Team Grades: Patriots Survive Bills Rally After Second-Half Letdown
By Gregory Hunt
The New England Patriots did a lot of things well in building a 37-13 lead against the Buffalo Bills Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but some uninspired play by New England led to 19 fourth-quarter points by Buffalo, forcing the Patriots to make some big plays late in the game to salvage a 40-32 victory. The victory gave the Patriots a 2-0 record this season, making them one of only four teams in the AFC that remain undefeated (including the 1-0 New York Jets, who face the Indianapolis Colts Monday night). The Patriots showed that they are still a formidable offensive team, but the defensive unit is still a work in progress.
Offense: B+
Quarterback Tom Brady completed 38-of-59 passes for 466 yards, which is the most passing yardage ever given up by a Buffalo Bills defense. As is typical for Brady, his favorite targets were tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman, who combined to catch 18 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Edelman did have a couple of dropped passes in the first half, but fellow receiver Danny Amendola made a spectacular catch for 29 yards in the fourth quarter to help New England hold off Buffalo's rally.
Also notable was the performance of running back Dion Lewis, who caught six passes for 98 yards and rushed the ball seven times for 40 yards and one touchdown. He represented almost all of New England's running game, as the Patriots rushed for only 56 yards as a team. The lack of a running game didn't allow the Patriots to run much of the clock in the fourth quarter, giving the Bills extra time to make their rally. New England also lost two fumbles, one by Lewis, and another by Brady on a strip sack.
Defense: C+
In giving up 160 rushing yards, 89 of it to Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy, the Patriots showed they are still having problems stopping the running game. Fortunately for them, the Bills were forced to abandon the running game because the New England offense built such a big lead in the third quarter. This led to Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor throwing from the pocket more often than he should have, resulting in eight sacks and three interceptions for the Patriots defense. Defensive end Chandler Jones made three of those sacks, and a pick by Super Bowl XLIX hero cornerback Malcolm Butler was the first regular season interception of his career.
Special Teams: B+
In addition to his highlight catch on offense, Amendola made a couple of impressive punt returns, although one was negated by a penalty. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski made a couple of short kickoffs which were returned for a total of 45 yards, but he was perfect on four field goals, including one from 50 yards. Punter Ryan Allen made only one punt for a respectable 54 yards, but Buffalo punt returner Marcus Thigpen brought it back 14 yards.
Coaching: C+
After the game, Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan said, "(New England head coach Bill) Belichick out coached me, no question about it. That's how it ended up." There may be some truth to that, but the lack of running plays called by the Patriots in the 4th quarter nearly cost them the game. Also, the Patriots were guilty of some undisciplined play in committing 11 penalties for 119 yards.
For Week Three of the NFL season, the Patriots will be back at Gillette Stadium Sunday to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who upset the Miami Dolphins 23-20 in Week Two. Jacksonville rushed for 123 yards against Miami, so the game should be another test for New England's rushing defense. Including the playoffs, the Patriots are 9-1 all-time versus the Jaguars.
Gregory Hunt is a Boston native and a life-long fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. He's also particularly fond of lacrosse, IndyCar racing and women's college basketball. He currently works for Examiner.com where he serves as the Senior Manager of Content and Media Access. He also writes for Examiner.com as the New England Patriots Examiner. His work can be found on Examiner.com.