5 takeaways from Patriots’ win over Bills
COMMENTARY
FOXBOROUGH — Officiating in this football game was brought to you by the year 2012, when replacement refs ruled the headlines.
Between confusing fumble rulings, an inadvertent whistle and more than a few questionable penalties, the men in zebra stripes were nearly the story once again. It was not to be, however, as the New England Patriots walked out of Gillette Stadium with a 20-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills to sweep the season series against Rex Ryan.
With so much ground to cover from this game, let’s get right to the key takeaways.
1. Run defense steps up big: With Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, the life force of the Bills’ offense is the running game.
The Patriots knew this, and they attacked it to perfection. The Bills ran the ball 30 times for 94 yards (3.1 yards per carry). LeSean McCoy rushed it 20 times for 82 yards, but 27 of those yards were on one carry.
The Patriots’ run defense was one of its biggest weaknesses early in the season, giving up 100 rushing yards or more in four of the team’s first five games. But that group has tightened up significantly, not allowing an opposing offense to go over the century mark since.
2. James White filling the third down role: Injured running back Dion Lewis isn’t coming back this season, so the Patriots are going to have to find a way to replace his production. That’s where second-year running back James White comes into the equation.
White appeard to have an inside track to winning the third-down role this summer, but Lewis’ strong training camp pushed him to the side. With Lewis out of the picture, it’s White’s time to step up.
That’s exactly what he did with a 20-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first half and a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Those were White’s first two touchdowns as an NFL running back. He doesn’t have to be a clone of Lewis, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead or even Kevin Faulk. He just needs to be a reasonable facsimile.
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PHOTOS: Patriots vs. Bills
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3. Offensive line shuffling continues: Marcus Cannon and Cameron Fleming started at the tackle spots, with Sebastian Vollmer coming in off the bench at right tackle. David Andrews got the start at center, but Bryan Stork eventually slid over from guard to center. That sent Andrews to the bench and brought in Shaq Mason at guard to fill Stork’s void.
Depending on your view, the Patriots are either still figuring out their offensive line with all the injuries, or they are going right back to the rotation that was working well for them early in the season.
Tom Brady was under a lot of pressure early in the game, which kept the Patriots’ offense out of sync for the first half. The pressure continued to create problems for the Patriots’ offense in the second half, with Brady throwing away at least seven passes while under pressure.
4. All streaks end: If the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania can end, then no streaks are forever.
After scoring in 38 straight quarters, an NFL record, the Patriots failed to put any points on the board in the fourth quarter against the Bills. The streak had seemed likely to end even earlier on Monday before James White caught a 20-yard touchdown pass on a wheel route late in the second quarter. That score felt like Undertaker kicking out at two and nine-tenths.
The Patriots will just need to start a new streak against the Denver Broncos this Sunday
5. Whistlegate: Danny Amendola must be jinxed.
That seems like the only way to explain how he keeps getting so much production wiped away under strange circumstances. Last year, he had big catches negated by offensive pass interference penalties against Brandon LaFell. Last week, he was tripped up by his own teammate as he nearly returned a punt for a touchdown.
On Monday against the Bills, he had a touchdown staring him in the face only to have the play inexplicably blown dead. After a referee huddle, we got an explanation: The play was blown dead for no reason by an inadvertent whistle.
Gee, I wonder if Ted Wells will be sent in to investigate the referees and whether their whistles were properly tested prior to the game and again at halftime. Will there be new measures put in place to make sure no whistles are inadvertently blown ever again? We all know such measures are needed to uphold the integrity of the game.
Yeah, don’t hold your breath. This might have been a big deal if the Patriots lost. Since they won, it will be little more than a blip on the radar.
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