Pats foot the Bills
Run attack grinds out win No. 10
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — There was a stampede in Buffalo.
The Patriots turned to the ground attack to appease Tom Brady and blow past the Bills, 23-3, yesterday at New Era Field. The Pats won a game for the first time since 2007 when Brady had an interception but no touchdowns, though the recipe was good enough to dismantle the Bills for the 16th time in their last 18 meetings.
“It wasn’t as good as it was capable of being,” Brady said of an offense that stalled twice in the red zone. “It was good enough today.”
The 10-2 Patriots maintained control of the best record in the AFC, pending Pittsburgh’s Monday Night Football meeting with Cincinnati, as they won their eighth consecutive game. The Pats can clinch their ninth consecutive AFC East title as early as next week with a win or a Bills loss.
Brady was 21-of-30 passing for 258 yards, and he was sacked three times and hit on five occasions. Those hits took their toll, as Brady was sacked on each of the Pats’ two failed red-zone trips in the first half, which wasn’t an ideal performance against a Bills defense that was ranked 31st in sacks.
Rob Gronkowski, who was on the receiving end of more than half of Brady’s yardage, had nine catches for 147 yards for his largest output of the season in both categories. He also surpassed 800 receiving yards to earn a $1.75 million bonus. However, Gronk was called for a late personal foul after Brady’s pick when he threw a forearm to the back of Tre’Davious White’s head.
“I definitely want to apologize to (White),” Gronkowski said. “I’m not in the business of that.”
The running backs were the lifeblood of the offense for this affair. Dion Lewis ran 15 times for 92 yards, and Rex Burkhead had 12 carries for 78 yards and a pair of third-quarter touchdowns along with three catches for 25 yards. James White added five runs for 18 yards and four receptions for 32 yards.
“Those guys have really been running great for us all season,” Brady said. “It’s been a huge (asset) for our offense. I don’t think you can just count on us dropping back 50-60 times to throw the ball. I think you really have to have a running game.”
Three of the Pats’ former Bills got them going early, as the hosts failed to score on a game-opening, 13-play drive that reached the Pats 6. Stephon Gilmore bottled up Zay Jones’ crossing route in the end zone to take away Tyrod Taylor’s first read, and Alan Branch hit the quarterback as he threw toward the end zone. Eric Lee, who was on the Buffalo practice squad two weeks ago, intercepted the errant throw at the 1-yard line.
The Pats’ ensuing march ended in points and fireworks. Brady kept the drive alive with a 27yard dime to Danny Amendola on second-and-15, but it stalled three plays later when Brady didn’t see an open Gronkowski up the seam and threw an incompletion behind Brandin Cooks. Stephen Gostkowski gave the Pats a 3-0 advantage with a 50-yard field goal.
As Brady got back to the sideline, Josh McDaniels told Brady multiple times Gronk was “wide open,” and Brady turned and unleashed on his longtime friend and coordinator. Brady even ripped off his helmet to finish the tirade.
“Just football,” Brady said. “We’ve been around each other a lot. I love Josh.”
Midway through the second quarter, Lewis propelled the Pats’ third drive with a career-long 44yard run, but the jaunt stalled on third-and-goal from the 5 when Joe Thuney surrendered his first sack of the season. Gostkowski’s 31-yard field goal made it 6-0.
The ground game paced another drive thanks to Burkhead’s career-best 31-yard scoot, which was set up nicely by a Shaq Mason block. But the line let Brady down again, as Thuney surrendered another sack and Nate Solder’s false start sabotaged the red-zone trip. Gostkowski’s 39-yard field goal gave the Pats a 9-3 lead with the team’s ninth score of the season in the final minute of the half.
Burkhead iced the game on the first two possessions after the break with 1- and 14-yard touchdowns.
And after the Pats knocked Taylor out of the game with a knee injury, Gilmore capped his strong return to Buffalo. Nathan Peterman was 0-of-3 when targeting Gilmore in the end zone, much to the delight of the Pats.
“I wasn’t going to let him score no matter what,” Gilmore said.
The Patriots have surrendered 11.9 points per game during the winning streak.
“Like I say every year, we start slow and jell together as the season goes on,” Malcolm Butler said. “And that’s exactly what is happening.”