatal for the Patriots since they are in what has to be the worst division in football. Look around, the Dolphins (1-3) actually played well but lost to the Cardinals in overtime and the Jets (2-2) are a disaster after suffering a humiliating 34-0 loss to the Niners plus a possible serious injury to Santonio Holmes.
Let the hype begin, Papa John's pitchman Peyton Manning (ever hear of him?) and the Denver Broncos (2-2, 2nd in AFC West) come to Gillette Stadium on Sunday (4:25 p.m., CBS) for only the second home game of the season for New England. It's tough to get much of a read on Denver since three of their four games have been at home and today, they shredded the Raiders 37-6 which doesn't mean anything.
Manning doesn't have the same arm strength that he used to but with Demaryious Thomas, Eric Decker and Willis McGahee on offense not to mention Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller and Champ Bailey on defense, the Broncos are a quality team. They appear much more dangerous than the squad led by Tim Tebow that got trounced by the Patriots in the AFC playoffs in January.
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