Despite being down 21-7 in the third quarter, the New England Patriots were able to recover and outscore the Buffalo Bills 45-7 the rest of the way to pick up a 52-28 win Sunday.
It would be the rushing attack of the Patriots that got the job done. Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden rushed for over 100 yards. After a slow start, Tom Brady recovered to throw for 340 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite targets were Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski, who both ended the day with over 100 yards receiving.
This second-half assault from the Patriots, which wound up with 580 total yards on the afternoon, led to five unanswered touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters.
Buffalo cut the deficit to 42-28 with 6:39 to play, but it was too much for them to overcome.
Fantasy Studs/Duds:
The Patriots had a day rushing the ball that hadn't been seen in decades. Stevan Ridley rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries while Brandon Bolden added 137 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown. It was the first time since 1982 that the Pats had a pair of running backs over 100 yards. Wes Welker had a huge second half, ending the game with nine receptions for 129 yards.
As for the Bills, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had 350 yards and four touchdowns, but hurt his value with four interceptions.
As for duds, those who put faith in the Buffalo rushing attack will be disappointed. Returning to the lineup, Fred Jackson was nearly non-existant, rushing for just 29 yards on 13 carries. C.J. Spiller also didn't do much, gaining 33 yards on eight carries.
Did they cover the spread?
The Patriots were favored by just 3.5 points, so they covered the spread easily.
Injury Update
The game did not feature many injuries, however the Patriots did lose LB Dont'a Hightower in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and he did not return to the game.
The Bills lost TE Scott Chandler and WR Donald Jones with head injuries, while rookie OL Cordy Glenn left the game with in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
Looking ahead
Next week the Patriots will return home to take on the Denver Broncos for another Peyton Manning/Tom Brady showdown. The Buffalo Bills will head on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers.
This story originally appeared at SB Nation.
