‘In losing a one-score game to the Patriots (12-3) for a second time this season, the Bills (10-5), just as they did in beating Dallas and Pittsburgh on the road and losing at home to Baltimore, showed they are “playoff caliber’’ just not “championship’’ caliber, not yet at least.’
Archives for December 2019
Buffalo Bills report card: Josh Allen kept team close, but Tom Brady is better
‘Sean McDermott is now 0-6 all-time against Bill Belichick. And while it’s nice that his teams always give the Patriots a tough game, something Belichick readily acknowledges, there comes a point when you have to beat the best in the business. On offense, the Bills dialed up a couple pretty plays to score their two touchdowns, but Brian Daboll couldn’t find a way to get the running game going, and then when the Patriots brought pressure, there was no reasonable answer, which has been an ongoing problem.’
Buffalo Bills hang tough, but Patriots hold on to win game, AFC East crown: 5 instant observations
‘The Bills defense had to work in this one as the Patriots offense had the ball for nearly 40 minutes of the game. Brady was vintage in this game, completing almost 80 percent of his throws for 271 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t turn the ball over either.’
Buffalo Bills had no ‘fear in hearts’ vs. Patriots; What went wrong vs. Tom Brady?
‘“They were able to set some things up, especially in their 21 personal grouping (2 running backs and 1 tight end),” Poyer said. “They were able to mix it up a little bit. We were able to get some good stops but in the end they made more plays than us.”’
Why Buffalo Bills’ loss to Patriots was still a win for QB Josh Allen
‘“I knew it wasn’t going to be the same guy that played them the first time. Everybody in the locker room knew that,” Beasley said. “We have a lot of faith in him and that dude’s gonna be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”’
Bills-Patriots: 6 reasons to be encouraged, 6 reasons to be worried after Buffalo’s comeback falls short
‘The Patriots showed that the Bills’ run defense still has its issues. Sony Michel led the way with 96 yards on 21 carries (4.6 YPC) and Rex Burkhead bounced off of two would-be tacklers to punch in a touchdown on the ground. In all, the Patriots rushed for 143 yards on 35 carries (4.1 YPC).’
Buffalo Bills prove they will be a tough out in playoffs following Patriots game (Week 16 report card)
‘Tom Brady was able to get the ball out quickly on Saturday and it led to the quarterback taking no sacks. Buffalo’s defensive line had four quarterback hits, but made no real impact in pass defense.’
Buffalo news station to air Buffalo Bills’ AFC Championship win over Raiders on Christmas night
‘The game, played on January 20, 1991, was held at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park. It was expected to be a competitive matchup, but the Bills jumped out to a 21-3 first quarter lead and never looked back. James Lofton and Thurman Thomas opened the scoring for Buffalo and Darryl Talley added a pick-six interception, the first of two interceptions for the linebacker, on Jay Schroeder later in the quarter. By halftime, it was 41-3 thanks to two Kenneth Davis touchdown runs and a second James Lofton touchdown reception. Davis would add a third touchdown and Scott Norwood would make a short field goal in the 4th quarter to complete the 51-3 drubbing of the Raiders.’
Sullivan: Patriots still have Bills’ number, but gap clearly closing
‘That’s the thing about Allen. For all his flaws, he has a way of rising up late in games. He has a soaring belief, one that Bills fans have begun to share. But he also holds himself to a high standard and doesn’t hide from the reality of his own shortcomings.’
Buffalo Bills Week 16 Report Card: Josh Allen, Bills come up short against Patriots
‘Devin Singletary had 15 carries for 46 yards and one catch for 2 yards. He wasn’t much of a factor against the Patriots’ defense. Frank Gore didn’t have a carry. The lack of a running game hurt the Bills.’
Brady leads Pats to comeback win over Bills and, yawn, another AFC East title
‘Bills quarterback Josh Allen played horribly for almost the entire first half. Prior to a beautiful lob pass to rookie tight end Dawson Knox for 33 yards down to the Patriots one-yard line just 10 seconds before halftime, Allen had thrown for just 28 yards.’
Buffalo Bills Postgame Quotes 12/21
‘You know, early in the game, had some opportunities maybe, but I thought, as the game flowed, as the game trended down into the back half of the second quarter, with a two-minute drive and into the third and fourth quarter, [he] made some big time throws in there.’
Sunday’s New England Coverage
Patriots deny Bills, capture 11th straight AFC East title (Boston Globe)
Elandon Roberts puts in a full day vs. Buffalo (Boston Globe)
Just call Tom Brady the answer man after this win (Boston Globe)
Tom Brady said he suffered a ‘new’ elbow injury Saturday (Boston Globe)
Rex Burkhead atoned for his fumble — by scoring the winning touchdown (Boston Globe)
Forget the aches and pains, Julian Edelman is determined to deliver (Boston Globe)
Watch Bill Belichick’s reaction to Lawrence Guy planting elves around his press podium (Boston Globe)
24 thoughts on a total team effort by the Patriots (Boston Globe)
Message delivered: Patriots still need to be feared when postseason kicks off (Boston Globe)
After leaving with injury, Julian Edelman makes impressive return (Boston Globe)
Photo gallery (Boston Globe)
Patriots survive Bills 24-17, lock up 11th straight AFC East title (Boston Herald)
Patriots receiver Julian Edelman toughs out another big game (Boston Herald)
Rex Burkhead atones for early mistake with big plays (Boston Herald)
Keegan: Warts and all, Patriots one tough team (Boston Herald)
Tom Brady and Patriots offense deliver in crunch time (Boston Herald)
Tom Brady ties Peyton Manning for second all-time in touchdown passes (Boston Herald)
The Patriots are in for a rough AFC playoff road (Boston Herald)
Photo gallery (Boston Herald)
New England Patriots outlast Buffalo Bills, 24-17, in a classic to clinch AFC East title (Springfield Republican)
Patriots’ best chance to win a Super Bowl is to win ugly (10 things we learned from win vs. Bills) (Springfield Republican)
Tom Brady played like a man with something to prove in win over Buffalo Bills (7 up, 3 down) (Springfield Republican)
Patriots’ Rex Burkhead shakes off fumble, breaks out for best game of the season (Springfield Republican)
Patriots’ Nick Folk makes all four kicks including 51-yard field goal, easing season-long concerns at the position (Springfield Republican)
Tom Brady has a ‘new injury’ to his elbow, but Patriots QB says he’ll ‘be fine’ (Springfield Republican)
Tom Brady TD record chase: Patriots QB ties Peyton Manning for second place, one behind Drew Brees on NFL career list (Springfield Republican)
Bill Belichick shows holiday spirit by tossing hidden elves at podium; Lawrence Guy denies involvement (it was him) (Springfield Republican)
Elandon Roberts offers hilarious reason that he’s a Bill Belichick favorite: ‘I run through (expletive’s) faces’ (Springfield Republican)
Patriots playoff picture: New England controls fate for No. 2 seed, first round bye after winning 11th straight AFC East (Springfield Republican)
Patriots clinch AFC East, set sights on earning a playoff bye (Providence Journal)
Patriots 24, Bills 17: New England clinches AFC East title (Providence Journal)
Tom Brady delivers highlight reel block against Bills (Providence Journal)
Matt LaCosse happy to be healthy and catch his first touchdown for Patriots (Providence Journal)
Legend of Julian Edelman grows in Patriots’ 24-17 win over Bills (Providence Journal)
Pats running back finally gets untracked (Providence Journal)
Patriots Journal: Pats keep their focus on the field (Providence Journal)
Gritty, not pretty, is a winning formula for Patriots (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)
Patriots clinch AFC East title by holding off Bills, 24-17 (Nashua Telegraph)
The Patriots Beat the Bills (Again) Behind Julian Edelman (New York Times)
McCourty Returns For Patriots For AFC East Matchup Vs Bills (AP)
In AFC East Clincher, Patriots Linebacker Elandon Roberts Gets To The Point At Fullback (Forbes)
Patriots clinch AFC East again as Tom Brady leads comeback in 4th (ESPN)
Patriots offense showing improvement and that’s a scary thought for AFC contenders (CBS Sports)
Tom Brady evaluates block vs. Bills: ‘I’m pretty poor at just about everything other than throwing the ball’ (CBS Sports)
Julian Edelman explains his head injury evaluation after OPI penalty in Patriots win over Bills (CBS Sports)
Elandon Roberts garners praise by Pats for play at fullback, goes on expletive-filled rant to describe success (CBS Sports)
Patriots Vs. Bills Live: Pats Win 24-17, Clinch 11th Straight AFC East Title (NESN)
Tom Brady Finally Sounds Encouraged By Patriots Offense After Win Vs. Bills (NESN)
Tom Brady Delivers Well-Rounded Performance To Spark Patriots Offense (NESN)
Patriots’ Elandon Roberts Shares NSFW Description Of His Fullback Skills (NESN)
Bill Belichick Actually Laughed During This Goofy Press Conference Moment (NESN)
Patriots WR Julian Edelman Exits Game Against Bills With Head Injury (NESN)
Inside Story Behind Julian Edelman’s Head Injury Evaluation In Patriots’ Win (NESN)
Julian Edelman Celebrates AFC East Title With ‘Star Wars’ Instagram Post (NESN)
Tom Brady Downplays ‘New’ Elbow Injury After Patriots’ Win Over Bills (NESN)
Patriots Notes: What Win Over Bills Means For AFC Playoff Picture (NESN)
Who Helped Patriots Most In AFC East-Clinching 24-17 Win Over Bills? (NESN)
Patriots vs. Bills Instant Overreactions: Pats’ offense shows genuine improvement in win (NBC Sports Boston)
Elandon Roberts takes on fullback role with linebacker mindset: ‘I’m gonna run through your [expletive] face’ (NBC Sports Boston)
Patriots provide proof positive of 2019 potential (NBC Sports Boston)
Patriots RBs Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead surging at perfect time as playoffs near (NBC Sports Boston)
Turning Point: Julian Edelman returns, immediately submits clutch moment (NBC Sports Boston)
Watch Patriots QB Tom Brady throw great block on big N’Keal Harry run (NBC Sports Boston)
Patriots vs. Bills: Best & Worst from New England’s 24-17 win (NBC Sports Boston)
Patriots 24, Bills 17: 10 quick thoughts from AFC East clinching win (WEEI-FM)
Patriots vs. Bills thumbs up, thumbs down: Tom Brady leads the way to win, AFC East title (WEEI-FM)
Resurgent Tom Brady has Patriots ready ‘to go’ (WEEI-FM)
Why Tom Brady’s ‘new injury’ is a positive (WEEI-FM)
Sunday 7: The sequence that changed 2019 Patriots season (WEEI-FM)
Patriots react to 11th straight AFC East title: ‘Love wearing this hat’ (WEEI-FM)
No surprises with Patriots’ inactives vs. Bills (WEEI-FM)
Photo gallery (WEEI-FM)
Patriots Outlast Bills In Unlikely Shootout, Win 11th Straight AFC East Title (WBZ-TV)
Tom Brady Is Still Tom Brady, And A Patriots Super Bowl Is Back On The Table (WBZ-TV)
Julian Edelman’s Return Revives Offense On Patriots’ Game-Winning Drive (WBZ-TV)
Tom Brady Ties Peyton Manning On All-Time Passing Touchdown List (WBZ-TV)
Tom Brady Reveals ‘New’ Elbow Injury, But Promises He’ll Be Fine For ‘Playoff Game’ In Week 17 (WBZ-TV)
Four Ups, Four Downs From Patriots’ Division-Clinching Win Over Bills (WBZ-TV)
Patriots come back in fourth quarter to beat Bills 24-17, clinch 11th straight AFC East crown (WBZ-FM)
Elandon Roberts with an EPIC line about his physicality (WBZ-FM)
With the game on the line for the Bills, Patriots CB J.C. Jackson made his best play of the season (WBZ-FM)
Game Observations: Patriots find offensive stride, outlast Bills to win the AFC East (Patriots.com)
East Mode: Patriots once again reign over division (Patriots.com)
Roundup: Patriots praise Julian Edelman’s toughness, energy and leadership (Patriots.com)
Game Notes: Patriots win 11th straight AFC East title (Patriots.com)
New England Patriots Postgame Quotes 12/21 (Patriots.com)
Buffalo Bills Postgame Quotes 12/21 (Patriots.com)
Inactives: Patriots vs. Bills | Week 16 (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery 2 (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery 3 (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 2 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Patriots Beat Bills 24-17, Win 11th Straight AFC East Crown
‘Josh Allen completed 13 of 26 passes for 208 yards and ran for 43 more, including a first down on fourth-and-1 from the Patriots 30 with about three minutes left. After driving to the New England 8, Allen over threw Dawson Knox in the end zone and then was sacked by Adam Butler. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 15 with just over one minute left, he was forced out of the pocket and had to throw the ball up for grabs in the end zone, where it was knocked down by J.C. Jackson.’
Bills Squander AFC East Hopes In Loss To Patriots
‘“We’ve got to find a way to get over that hump,” Allen said after New England’s AFC East-clinching 24-17 win on Saturday. “We were playing to put ourself in position where we could potentially win it, but they played well today and hats off to them.”’