New England Patriots: Four Takeaways From Win Over Buffalo Bills
By Cyrus Geller
Oct 12, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell (19) runs the ball in for a touchdown during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. New England beats Buffalo 37 to 22. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
3. Tom Brady’s passing offense is far from dead (AND THEY CAN GO VERTICAL!!!!)
Two weeks ago, after the Patriots got their butt whooped by the Kansas City Chiefs, everybody was convinced the sky was falling on the Patriots. For some odd reason, football analysts decided it was a wise idea to bet against Tom Brady, and claim his offense was finally dead and buried.
Well, they were wrong.
Going up against the best pass rush in football, Brady stood tall, weathered a rough first half, and then obliterated Buffalo in the final two quarters. When Brady gets time to throw the ball, he has plenty of mismatches to attack. Brandon LaFell and Brian Tyms finally brought back the vertical element to this aerial assault, as they each caught 40+ yard touchdowns. When this Patriots team has someone that can take the top off of a defense, that makes them virtually unstoppable (provided Brady has time to throw). LaFell and Brady have developed a nice little rapport through six games, which is nice to see, after years of Brady constantly rejecting receivers that try to come in and make an impact.
Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski abused Buffalo between the numbers, combining for 16 catches, and 185 yards. I think it is safe to say that Gronk is officially recovered from his knee surgery, as he was out there taking big shots, and dominating the Bills like none other. When healthy, Gronkowski is the second best mismatch in the league (behind Calvin Johnson), and he put that on full display against an overmatched Buffalo defense.
The point is this: The New England Patriots’ offense is not even close to washed up. If that offensive line can protect Brady against Buffalo, they can do it against anybody. And with Gronkowski healthy, and two explosive weapons on the outside, Brady has plenty of toys to work with when attacking different defenses.
Watch out for the Patriots.