A recap of Buffalo’s Week 8 division matchup against New England.
Buffalo Bills Insider Chris Brown provides the details. Here is his report:
Regular season records: Buffalo (4-4), New England (7-1)
In a nutshell:
The Bills were hoping to have the answers for Tom Brady as they faced New England with their perennial Pro Bowl quarterback in the rematch between the two clubs. But Brady worked a precision passing game staking the Patriots to an early 14-3 lead that they would never relinquish as they won going away 41-25 at New Era Field.
Buffalo had a couple of chances early to stay in the game in the first half, but couldn’t execute and match the consistency of the Patriots. The Bills had a dropped pass in the end zone, forced a fumble on a kick return that they couldn’t recover and Dan Carpentermissed a 49-yard field goal.
Still, the Bills closed the early 11-point deficit to 14-10 midway through the second quarter, but the Patriots would score the next 17 points blowing the game open 31-10 between the second and third quarters.
Defensively, the Bills were effective in stopping the run, but there was some miscommunication in coverage that helped lead to New England’s first two touchdowns. When all was said and done Brady threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns completing more than 66 percent of his passes.
The 41 points by the Patriots were the most allowed by the Bills this season. It also dropped Buffalo to 4-4 on the season and a 1-3 mark in the AFC East.
How it went down:
-The Bills took their opening drive down the field with relative ease, but were held to a field goal after a Jerome Felton catch and run led to a 1st-and-goal from the Patriots six-yard line. Dan Carpenter put a 23-yard attempt up and through to cap a 10-play, 70-yard drive.
-New England converted all four of their third downs on a 14-play 70-yard drive with Tom Brady hitting Danny Amendola on a nine-yard touchdown pass to give New England a 7-3 lead with just under five minutes left in the first quarter.
-After the Bills went three and out, the Patriots put another touchdown drive together in big play fashion. Tom Brady hit Chris Hogan for a 53-yard touchdown for a 14-3 New England lead just before the end of the opening quarter.
-Buffalo climbed back into the game after a pass interference penalty and a 25-yard reception by Reggie Bush set up 1st-and-goal. Mike Gillislee pinballed his way into the end zone from three yards out for a touchdown to cut the Patriots lead to four midway through the second quarter (14-10).
-New England needed just four plays to respond. Tom Brady found Rob Gronkowski in a mismatch with Nickell Robey-Coleman and hit him down the seam for a 53-yard touchdown to re-establish the Patriots lead (21-10) with four minutes left in the half.
-After a 49-yard attempt was missed by Dan Carpenter, the Patriots went to the other end of the field and Stephen Gostkowski put a 51-yard attempt up and through as the half expired to give New England a 24-10 lead at the break.
-Julian Edelman scored on a screen play from 12 yards out that was set up by a 73-yard kick return by Danny Amendola on the second half kickoff that he took to the Buffalo 24. It pushed the Patriots lead to 31-10 just a minute into the third quarter.
-The Bills were able to make it a two-score game when Tyrod Taylor eluded pressure and ran 26 yards to the end zone for a touchdown (31-17) midway through the third quarter.
-New England answered right back marching 75 yards on 12 plays before LeGarrette Blount leapt into the end zone on a one-yard plunge making it 38-17 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
-The Patriots were the beneficiaries of a couple of penalties for third down conversions en route to a Stephen Gostkowski field goal from 32 yards away to push their point total to 41 (41-17) with seven minutes left in regulation.
-Jonathan Williams scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard run when the game was already decided with 30 seconds remaining. The two-point conversion attempt was successful on a pass by EJ Manuel to Nick O’Leary for the final points of the game (41-25).
Subplots:
-Tyrod Taylor was 19-38 passing for 183 yards and a 63.8 passer rating.
-Lorenzo Alexander left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury and did not return.
-Charles Clay left the game with a shoulder injury in the first half, but was cleared and returned.
-Brandon Tate left the game in the second half and did not return as he was placed in the concussion protocol.
-With his 26-yard touchdown run, Tyrod Taylor went over 1,000 career rushing yards.
-Buffalo’s 12 penalties for 84 yards were a season high Sunday.
-The 41 total points scored by New England was the most given up by Buffalo in 2016.
-Colton Schmidt dropped an attempted punt early in the third quarter, scooped it up and managed to run for 25 yards for the first down.
-Robert Blanton and Jonathan Meeks were the primary replacements for Aaron Williams at safety playing alongside Corey Graham.
-Dan Carpenter hit the right upright on a 49-yard field goal attempt with under a minute remaining in the first half that could’ve cut the Patriots lead to eight before halftime.
Inactives:
QB Cardale Jones, S Aaron Williams, RB LeSean McCoy, OL Patrick Lewis, WR Marquise Goodwin, OT Seantrel Henderson, DL Jerel Worthy.
Up next:
The Bills make a cross country trip to Seattle to face the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field for a 8:30 pm kickoff on Monday Night Football (Nov. 7).