Week after week it’s felt like the identical previous story. The Patriots begin gradual. The Patriots fall behind. The Patriots lose.
Yet on a Sunday that introduced no scarcity of twists and turns, probably the most sudden might have been the best way the sport started.
The Patriots offense acquired off to its greatest begin of the season, opening the sport with two straight scoring drives to leap out to an early 10-0 lead over the closely favored Buffalo Bills.
Rookie receiver Demario Douglas powered the fast begin with three catches for 35 yards within the opening two drives, and due to the interception thrown by Josh Allen on his first go try of the sport, the Patriots had a two-score lead earlier than the Bills even actually acquired an opportunity to the touch the ball.
New England tacked on a subject aim within the second quarter as nicely and went into halftime main 13-3. Considering what a slog it’s been for the Patriots offensively over the previous few weeks, Sunday’s quick begin was particularly satisfying.
“Huge, awesome, it was great for that first series, a couple of explosive plays and staying ahead of the sticks, no negative plays,” stated tight finish Mike Gesicki. “It was what we’ve been talking about doing and finally went out there and did it.”
The early cushion proved important after the Bills rallied for 3 second-half touchdowns, together with two within the remaining six minutes to take a 25-22 lead with 1:58 to play. That set the stage for the large end, with quarterback Mac Jones main the Patriots down the sector for the game-winning landing go to Gesicki.
All instructed the Patriots compiled 364 complete yards and averaged 6.6 yards per offensive play, the group’s highest common of the season.
“I think it was one of our most consistent offensive performances of the year, we had a couple of long drives last week and today we only punted a couple of times, it wasn’t very many, which is always a good thing,” Bill Belichick stated afterwards. “(Bill O’Brien) did a good job all week with the gameplan and the team went in there and played with good competitive level, better fundamentals and better execution, so it’s a good place to start.”
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A case may very well be made this wasn’t simply one among New England’s greatest performances this 12 months, however in latest reminiscence. Not solely had the Patriots not gotten off to a scorching begin this season previous to Sunday, however they actually did not all of final season both.
You might make a case for final 12 months’s Week 17 win over Miami, when the Patriots took a 7-0 lead within the first quarter, however the Dolphins tied it 7-7 going into halftime and the sport was neck-and-neck after that. Before that New England led Indianapolis 13-0 at halftime in Week 9 however did not rating within the first quarter, and in Week 5 in opposition to Detroit the Patriots led 16-0 at halftime however solely managed a subject aim within the first.
The final no-doubter was all the best way again in Week 17 of the 2021 season, when New England opened a 28-3 halftime lead on the woeful Jacksonville Jaguars in an eventual 50-10 win.
That New England was in a position to ambush a group just like the Bills, a perennial playoff contender in opposition to whom the Patriots have been 1-6 since 2020 coming in, was particularly encouraging. Now the query is whether or not this was a one-off efficiency or the beginning of a significant turnaround, and the way the Patriots look subsequent weekend in opposition to first-place Miami will inform us quite a bit about this group and its future prospects.
Source: www.bostonherald.com