What a game. The Bills deserved better. Up 11 with about 5 minutes to play.  The fumbled kickoff return was a dagger, but man, what a finish.

You have to give major props to that young Buffalo offensive line. Heroic performance. Alex Van Pelt, in his first game as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator, was superb. Interesting that his first game in that role came on a night when Jon Gruden made his Monday Night Football broadcast debut (regular season anyway); Van Pelt tried to get a quality control job on Gruden’s staff a few years back.

New England dominated the stats, but had issues. The offensive line was erratic, Tom Brady, working back after missing virtually all of 2008, wasn’t stepping through all his throws and the underneath game with Wes Welker wasn’t clicking. The Patriots run defense was spotty and they didn’t finish offensive drives with near the precision we are used to … Up until the final two possessions, of course, when they were clinical and merciless.

You have to think this is a result that has the potential to linger. The Pats might get a springboard and the Bills, to lose such a heartbreaker, man, I have to wonder about a letdown.

All props to the Buffalo organization, though, most of all, for rising to the challenge, and playing with such gusto after what was an unusual preseason. If that young offensive line plays with such aggression, and Fred Jackson can be so menacing in the passing game, they might prove a lot of people wrong (me included).

Posted in: Jason La Canfora  | comments  |