Two Bills Drive

‘Brady wasn’t shy about using Smith in crucial situations, be it out of the backfield or in one of the many screen passes he used to chip away at the Bills defence. “He is such a strong, powerful back and he runs hard,” Brady said.’

‘The Patriots are 4-4, but Brady said it will take more than one win to restore their swagger. “I think we need more games than one in a row,” he said. “This was a good one to get us back on track.’

‘Poor Patriots. All they have now are their Super Bowl rings, the Bills’ 2003 No.1 draft choice they received for their former quarterback and now a loud silence to replace the second-guessing they heard for choosing Tom Brady over Bledsoe.’

‘The Patriots, 4-4, put the finishing touches on the rout in front of a sea of empty seats, as many in the Bills’ fifth sellout in five games started to leave at the end of the third quarter, when the score was 31-7. The stadium had been ruled by groups of dancing, chanting Patriots fans who had made the trip west. The Patriots rolled up 422 yards in total offence, were 8-for-12 (67 per cent) on third down and 4-for-5 in the red zone.’

”’We had a sense of urgency,” the Patriots receiver said after New England’s 38-7 thrashing of the Buffalo Bills. ”We told ourselves we needed to get off to a better start. We needed to get Antowain [Smith] the football, and we needed to get back to the things that made us Super Bowl champions.”’

‘After a week of hype about Belichick’s perceived arrogance for trading Bledsoe within the division, the coach’s judgment appeared totally vindicated.’

‘On four of the five touchdown drives he directed, Brady did not throw an incomplete pass, finishing 23 for 27 for 310 yards and four scores. In the most critical drives of the day, the first two they scored on, Brady was 10 for 10 while throwing a multitude of screens, swing passes, and dumpoffs into the flat or over the middle, throws the Bills’ hapless defense was so utterly unable to cover that it seemed almost criminal after a while to keep beating upon it with the same plays.’

‘Multiple is simplifying things. On several occasions, there was no traditional front four. At times, four or five linebackers were in the game with six or seven defensive backs, and none were in a three-point stance. Two defensive linemen were a frequent sight, four a less common one. Sometimes a few of the linebackers would blitz and the others cover. Sometimes all the linebackers would blitz. Other times a DB or two would rush the passer.’

”’It is a little bittersweet in that sense, certainly more sweet than bitter,” said Johnson, who keyed a four-sack effort in the Patriots’ 38-7 demoralization of the Bills. ”It’s harder to look across the field and see No. 11 with his coat on and head down. That’s not fun, but that’s life in the NFL. I tell people it’s not that glamorous and that’s how it is. I’ve seen a lot of good friends come and go.”’

‘Buffalo gave the Patriots’ offense the short stuff yesterday. Gift wrapped. And the guests gladly accepted, almost 200 yards worth.’

”’They outexecuted us today,” Williams said. ”Our players fought hard to get in this position, and we will fight hard to get in this position again.”’

‘Smith did more than a ”pretty good job” of establishing the run, collecting 111 yards on 29 carries. And whether he wanted to or not, he earned a large portion of the spotlight, with three touchdowns (one rushing) in the Patriots’ 38-7 win in Brady-Bledsoe Bowl I. Smith put New England ahead, 14-0, early in the second quarter, catching a 13-yard screen pass from Brady. Late in the third, Smith scored on a 2-yard run. He caught another screen pass in the fourth and rumbled in from 14 yards out to cap the scoring.’

‘Patriots owner Robert Kraft spent some time with Bledsoe before the game. When Belichick accepted a postgame handshake from Bledsoe, it was the first time the two had interacted since last season.’

‘The Patriots blitzed Bledsoe often, sacking him four times, took away his ability to throw long to his speedy receivers, and used a ”stand up” defensive line to keep Bledsoe guessing. Sometimes the Patriots had a single defensive lineman – Willie McGinest – in the game with linebackers and defensive backs.’

‘On the weather: ”The flags are straight down. Normally, a calm day in Buffalo at this time of the year is 15-m.p.h. winds. Especially when it was snowing sideways here on Friday.”’