The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 20–10 at Gillette Stadium to join the New York Jets at 6–3 for first place in the AFC East. The win marked the Patriots’ 10th straight win over the Bills.
Quarterback Matt Cassel, running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and wide receiver Wes Welker led the way for the New England offense while a team effort on defense held the Bills to only 168 net yards.
Cassel was not afraid of throwing the ball downfield on Sunday. Against the Colts the week before, Cassel didn’t throw a single ball in Randy Moss’s direction in the entire first half.
Against the Bills, Cassel found Moss for five catches and Wes Welker for 10. Cassel also ran for a 13-yard TD on New England’s opening possession.
“It was a zone coverage…it just opened up. It parted. It was a good feeling. Good way to start the game,” said Cassel about his run in his post-game press conference.
His scrambling ability will be something for future opposition to focus on. Cassel looked comfortable moving around the pocket as he ran for 22 yards on the day.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the man his teammates call “law firm” because of all his names, ran for 105 yards on 26 carries including one TD. The youngster from New Orleans is filling in for Lamont Jordan, Laurence Maroney, and Sammy Morris who all didn’t play.
Wes Welker set an interesting record on Sunday—he became the first NFL receiver to catch at least six balls in each of the first nine games of the season. Welker’s ability to gain yards after the catch is also inspiring considering he’s only 5’9” and 185 lbs.
“He’s a stud. He goes out and gives you 150% every single play. He’s a special guy. He’s never complacent. He continues to push himself to be better,” said Cassel.
The Bills, meanwhile, are mired in a slump. After a promising 4–0 start, they’ve lost four of their last five. Their ineptitude running the ball continued. They gained only 60 yards on the ground against the Pats, which was actually double what they gained against the Jets the week prior.
The Patriots second TD-scoring drive was a textbook example of controlling the clock. Beginning on their own eight-yard line, the Pats drove 92 yards in 19 plays, chewing up 9:19 of clock to take a 20–3 lead.
“That last drive was awesome. Took a lot of time off the clock. Good time management,” said Pats coach Bill Belichick.
Without a time-out the Bills could only watch Matt Cassel half-heartedly attempt the quarterback sneak for the TD as he ran time off the clock. Belichick explained that this was just another tactic to run time off the clock.
“That was the game right there,” said Belichick.
Ultimately, the Pats gave the ball to Green-Ellis for a deserved TD. The best form of defense is not allowing the opposing offense on the field—a masterful job by Bill Belichick and the Pats offense.
Thomas Jones ran for 149 yards and three TDs, Favre completed 74 percent of his passes including one TD, and Calvin Pace returned a fumble 50 yards for another TD. The Jets led 40–0 at the half.
“It was bad football all the way round. I can’t even describe it,” said a dejected Rams coach Jim Haslett.
The Jets now travel to face New England on Thursday night in a showdown for the AFC East lead. Buffalo and Miami (both at 5–4) are a game back after Miami hung on to beat the struggling Seattle Seahawks 21–19.
“Thursday night’s a quick turnaround. We’re always excited to play the Jets,” said Cassel.
Quarterback Matt Cassel, running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and wide receiver Wes Welker led the way for the New England offense while a team effort on defense held the Bills to only 168 net yards.
Cassel was not afraid of throwing the ball downfield on Sunday. Against the Colts the week before, Cassel didn’t throw a single ball in Randy Moss’s direction in the entire first half.
Against the Bills, Cassel found Moss for five catches and Wes Welker for 10. Cassel also ran for a 13-yard TD on New England’s opening possession.
“It was a zone coverage…it just opened up. It parted. It was a good feeling. Good way to start the game,” said Cassel about his run in his post-game press conference.
His scrambling ability will be something for future opposition to focus on. Cassel looked comfortable moving around the pocket as he ran for 22 yards on the day.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the man his teammates call “law firm” because of all his names, ran for 105 yards on 26 carries including one TD. The youngster from New Orleans is filling in for Lamont Jordan, Laurence Maroney, and Sammy Morris who all didn’t play.
Wes Welker set an interesting record on Sunday—he became the first NFL receiver to catch at least six balls in each of the first nine games of the season. Welker’s ability to gain yards after the catch is also inspiring considering he’s only 5’9” and 185 lbs.
“He’s a stud. He goes out and gives you 150% every single play. He’s a special guy. He’s never complacent. He continues to push himself to be better,” said Cassel.
The Bills, meanwhile, are mired in a slump. After a promising 4–0 start, they’ve lost four of their last five. Their ineptitude running the ball continued. They gained only 60 yards on the ground against the Pats, which was actually double what they gained against the Jets the week prior.
The Patriots second TD-scoring drive was a textbook example of controlling the clock. Beginning on their own eight-yard line, the Pats drove 92 yards in 19 plays, chewing up 9:19 of clock to take a 20–3 lead.
“That last drive was awesome. Took a lot of time off the clock. Good time management,” said Pats coach Bill Belichick.
Without a time-out the Bills could only watch Matt Cassel half-heartedly attempt the quarterback sneak for the TD as he ran time off the clock. Belichick explained that this was just another tactic to run time off the clock.
“That was the game right there,” said Belichick.
Ultimately, the Pats gave the ball to Green-Ellis for a deserved TD. The best form of defense is not allowing the opposing offense on the field—a masterful job by Bill Belichick and the Pats offense.
Jets Flying High
The New York Jets annihilated the visiting St. Louis Rams 47–3, recording their biggest margin of victory in team history. This win builds nicely on their impressive win in Buffalo last week.Thomas Jones ran for 149 yards and three TDs, Favre completed 74 percent of his passes including one TD, and Calvin Pace returned a fumble 50 yards for another TD. The Jets led 40–0 at the half.
“It was bad football all the way round. I can’t even describe it,” said a dejected Rams coach Jim Haslett.
The Jets now travel to face New England on Thursday night in a showdown for the AFC East lead. Buffalo and Miami (both at 5–4) are a game back after Miami hung on to beat the struggling Seattle Seahawks 21–19.
“Thursday night’s a quick turnaround. We’re always excited to play the Jets,” said Cassel.
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