(Sports Network) – Tom Brady threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-27 passing as New England reeled off its 14th straight win over Buffalo, 38-30, at Gillette Stadium.
Randy Moss struck for a pair of touchdown receptions for the Patriots (2-1), who have not lost to the Bills since a 31-0 defeat in Buffalo during Week 1 of 2003.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis finished with 98 yards and a score on 16 carries, Danny Woodhead rushed for a touchdown and Rob Gronkowski contributed a TD reception.
"A good win, a good division win. We did some good things out there, but we're far from perfect," said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. "We had our moments where we did the good things real well, but we're still looking for more consistency."
Ryan Fitzpatrick was 20-of-28 for 247 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bills (0-3), who have lost the season's first three games for the first time since 2007.
C.J. Spiller posted a 95-yard kickoff return with a touchdown reception, while Steve Johnson caught a TD pass and Marshawn Lynch had 79 rushing yards on 13 attempts.
Trailing by a point early in the third quarter, Rian Lindell missed a 51- yard field goal attempt wide left. The Patriots took control on their own 41, and a 59-yard drive lasting more than seven minutes was capped on Gronkowski's five-yard scoring reception for a 31-23 game.
New England took a 38-23 lead with 8:19 to play as Green-Ellis scored from seven yards out to finish a 75-yard drive in just under 6 1/2 minutes.
Buffalo kept pressing and got within 38-30 on the next drive when Fitzpatrick connected with Johnson for a 37-yard TD with 4:08 to go. Despite an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Johnson, the Bills tried a squib kick from their own 15 but failed, and the Pats took over on the visitors' 49.
That drive stalled, and after a punt, the Bills started on their own 35 with 3:04 left. Fitzpatrick, though, was picked off by Brandon Meriweather on the first play.
Green-Ellis picked up a pair of first downs before Brady took a knee to work off the remaining time.
"I thought we went out an executed some things well today. We just gotta build on them, we can't just sit still," said Bills head coach Chan Gailey. "We gave up too much of an edge to them running the football. Offensively, we did a lot of good, and I can feel it, we're going to have a good day real soon."
Lindell capped Buffalo's first drive of the game with a 39-yard field goal, then New England responded on its initial series on a seven-yard TD connection from Brady to Moss.
Another make from Lindell from 39 yards out drew the Bills within 7-6 early in the second.
After a Brandon Tate fumble on the Pats' next series, Buffalo got the ball on the home team's 37. Seven plays later, Spiller took a swing pass five yards for a score and 13-7 Bills lead with 6:13 left in the half.
New England kept it on the ground for most of the next drive, and Woodhead capped it with a 22-yard TD run for a one-point Pats edge.
Lindell was able to hit a 34-yarder to give the Bills a 16-14 edge on the next series, but Stephen Gostkowski closed out the half with a 43-yarder to give the Patriots a one-point bulge at the break.
Brady hit Moss for a 35-yard touchdown strike to cap the first drive of the second half, but Spiller took the kickoff back 95 yards to make it 24-23.
Game Notes
The Patriots' streak over Buffalo is tied for the third-longest winning streak by one team against another...Miami won 14 in a row over the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts from 1980-87...Moss has 151 career touchdown receptions, ranking second only to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (197)...New England plays at Miami next Monday night, and Buffalo hosts the Jets next Sunday...The Bills defense had to play without linebacker Paul Posluszny once more...The Patriots activated Woodhead for the game, signed after the Jets released him when Kevin Faulk went down with a season-ending injury.