Dependa-Bill fate
Brady, Pats quiet Buffalo’s noise
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The redemption tour continued yesterday, as the Patriots planted their flag at Ralph Wilson Stadium to signify their ongoing ownership of both Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills.
The Pats stampeded the Bills, 40-32, to open the season with two consecutive victories and claim yet another win over Ryan, who fell to 4-10 against coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots have taken exception to their character assassinations since January, and the Bills’ midweek yapping was certainly heard in the meeting rooms at Gillette Stadium.
“For us, it’s nothing new,” safety Devin McCourty said. “We feel like every week, I don’t care who we play, I’m probably betting the whole league wants them to beat us, too. It was nothing new. We knew coming here was going to be hostile. This isn’t the first time we came here and it was a crazy environment, fans going crazy, so we knew what to expect. I thought the older guys and the leaders prepared everyone else to come in here and get a win.”
Tom Brady, who improved to 24-3 against the Bills, was masterful yet again, and the quarterback rotating band of offensive linemen kept him mostly clean against a tenacious pass rush. Brady was only sacked twice and completed 38-of-59 passes for 466 yards and three touchdowns without an interception with a game plan that frequently called for quick deliveries to maintain a rhythm.
“We threw it a lot,” said Brady, who attempted the second-most passes of his career. “It took a lot of great execution.”
Brady again wore out tight end Rob Gronkowski (seven receptions, 113 yards, touchdown) and wide receiver Julian Edelman (11-for-97, two TDs), and running back Dion Lewis (seven carries, 40 yards, touchdown; six catches, 98 yards) has had at least 120 yards from scrimmage in back-toback games.
Edelman was clutch, especially late in the fourth quarter when the Bills attempted to pull off a miracle. The Patriots built a 37-13 lead, and the Bills had a stretch of nine consecutive possessions with a multiple-score deficit, but they trimmed it to 37-32 with 4:16 remaining. Brady opened the ensuing drive by hitting Edelman on back-to-back 6-yarders, and the Pats ultimately got a 25-yard field goal out of Stephen Gostkowski with 1:15 to play.
“He’s always a beastly performance,” Gronkowski said of Edelman.
The Patriots closed it out on the Bills’ next play, as defensive back Logan Ryan hauled in Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s third interception of the game. Taylor (23-of-30, 242 yards, three TDs) had a nice statistical performance, but the Pats sacked him eight times and took away his downfield options.
The Patriots also shored up their run defense after surrendering 58 rushing yards and a touchdown when the Bills took a 7-0 lead on their opening drive. Buffalo only ran once for minus-1 yard on its ensuing pair of three-and-outs, while the Patriots grabbed a 14-7 lead on Brady’s 8-yard touchdown throw to Edelman and Lewis’ 6-yard scoring scoot. The Bills finished with 160 yards on 27 carries.
Meanwhile, the Patriots diced up the Bills through the air with 61 passing plays and just 12 run calls, excluding Brady’s three kneel-downs. Brady hit Gronkowski, who ducked through a confused Bills defense, for a 2-yard touchdown to make it 21-7 with 13:14 to go in the second quarter, and Gostkowski pushed the advantage to 24-13 with a 46-yard field goal with 2:18 remaining in the half.
Gostkowski added a 21-yarder on the opening drive of the third quarter, and Edelman appeared to put the Bills away with a 22-yard catch and run to push the lead to 34-13 with 3:24 to go in the third.
“Belichick outcoached me,” Ryan said. “We did a horse (expletive) job, and it’s my responsibility.”
The Patriots suffocated Taylor on the next drive, as defensive tackle Alan Branch, linebacker Jamie Collins (2.5 sacks) and defensive end Chandler Jones (three) sacked him on consecutive plays to force a three-and-out.
“That’s good,” Gronkowski said. “When you’re on the road, that’s what you want to do for sure.”
The Bills got back in it in the fourth when Taylor lofted a 32-yard touchdown to receiver Robert Woods, who somehow pulled down the ball behind Butler’s outstretched hands, and Brady barely missed Edelman for a 41-yard score on fourthand-1. Taylor’s 7-yard touchdown scamper on the next possession made it 37-25, and defensive end Jerry Hughes forced Brady to fumble two plays later. Taylor, who threw for 137 yards in the fourth quarter, cut it to 37-32 with a 24-yard scoring toss to receiver Sammy Watkins.
But, following Gostkowski’s fourth field goal, Ryan’s interception ended the drama.
“You never want that to happen,” McCourty said of the three-touchdown fourth quarter, “but I’m never going to be disappointed with a win.”