Two Bills Drive

‘”I’m really proud of the way our football team played today. I felt that offensively, defensively, special teams, each unit complemented the other ones,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said. “We’ve got a lot of tough guys in that locker room. They worked hard to straighten some things out.”‘

‘In their first game with Bledsoe on the other side, the Patriots stormed to a 17-0 lead. The Patriots never led by fewer than 10 points the rest of the way.’

‘Somebody went after his old team with a vengeance, all right.’

‘Yesterday, Buffalo Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe learned to appreciate the nuances of a rivalry, if it’s possible to appreciate being sacked four times, knocked around several more times and embarrassed by old friends.’

‘So much for the great debate.’

‘Drew Bledsoe didn’t have a chance.’

‘The Patriots also looked more like the champs of last season.’

‘The perfect passer efficiency rating a NFL quarterback can achieve in a single game is 158.3. Brady compiled a 154.1 rating against the Bills.’

‘They looked like Super Bowl champs again – with Brady in a Super Bowl MVP role.’

‘Scoring on six of their seven meaningful possessions, the Patriots rode Brady’s hot hand and the powerful running of Antowain Smith to a victory that should end all the discussion — for now at least — on two different Patriots fronts: Was Brady the right choice at quarterback? And was New England a one-year wonder?’

‘”He is such a strong, powerful back,” said Brady, whose 23 of 27, 310-yard, four-touchdown passing performance was in large part made possible by Smith’s first 100-yard rushing day since Dec. 22. “He runs hard. He’s tough. He’s determined. I love having him back there and I love turning around and giving it to him.”‘

‘He caught five passes on Sunday, two for touchdowns. And Brown knows Smith can run, too. After rushing for 111 yards on 29 carries, Smith is back in the center of the Pats’ offense.’

‘The loss, Buffalo’s worst since a 47-6 drubbing by the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 4, 1987, was one in which every Bills player could assume culpability.’

‘Before we go any further, let’s cut Bledsoe some slack. He played well enough to win some ballgames, throwing for 300 yards for the fifth time this year, but he didn’t play well enough to win this ballgame.’

Photos from Sunday's game vs. New England.