New England Patriots: The Top 5 Moments Of The 2014 Season

Oct 12, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin (21) tackles New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) during the game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

5. Resiliency In Buffalo

After getting obliterated on the road against the Chiefs, the Patriots came back and put together a nice performance against Cincinnati the following week to get their mojo back. But what a lot of people forget is New England was on the ropes the following week in Buffalo. If the Pats had lost that game, and fallen to 3-3, I highly doubt this season ends up like it did.

With the Patriots up 7-0 midway through the second quarter, linebacker Jerod Mayo was injured on a Boobie Dixon run up the middle. Mayo was the Pats’ defensive leader, and one of the best linebackers in the league, and when he exited on a cart, you could tell the Patriots just weren’t on the same emotional level.

The Bills proceeded to march right down the field, and tie the game up at 7 apiece. New England could have folded, and just waited until they got back to the cozy confines of Gillette Stadium to regroup. But instead, they showed some championship resolve, and rallied to get a big win on the road in a hostile environment.

Tom Brady finished he game with 361 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero picks. The offense began to click, and were running one of the best defenses in the league out of their own building. This game was one of the big turning points of the year for the Patriots, and it showed they were championship-caliber.

(As a sidenote, Stevan Ridley also went down in this one, but the Pats rallied after that as well. Lot’s of adversity faced against the Bills, and New England recovered nicely).