Bills Fall Short Against Patriots 40-32 Furious comeback falls short as Pats remain class of division. by Steve Saslow
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Week 2
Patriots
40
Bills
32
The Skinny:
Tom Brady threw for a whopping 466 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots hung on to beat the Bills 40-32 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Brady completed 38 of 59 passes and two touchdowns to Julian Edelman and one to Rob Gronkowski as the Patriots opened up a 37-13 lead before the Bills tried to get back into it. Tyrod Taylor threw three touchdown passes and ran for one but also threw three interceptions including one in the final minutes as the Bills tried to complete an improbable comeback. The Bills scored three times in the fourth quarter as Taylor hit Robert Woods for a 32 yard touchdown pass, he ran one in from 7 yards out and then hit Sammy Watkins for a 24 yard score. Brady led the Patriots down in the final minutes for a field goal that gave them the final margin. The Bills went 80 yards for a score on the first possession of the game Karlos Williams ran it in from two yards out. Charles Clay also had a touchdown for the Bills. Dan Carpenter missed an extra point and failed on a pair of two point conversion attempts.
Stat I Did Like:
Rushing: They had 160 yards on 27 carries for a 5.9 yard per carry average.
Stat I Didn't Like:
Penalties: 14 of them for 140 yards.
Quick Slants: - Darryl Talley was in attendance and led the charge as the players took the field. - Former Miss America and actress Vanessa Williams sang the National Anthem before the game. - Bill Polian got his Hall of Fame ring at a halftime ceremony. - Representatives from the Guiness Book of World Records were on hand to measure the sound to see if they could break the crowd noise record. - ESPN was in Orchard Park and were live from the area near the Ralph Wilson statue during their 8am and 9am Sportcenter shows.
Key Matchup Results:
The winners of the battles highlighted in our preview article: Bills Defense vs. Rob Gronkowski: Winner: Gronkowski. 7 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. RB LeSean McCoy vs. LB Dont'a Hightower: Winner: McCoy. He was one of the few bright spots. WR Sammy Watkins vs. CB Malcolm Butler: Winner: Watkins. He had six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. DB Ronald Darby vs. WR Julian Edelman: Winner: Edelman. He dominated with 11 catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Keys To The Game Results:
How the keys highlighted in our preview article turned out: 1. Get The Early Lead: Success! They did score first but it didn't matter. 2. Pressure Brady: Failure! They didn't make him uncomfortable at all in the pocket. 3. Win Third Downs: Success! They only allowed three conversions but also only converted four of them.
My Take:
The atmosphere was unbelievable at the Ralph with fans hoping to witness at the very least a transition to equality between these two franchises that have gone in very different directions this millenium. The result was that as much as everything changes, it all remains the same. There may have been a late rally but it the bottom line is the Patriots took it to the Bills and knocked tham back to earth. The Bills now know that they still aren't on the same level as the Patriots as much as he we hate to admit it.
What's Ahead:
The schedule remains tough as the Bills hit the road for the first time this year as they go down to Miami to take on the Dolphins.
Gameballs
LeSean McCoy - He had 116 total yards.
Goats
Rex Ryan - The team was too emotional and couldn't control it. He also was called for a penalty. He even admitted he was outcoached.
Bills Defense - They were just awful.
Aaron Williams - Before his injury he was called for two personal foul penalties.
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