The offensive line was the biggest star of the day, dominating the line of scrimmage to the tune of a 142.6 QB rating and 200 rushing yards. Rarely will you see a Patriots game with such offensive balance. Matt Light, Dan Connolly, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, and Sebastian Vollmer won just about every battle, did a great job in pass protection, and combined with tight ends Alge Crumpler and Rob Gronkowski to open big holes and get down field to attack the second level of the defense in the running game. There were a lot of great offensive performances, but it all started up front.
Tom Brady played much better this week. He had the luxury of fantastic protection and a good running attack, and he literally made only one bad decision -- the long incompletion in the direction of Matthew Slater on second-and-9. Other than that he sparkled, 21 of 25 for 252 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, and the aforementioned 142.6 QB rating. He even ran for a first down, and he spread the ball around to seven receivers.
Speaking of receivers, short passes to rising star Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker, and Rob Gronkowski, kept the chains moving, and two deep bombs to Randy Moss went for touchdowns. Gronkowski added a TD of his own, on a perfect quick-out, and his role near the goal line is likely to grow in the coming weeks. And even though he didn't catch any passes, Alge Crumpler should get special mention for his blocking in the running game and in pass protection. Brandon Tate fumbled for the Patriots only turnover of the day, and frankly his 29-yard grab before the half didn't really make up for it, since the Bills converted the fumble into a touchdown.
The running game did not suffer with the loss of Kevin Faulk, at least for a week. With Fred Taylor nursing a toe injury, the Pats featured BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and he acquitted himself nicely -- 98 yards, a 6.1 per carry average, and a weaving 22-yard touchdown. Faulk's replacement on the roster, Danny Woodhead threw in his own 22-yard TD, and averaged an impressive 14 yards on 3 carries.
Overall, the defense did not perform very well. Not a lot of pressure on the quarterback, the Bills gashed them for 134 yards on the ground, and they were a poor pass away from giving up the lead. It wasn't all their fault; the Bills scored on several short drives and got a touchdown on special teams. But the defense obviously has a long way to go when the worst offense in the NFL put up 23 points.
It can be difficult to quantify defensive line play in this system, but when it moves backwards on running plays, you know it's getting beaten. Couple that with just one sack (and the fact that most of their pressure came when the Bills O-line blew an assignment) and not a lot of stops up front, and the D-line didn't really do the job. Ron Brace was the one bright spot; not that he had a great game, but that he was "okay" instead of his usual "really bad." But he is improving, so that's something.
Among the linebackers, Jerod Mayo and Tully Banta-Cain were their usual solid selves. Jermaine Cunningham continues to improve, so there is potential there, too. But Brandon Spikes is still about a step behind most plays, and Rob Ninkovich and Gary Guyton give up a big play for every play they make -- generally not a good trade. This group needs to make plays against either the run or the pass, otherwise teams can choose how to move the ball and the rest of the defense isn't good enough to stop balanced attacks.
The secondary did have two interceptions, Patrick Chung and Brandon Meriweather. But Chung's came on an overthrow Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick -- and on that play, the receiver was open at the 2 yardline for either a first-and-goal or a touchdown. So in reality, the defense was a few feet away from letting the Bills tie the game, and if not for a missed throw, the outcome could have been a lot different. On the bright side, Devin McCourty plays solid corner, Chung lead the team in individual tackles, and Meriweather and Kyle Arrington laid the lumber on a few guys. But one last bad thing; James Sanders is playing worse now than at any point in his career -- making just about zero positive impact on the defense, and sometimes looking like a lost rookie rather than the six-year veteran he is. Maybe he was only good when Rodney Harrison played next to him.
Special teams are just weird. Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 43-yard field goal, but he got in the way on a 95-yard Bills kickoff return touchdown, shielding his own player away from the tackle. And punter Zoltan Mesko's inconsistency is troubling. Early in the 2nd quarter, the Patriots needed a good kick to get out of their own end, and he shanked a 33-yarder. And with three minutes left in the game, they needed a good punt to pin the Bills back, and his kick went just 36 yards and was returned for 6. Neither kick lost the game... but like I said, troubling.
The biggest coaching improvement was the offensive play-calling from Bill O'Brien. He mixed the run and pass very well, got the ball to Aaron Hernandez on an end-around, and did a good job integrating Woodhead quickly.
So where does that leave us? The win bring the Patriots into a first-place tie with the Dolphins and Jets, putting even more importance on next week's showdown with Miami. That game will be interesting, since the heat won't be as big a factor as usual (because it's a night game), and longtime Tom Brady nemesis Jason Taylor isn't on Miami any more. Enjoy the game, though -- the next week is the Patriots bye :(
Statistical Oddity of the Week: With the victory, the Patriots have sole possession of the longest winning streak over another team, having won 14 in a row since Lawyer Milloy declared: "I got some numbers *now* -- don't I, Mr. Kraft?!" (Trivia question: how many playoff games has Milloy won since leaving the Patriots -- answer below).
Weekly Water-cooler Wisdom: "Eking out a win against Buffalo isn't exactly a stepping stone on the way to a division championship. But I guess we'll take it."
Keep the faith,
- Scott
PS. 2-1!
PPS. Trivia answer:
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Semi-trick question -- Milloy has not won a playoff game since leaving New England. His only playoff appearance since 2003 came with Atlanta in 2008, and the Falcons lost 30-24 to Arizona.
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