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The Buffalo Bills exercised some demons on this Halloween weekend, as they knocked off the New England Patriots 24-21 on Sunday. The Bills move to 6-2, closer to their first AFC East crown in over two decades. Meanwhile, the Patriots drop to 2-5, showing the passing of the divisional torch might have happened at Bills Stadium in Week 8.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Bills. In fact, the elements were far from that in Orchard Park. With the wind whipping a wind chill hovering at freezing, the offenses were forced to take to a rush-heavy attack to move the ball.
The Bills rushed the ball 38 times for 188 yards. Zack Moss was the day’s breakout performer, rushing 14 times for 81 yards, including his first two career rushing touchdowns. It was a game that Buffalo envisioned when they drafted Moss, as he provided downhill thumping rushes to complement the shifty Devin Singletary. For his part, Singletary had a nice afternoon, rushing for 87 yards on 14 carries.
In a theme that’s been a bit problematic for the Bills this year, the defensive line was shredded by New England’s offensive line. Patriots running back Damien Harris ran 16 times for 102 yards and finished a 22-yard rush for a touchdown largely unscathed. The Bills line struggled to limit rushing lanes.
However, when the game came down to its more important drive, the unit came up with the biggest play of the game. On New England’s final offensive drive, the Pats were moving the ball at will on the ground. On the 12th play of the drive, quarterback Cam Newton hit a hole and was on his way to another strong gain. But Bills defensive tackle Justin Zimmer tracked down Newton and forced a fumble from behind. Safety Dean Marlowe recovered the ball with 31 seconds remaining. Buffalo took possession at their 12-yard line. This play-of-the-game for the Bills was massive, as it ultimately put the W in Buffalo’s hands. It prevented a possible game-tying field goal attempt, or worse, a chance for the Patriots to find the end zone.
It was not the day for the aerial attack to stand out, and this was predicted leading into Sunday’s action. Still, quarterback Josh Allen was efficient, going 11-of-18 for 154 yards. His only miscue was an interception thrown in the direction of receiver Stefon Diggs, where it seems the pair weren’t on the same page. Even so, Diggs was the prime receiving target for Allen, as the wideout caught six passes for 92 yards, including a 41-yard catch-and-run to set up a Bills touchdown.
Jordan Poyer led the way with 11 solo tackles. Marlowe recorded 6 solo tackles, good for second-best on the afternoon. When two of the secondary players lead the team in tackles in a game that was far from an air raid explosion, there is some cause for worry.
Still, a win is a win. And, a win over the Patriots is sweet, no matter how it plays out. Buffalo made the big play when necessary. They did not settle for field goals, as in past weeks. Plus, 6-2 at the midpoint of the season is impressive for the squad. And with this win, they may put their long-time nemesis in a horrid position to make the playoffs. There’s still half of the season remaining, but there’s reason to feel that the AFC crown is Buffalo’s to lose.
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