Pats' PostGame: Burning Through the Bills

Ryan L. Fox

Wayne Gretzkey, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, and Tom Brady. What do those 4 players have in common? They are considered to be the greatest player in their sports. But out of all of them, which one of them has put dread and misery into one city? The answer is Tom Brady and the city of Buffalo, New York. Throughout his historic NFL career, Brady has made fans of the Buffalo Bills miserable as he has outplayed and outlasted every Bills QB that played over in Orchard Parks, New York. This Sunday, the Pats travelled Orchards Park to face the Bills in a Week 13 match up. Unfortunately for the Bills, history just kept repeating itself.

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Game Recap
The Bills received the ball to open the game and proceeded to drive down the field. They got all the way down to the Pats 5-yard line. However Tyrod Taylor’s pass to LeSean McCoy was intercepted by Pats DE Eric Lee at the Pats 1-yard line and returned to the 9-yard line. Pats QB Tom Brady then drove the team down the field to the Bills 31-yard line. However the Bills defense held their ground, forcing the Pats to settle for a 50-yard field goal by K Stephen Gostkowski to go up early 3-0. 
 
After an exchange of punts, the Pats rode on RB Dion Lewis all the way down to the Bills 5-yard line. But on 3rd and 5, Brady was sacked by Bills DT Kyle Williams to the Bills 13. Gostkowski came on and booted a 31-yard field goal to extend the Pats’ lead to 6-0 with 6:30 left in the second quarter. The Bills responded with their own field goal, a 49-yard by K Stephen Hauschka, to cut into the Pats’ lead 6-3.
 
With less than 2:30 left in the half, the Pats drove down the Bills 14-yard line. However once again the Bills defense held, forcing another Gostkowski field goal to go up 9-3 into the halftime.
 
After getting the 2nd half kickoff, the Pats proceeded to drive down to the Bills 1-yard line. There, RB Rex Burkhead bowled over the goal line for the game’s first touchdown, giving his team a 16-3 lead. After forcing a Bills punt, the Pats drove down the field again. They ended up finishing the same way as their first drive, a Burkhead touchdown run to go up 23-3.
 
 If things were going bad for the Bills, they just kept getting worse going into the fourth quarter. After battling an ankle injury he suffered in the first quarter, Bills QB Tyrod Taylor landed awkwardly on the same ankle and had to be carted off the field. Backup QB Nathan Peterman came in to take over on offense as he lead the team all the way down to the Pats 1-yard line. However on 4th and goal, Pats CB Stephon Gilmore knocked away Peterman’s pass to WR Zay Jones.
 
The Pats looked like they were gonna try and salt the clock away. But then on 3rd and 7 from the Pats 36, Brady pass for Gronk was picked off by CB Tre’Davious White at the Buffalo 39. Then all hell broke loose. After White was down by contact, Gronk slammed his shoulder into White’s head an effectively knocked him out of the game. Then at the same time, Bills S Micah Hyde and Pats WR Danny Amendola got into a minor scuffle that resulted in Amendola losing his helmet. Then the pièce de ré·sis·tance was when Bills DE Jerry Hughes mouthed off to a referee, incurring a penalty. When it was all said and done, only Hughes penalty stood as the others offset each other.
 
The Bills got the ball back on their 26-yard line, facing 1st and 25. The Bills ended up driving to their 36. But on 4th and 15, Peterman’s pass to RB Travis Cadet came up short. The Bills forced a punt and got back on their 15 with under 2 minutes left in the game. They could only advance it to their 19-yard line before again turning it over on downs. Pats QB Blaine Hoyer came in and only had to kneel the ball twice to run out the clock, giving the Pats the win.
 
Top Patriot Performers
QB Tom Brady: 21-for-30 for 258 yards, 1 INT
 
RB Dion Lewis: 15 carries for 92 yards
 
RB Rex Burkhead: 12 carries for 78 yards and 2 TDs, 3 catches for 25 yards
 
TE Rob Gronkowski: 9 catches for 147 yards
 
K Stephen Gostkowski: 3-for-3 on FGs, 2-for-2 on XP for a total of 11 points
 
CB Malcolm Butler: 8 tackles (7 solo, 1 assist), 1 Pass Defended
 
DE Eric Lee: 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assist), 1.5 sacks, 1 INT
 
LB David Harris: 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assist), 1.5 sacks
 
The GOAT in Buffalo
There have been tons of greats in every sport over the years but nobody has dominated an entire team the way that Tom Brady has dominated the Buffalo Bills. After today’s victory against the Bills, Brady’s record has improved to 27-3, the most wins Brady has against any opposing team in his 17-year NFL career. His numbers are as followed: 631-for-985, 7,574 yards, 66 TDs, and 21 INTs for a career QB rating of 101.0. The Pats still have one more game later on this year at home against the Bills so you know that Brady is gonna continue to just pad those career numbers and continue to torment Bills nation until when he retires…in 2 or 3 years.
 
Come on Man!
Like I said last week, there’s no denying that TE Rob Gronkowski is one of the best tight ends in today’s NFL. So that what makes his late hit personal foul on CB Tre’Davious White during the Bills game was all the more aggravating. Yes, White was drapped all over him during that play and should have been called for defensive holding. But that’s still no excuse to just loose your cool and go full WWE on your opponent. If you looked at the replay, it was clear that Gronk was targeting White’s head when he slammed his left shoulder into it. The worse part is that White actually suffered a concussion from that hit and had to leave the game.
 
More likely than not, Gronk will be faced with a nice fine as well as a possible suspension by the league and rightfully so. Hopefully it will teach him to keep his cool like a professional instead of lashing out like an angry child because he didn't get a call. 
 
Fox Fist Bump
This time, dishing out two Fox Fist Bumps.
 
One goes to RB Rex Burkhead for some old school power running. His bruising style of running helped grind out the clock as well as him bowling over the goal line for two scores (the only two touchdowns for the entire game).
 
The other goes to DE Eric Lee. The game against this Bills was his first game in a Patriots uniform and he went off with a couple of sacks, pressures, and the game’s first turnover that killed a Bills’ drive. The ironic part with Lee is that he spent the 2017 season original on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad before being signed to the Pats back on November 21.
 
Turd in the Punch Bowl
Gronk for his dumb penalty. Totally bush league. not too mention that he gave White a concussion that knocked him out for the remainder of the game.
 
Play of the Game

Gronk's Cheap Shot

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