The New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in an AFC East matchup to remain first in the division. Tom Brady continued his interception-less season, throwing 22 completions for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Rob Gronkowski broke the Patriots touchdown reception record, receiving his 69th touchdown of his Patriots career with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Brady.
Bills back up running back Mike Gillislee ran well in place of an injured LeSean McCoy, averaging 7.1 yards per a carry with 85 yards on 12 attempts, with a touchdown run included. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor was unable to get anything going through the air, as he was held to less than 200 yards through the air.
What It Means
The Bills, who had been on a winning streak since beating the Patriots in their last matchup, have now lost two straight in the AFC East. Even Marcell Dareus’s return on the defensive line wasn’t enough to stop the Patriots offense, though it did hold them in check with the run game. McCoy being healthy will be a huge boost to a Buffalo team that is reeling a bit.
Since Brady’s return, the Patriots have gone 4 and 0. The defense still looked a bit shaky, with Buffalo's first drive looking like a repeat of the first game they played this season, with the Patriots struggling to tackle. The biggest mistake came on a botched Buffalo punt, where the Patriots allowed the punter to run for a first down despite dropping the ball while attempting to kick it. This could have been a huge momentum shift in Buffalo’s favor had the Patriots not already built up such a big lead. Going into their next game against Seattle, the Patriots will not be able to make the same kind of mistakes against the Seahawks if they want to win.
Stats of the Game
Besides Gronk breaking the touchdown receptions record, there were a few interesting statistics to come out of this game.
The Patriots only punted three times the entire game. That offense is on fire right now.
Speaking of offense, Julian Edelman got his first touchdown of the season. Congrats, Julian.
Tom Brady currently holds a 133.9 passer rating on the season. That is remarkable, even if he has only played half the amount of games of what most other starting quarterbacks have played.
Unsung Hero
For someone who had almost 100 yards on the day, you would think that he’d be more thought of. With the Patriots only up by four points, Chris Hogan burned Bills defensive back Stephon Gilmore for a 53-yard touchdown. This helped pad a league that would eventually be 41 by the end of the game. Hogan got a bit of revenge on his former team, but also showed why he is a viable deep threat, and the number two receiver on the Patriots roster despite not playing very much for his former team.
Noteworthy
Remember Dion Lewis? That running back who was really good last season, but got injured and has yet to return? That might end soon. Lewis returned to practice this week, and the Patriots now must activate him within the next two weeks. With how well James White has done in his place, the Patriots won’t risk rushing him back to the field before he is healthy. But, when he does return, it will make an offense that is steamrolling most opponents look like an unstoppable force.
What’s Next
The Patriots will enjoy a bye this week, with the team not playing again until November 13th at home against Seattle, live on Sunday night football. Kick off will be at 8:30 PM Eastern Standard time, with the game being broadcast nationally on NBC.
