New England Patriots Stay Undefeated With Hard Fought Win

The New England Patriots fought off a feisty Buffalo Bills team that refused to concede this game to the defending Super Bowl XLIX Champs. The Patriots used their stars and their unsung players on both sides of the ball to turn back the Bills 20-13 at Gillette Stadium.

With this win, the Patriots run their record to 10-0 and remain in first place in the AFC East at 4-0. Also, this win gives the Pats a 13-game winning streak that dates back to January 10, 2015. That was the day when the Pats beat the Baltimore Ravens 35-31 in the 2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs.

Quarterback Tom Brady had his ups and downs in this game, but he performed well enough to let the rest of the Patriots’ 2015 opponents know that the Patriots mean business on offense. And that they can annoy any defense with receivers and running backs that not too many people know about or care about outside of the Massachusetts state lines. Brady finished the contest 20 of 39 for 277 yards, 1 touchdown pass and 1 pick.

Wide Receiver Danny Amendola once again showed off his game-breaking skills and deceptive speed. He latched onto nine of Brady’s passes for 117 yards. Tonight’s game was the first 100 yard game of Amendola’s 2015 season, and he needed just about every one of those yards to help the Pats win this game.

Then there was second-year running James White. His numbers (46 yards total offense and 1 score) weren’t anything to shout in the streets about. But his numbers were visible enough to let the Patriots and their opponents know that Dion Lewis wasn’t the only Patriots running back who can be a threat as a runner and receiver

After each team put points on the scoreboard with field goals, the Patriots were the first team to put an actual touchdown on said scoreboard. On 3rd and 10 from the BUF 20, Brady took the snap and looked to his left. That is where he spotted his first read which was White, who was running a wheel route that was angled towards his right sideline. White turned around and quickly caught Brady’s pass and then sped down the sideline, and it was at the BUF 12 where he broke a Corey Graham tackle. After that tackle breakage it was just White and the end zone.

That 20 yard scoring pass gave the Pats a 10-3 lead with just 13 seconds left in the second quarter. That was White’s first touchdown of any kind (receiving or rushing) in his two-year career in New England.

But early in the third quarter, the Bills (5-5 overall, 3-2 AFC East) struck back with a score of their own. Bills running back LeSean McCoy (20 carries for 82 yards and 1 score) took a Tyrod Taylor (20 of 36 for 233 yards and no scores)  handoff and sped down the right sideline where met up with Pats free safety Devin McCourty, with McCoy then juking the defender and proceeding to dive into the end zone to complete a 27 yard scoring run. With 10:29 left in the third quarter the game was tied at 10-10.

Before this game started, White as mentioned before, never had a rushing or receiving touchdown for the Pats in his two-year career with them. By the latter part of the third quarter of this game, he had a receiving and rushing touchdown. His second touchdown of the game went like this. On 1st and 6 from the BUF 6, White took a Brady handoff and ran to his right. White then used his cutback speed, a block from wide receiver Chris Harper (Crespi High School-Encino, California), and sheer determination to get himself into the end zone. With 5:55 remaining in the third quarter the Pats took a 17-10 lead.

New England placekicker Stephen Gostkowski added to his team’s lead, with a successful 35 yard field goal that he sent to the right middle area of the uprights. With 47 seconds left in the third quarter the score moved to 20-10 New England.

After a Ryan Allen punt that was fair caught, bobbled, and then recovered by Bills defensive back/punt returner Leodis McKelvin at the BUF 16, the Bills went to work on their last offensive drive of the contest. And with just 1:51 left in the game.

On 4th and 6 from the BUF 32, Bills receiver Sammy Watkins (3 catches for 39 yards) bailed out his team when he caught an 8 yard pass along the sideline at the the BUF 40 to give them a first down. But a few plays later Watkins ended the game, when he accepted a Taylor pass for 16 yards along the sidelines and to the BUF 48 which is where he tried to end the play at. But the officials ruled that he didn’t get out of bounds and in turn they also ruled the game was over.