Defensive guru Rex Ryan, the much heralded top-shelf Buffalo Bills defense (and the Bills’ “noisy 12th man”), held Tom Brady and the Patriots to a pathetic 500 plus yards of total offense and only 40 points.
Who says talking smack doesn’t pay-off in the NFL?
If that rookie offensive line of the Patriots had been more focused, and his receivers hands a bit more quick, Brady could have passed for over 500 yards, instead of for 466, and added four or more touchdown passes to his 2015 season total instead of just three.
As it was the Bills had to settle for an 8 point loss as New England beat them anyway, 40-32.
Turnovers were a factor. The Bills had more of them. Tyrod Taylor was sacked 8 times to Brady’s two, the last of which resulted in a Bills’ fourth quarter breath of life touchdown that made a come from behind win appear possible. But that “weak” Patriots secondary captured three interceptions, one in the final minutes, and kept long, yard-consuming strikes by the Bills to a minimum.
The Patriots did leave a lot of plays on the field. They did fail to execute on key plays that were well within the scope of their ability. Balls were dropped that should have been caught. Tackles should have been made that were missed. And that can be said of both sides in every game. But one of the biggest factor early in the game, particularly for Buffalo, was the 13th man. The boogie man.
Smack-talk feeds your ego but not your brain and when Buffalo was on the field brains were too often in short supply. Buffalo racked up more penalties than points, getting nabbed early and often for extracurricular pushing and shoving. It was sloppy and undisciplined.
The Pats had their share of penalties too, but not because their ba**s had replaced their brains.
Ryan’s team has tons of potential but if they can’t get their heads-out of their a**es they’ll be the most talented 8-8 or 9-7 team in a division where being anything less than 11-5 means watching the playoffs from the VIP lounge after a round of golf instead of suited up on the sidelines.
To their credit, the Bills, and Ryan in particular, accepted the blame. Even when you have talent if you are out-coached out played you learn and improve. Buffalo has promised to do just that. I expect that they will.
