New England Patriots: Four Takeaways From Win Over Buffalo Bills

Oct 12, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Robert Woods (10) catches a pass for a two point conversion as New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) and cornerback Logan Ryan (26) defend during the 2nd half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots beat the Bills 37-22. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots put together arguably their best win of the season yesterday, beating the Buffalo Bills by a score of 37-22. The Patriots were faced with a ton of adversity in this game, as they lost a few key players to injury, and at times looked like they would completely collapse.

Linebacker Jerod Mayo sustained a serious knee injury in the first half, while running back Stevan Ridley was lost also to a knee injury in the third quarter. Both of these players are key contributors to this team, specifically Mayo, who many regard as the heart and soul of New England’s defense. And while it certainly puts a damper on this win, the fact remains the Patriots this contest. When things began to unravel in the second quarter after Mayo went down, the Pats could have folded, and attributed the loss to all of the injuries throughout the game.

But they didn’t fold.

Led by Tom Brady, New England came back strong, slicing up Buffalo’s secondary in the second half, and getting another solid performance from their defense to grab sole possession of first place in the AFC East.

Here are my four biggest takeaways from the game.