Archives for December 25, 2017

‘Then, the inexplicable; facing fourth-and-1 at the Patriots’ 32 four plays into the fourth quarter, McDermott opted to attempt a 50-yard field goal than to send McCoy through the Patriots’ shorthanded defensive line for the first down.’

‘Players on both sides appeared visibly distraught by Cadet’s injury. Flowers put his hands on his helmet and was seen shaking his head, while Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor immediately signaled for the training staff to attend to the 28-year-old running back. Several players took a knee around Cadet and began praying as trainers came out onto the field.’

‘It looks like they may have lucked out again. Late in the second quarter of the Patriots’ game against the Bills at Gillette Stadium, Buffalo wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin appeared to make a highlight-reel touchdown catch with just two seconds remaining in the first half.’

‘Let’s be clear, the Bills ended up losing by 21 not seven, so the call didn’t have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. And as for Hughes’ proclamation about the Patriots not winning, they did and they will continue to win. Sorry, Jerry.’

‘“I even asked the refs after those plays, and they agreed with me, they agreed with our team,” Hyde said. “That’s why they made those calls, because that’s what they felt was the vantage of those calls. It is what it is.”’

‘But blaming the officials for gaming it for New England is absurd. The catch rules and the replay rules are — as written — very good. But they are only useful if they’re correctly applied. Incompetence should not be interpreted as bias.’

‘”Somebody in Boston got the refs on the payroll,” he yelled. “Y’all paying them big money out here. Still ain’t gonna win, though.”‘

‘“Officials up here, they always find a way to get it right for the Patriots. That’s not the reason why we lost, but is sure would have helped out in the game,” said McCoy. “It’s just crazy man, because you put so much into it, and then you get robbed like that. C’mon. That’s a touchdown.”’

‘“Somebody in Boston got the refs on the payroll. Y’all paying them big money out here. Still ain’t gonna win, though,” Hughes said, according to Rodak.’

‘Yeah, just we went for it earlier in the game on fourth down and didn’t get it. The game was close at that point and wanted to come away with points early in the fourth quarter there. I think it was a seven-point game. I wanted to come away with points. Obviously, it didn’t turn out.’

Patriots bury Bills in second half, clinch first-round bye (Boston Globe)
The Bills had chances to keep this one close (Boston Globe)
Patriots catch a break when Bills’ TD is overturned on review (Boston Globe)
Marquis Flowers, Malcom Brown lead stout Patriots defense (Boston Globe)
Dion Lewis carried the load for Patriots (Boston Globe)
Rob Gronkowski always has incentive to pay back the Bills (Boston Globe)
Clear and obvious: Overturned TD catch was a turning point (Boston Globe)
Patriots reach 12 wins for NFL-record eighth straight year (Boston Globe)
Patriots lock up first-round bye with 37-16 win over Buffalo Bills in Foxboro (Boston Herald)
The Flowers bloomed brightly for the Patriots (Boston Herald)
Rob Gronkowski and Patriots are a perfect matchup (Boston Herald)
Borges: Replay reversal baffles many, but strengthens belief that winners get the calls (Boston Herald)
Patriots notebook: With pair of teammates out with injuries, Dion Lewis proves doubly dangerous in backfield during win against Bills (Boston Herald)
Best and Worst from Patriots’ victory over Bills (Boston Herald)
Three big questions from the Patriots 37-16 win vs. the Bills (Boston Herald)
Dion Lewis, Rob Gronkowski lead the way as New England Patriots roll Buffalo Bills, 37-16 (Springfield Republican)
Devin McCourty not surprised by Dion Lewis’ greatness, remembers playing him in college: ‘He killed us’ (Springfield Republican)
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick praises Nate Solder for playing through illness vs. Bills (Springfield Republican)
Rob Gronkowski ‘sorry’ for dominating Buffalo Bills, remembers hometown team passing on him twice in draft (Springfield Republican)
Kelvin Benjamin overturned catch: NFL offers explanation for ruling in New England Patriots’ favor (Springfield Republican)
Kelvin Benjamin overturned touchdown: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots react to controversial call (Springfield Republican)
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots TE, did not know why Kelvin Benjamin’s catch was not a TD (Springfield Republican)
Angry Buffalo Bills fans the latest to say NFL is rigged for Patriots after Kelvin Benjamin TD overturned (Springfield Republican)
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots TE, makes incredible one-handed TD grab vs. Buffalo Bills (Springfield Republican)
Who was naughty, who was nice in New England Patriots’ 37-16 win over Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve? (Springfield Republican)
AFC Playoff Picture: New England Patriots can clinch No. 1 seed on Christmas Day (Springfield Republican)
Tom Brady releases new edition of TB Times after win over Buffalo Bills, featuring Santa Claus (Springfield Republican)
Patriots 37, Bills 16: Lewis carries New England to 12th win (Providence Journal)
Brady shakes off pick, leads Patriots to 12th victory (Providence Journal)
‘A true professional,’ Mike Gillislee comes through for the Patriots (Providence Journal)
Kevin McNamara: With win, Pats guarantee they’ll be home for more than Christmas (Providence Journal)
Patriots: Rob Gronkowski again dishes out against hometown Bills (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)
Patriots notes: Another favorable review overturns Bills touchdown (Worcester Telegram and Gazette)
Lewis sparks Patriots to 12th victory (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)
Farinella: It wasn’t just the rules that doomed Bills’ quest to upset Patriots (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)
Referee’s explanation on overturned call on Bills’ receiver Kelvin Benjamin (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)
Photo gallery (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)
Lewis, Gronkowski lead Patriots past Bills, 37-16 (Nashua Telegraph)
A couple of bad decisions once again help Patriots (Nashua Telegraph)
NFL Isn’t Rigged For Patriots, But It Clearly Has A Replay Problem (Hartford Courant)
Patriots RB White, WR Hogan inactive vs. Bills (The Sports Xchange)
Patriots-Bills Takeaways: Veteran Safeties Excel In Blowout Win (NESN)
Rob Gronkowski Hilariously Takes Credit For Patriots’ Recent Run Of Success (NESN)
Patriots Clinch First-Round Bye With Help From Jimmy Garoppolo (NESN)
Bills’ Jerry Hughes Accuses Patriots Of Paying Officials After Latest Controversy (NESN)
LeSean McCoy, Bills Blast Refs Over ‘Horrible’ Kelvin Benjamin Ruling (NESN)
Rob Gronkowski, Still Fueled By Draft Snub, Sticks It To Hometown Bills Yet Again (NESN)
Why Dion Lewis’ Patriots Teammates ‘Look Up To’ Diminutive Running Back (NESN)
NFL Referee Explains Why Kelvin Benjamin’s Overturned TD Wasn’t A Catch (NESN)
Skip Bayless Unleashes Latest Hot Take On ‘Pretty Mediocre’ Patriots (NESN)
Tom Brady Delivers Presents In Buffalo-Driven Sleigh In Latest ‘TB Times’ (NESN)
Tony Romo On Patriots Fan Wearing Grinch Mask: ‘There’s Bill Belichick’ (NESN)
Patriots-Bills Standouts: Marquis Flowers, Trey Flowers Blossom In Win (NESN)
Patriots Vs. Bills Live: Dion Lewis Powers New England To 37-16 Win On Christmas Eve (NESN)
Travaris Cadet Leaves Patriots-Bills Game With Gruesome Leg Injury (NESN)
Did Patriots Catch Another Break With Kelvin Benjamin’s Overturned TD Grab? (NESN)
Rob Gronkowski Makes History With Insane One-Handed TD Grab Vs. Bills (NESN)
Gillislee scores but Lewis carries the load with White, Burkhead out (NBC Sports Boston)
Curran’s Patriots-Bills preview/review (NBC Sports Boston)
Memory of being passed over by hometown Bills — twice! — drives Gronkowski (NBC Sports Boston)
Five quick thoughts from Patriots’ 37-16 win over Bills (NBC Sports Boston)
Best and Worst: Patriots 37, Bills 16 (NBC Sports Boston)
The more flexible Gronkowski is quite the catch (NBC Sports Boston)
Bills have reason to complain . . . but not about pro-Patriots conspiracy (NBC Sports Boston)
Thanks to Jimmy Garoppolo, Patriots clinch first-round bye (WEEI-FM)
Bills players blast referees for calls in loss to Patriots: ‘Somebody in Boston got the refs on the payroll’ (WEEI-FM)
Rob Gronkowski: I remember Bills passed on me twice in 2010 draft every time we play them (WEEI-FM)
NFL, referee Craig Wrolstad explain overturned Kelvin Benjamin touchdown (WEEI-FM)
Patriots 37, Bills 16: 10 quick observations from win on Christmas Eve (WEEI-FM)
Hannable: Patriots’ win over Bills almost equally as impressive than vs. Steelers (WEEI-FM)
Patriots inactives: Kyle Van Noy to miss 3rd straight game (WEEI-FM)
Bills Miffed After NFL Overturns First Half Touchdown Vs. Patriots (WBZ-TV)
Bills’ Hughes Claims Someone In Boston Paying Refs ‘Big Money’ To Help Patriots (WBZ-TV)
Patriots Clinch First Round Bye Thanks To Jimmy Garoppolo’s 49ers (WBZ-TV)
Ups & Downs: Dion Lewis Carries Sleigh, Gronk Makes Unreal TD Catch In Patriots’ Win Over Bills (WBZ-TV)
Patriots Team Grades: New England’s Huge Second Half Opens Things Up For Blowout Of Bills (WBZ-TV)
Tom Brady Releases Christmas Eve Edition Of ‘TB Times’ (WBZ-TV)
Stock Watch: Gronk, Lewis unwrap a victory (Patriots.com)
Game Observations: Pats inch closer to bye (Patriots.com)
Analysis: Maintaining control (Patriots.com)
Game Notes: Belichick, Brady win 12 for 12th time (Patriots.com)
Referee Craig Wrolstad Pool Report on overturned Kelvin Benjamin touchdown (Patriots.com)
New England Patriots Postgame Transcripts 12/24 (Patriots.com)
Buffalo Bills Postgame Transcripts 12/24 (Patriots.com)
Inactives: Bills vs. Patriots (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Patriots.com)
Phot gallery 2 (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

‘Not in the studio but on the scoreboard here in Jerry’s world, don’t see how the Buffalo TD was overturned. Not clear and obvious the toe didn’t drag. There is a line behind the toe when he drags it. Am I missing something?’

‘After the stunning overturn of a would-be Kelvin Benjamin touchdown just before the half in Sunday’s Bills-Patriots game, former NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira was baffled at how a play that looks, to the naked eye, to be a catch is changed by over-examination.’

‘On the CBS halftime show, Boomer Esiason’s response was, “Al is Al Riveron, also known as the Grinch Who Stole the NFL Touchdown Pass.”’

‘Dean Blandino, who succeeded Pereira as the league’s officiating chief and is now a Fox Sports analyst, said of the Benjamin play, “We’re being overly technical. When you look at the angles that were available, there’s nothing clear and obvious to overturn the call on the field.”’