Thank you Buffalo for being the Bills. Just when you had the Patriots right where you wanted them, you found a way to blow a game that appeared well in hand. They should know by now that you don’t give New England chance after chance after chance.
With that being said, there was enough bad to write a novel. A quick review:
Short Feels Long: Short yardage conversions on the ground were atrocious. They were under 50 percent in four yards or less situations.
Gallo-where: Joey Galloway was targeted twice, and both passes were nowhere near him. Of the new arrivals, only TE Chris Baker caught any of Tom Brady’s 39 passes.
Feeling His Way: It took him a while, but Brady found his rhythm in the second half. After completing 59 percent of his passes in the first half, Brady raised his game to 84 percent for 219 yards and two scores. His confidence in his knee will grow as the season progresses.
Deep Pockets: The pass rush showed up late in the game, but for the most part it was non-existent. They rarely collapsed the pocket, giving Trent Edwards plenty of time to dissect the secondary.
Standing 8: The secondary actually wasn’t that bad, considering they were left out to dry by an absent pass rush. Good to see S Brandon Merriweather and CB Leigh Bodden willing to hit.
Tap Shoes to Cleats: Laurence Maroney didn’t have many carries, but he didn’t play around. Almost every step was forward with no stuttering. Looks like Fred Taylor is rubbing off on Maroney in a good way.
Go for two: 1. Just wanna give props to LB Pierre Woods for forcing the fumble that led to the game-winning touchdown. You go boy! 2. Watching the Patriots in the vintage uniforms had me thinking of Ray Agnew, Fred Marion, Pat Harlow, and Robert Perriman instead of the current players. Update the jersey to the 80’s version and change the facemask from gray to red, and you have the best uniform in the league with the greatest team sports logo in the history of sports.
Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.
