Stats on Pats Weekly By Ian Abreu, southcoast247.com correspondent
Week XIV Wrap-up
As excited as I am about this mini two game winning streak New England has posted, I must smartly sit back and realize that they've beaten two horrible teams. Last week against New York, they played a team that has absolutely no leadership what so ever, with a quarterback (Brooks Bollinger) that looks like he belongs playing D3 college football; and this past week, they pounced on yet another team (Buffalo, 35-7) that is in utter disarray. Bills (4-9) head coach Mike Mularkey's head is on the chopping block, star wide-our Eric Moulds is being benched, and starting quarterback J.P. Losman doesn't seem to have any clue what so ever in what the purpose of an offense is actually for--not trying to be too negative, of course.
Offense Racks Points, Chews Game Clock
Despite injuring his left leg on a 3-yard touchdown scramble, Pats QB Tom Brady played through the pain and looked really sharp, completing 29 of 38 pass attempts with two touchdowns. He did, however, throw two picks. "Overall, Tom did a nice job," New England (8-5) head coach Bill Belichick said. Tom's supporting cast answered the challenge as well, with reigning Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch coming down with five catches for 83 yards, while "Big" Ben Watson snagged some big grabs of his own. I don't know about you Pats fans, but it's a sight for soar eyes to see all-purpose running back Corey Dillon looking like the Dillon who rushed for over 1600 yards just a mere season ago. Dillon bursted for 102 yards on just 22 carries with one touchdown yesterday. Back-up full back/half back Mike Cloud chipped in with a decent effort as well, scampering for 24 yards on just nine carries. Give both backs credit, running on a snowy/slippery turf is always a tough task; both, especially Dillon, handled the conditions well. But that doesn't surprise us, does it? I mean, this is the New England Patriots.
Defense Looks Strong, Bills Offense Looks Like a Pop-Warner Team
As stated earlier, current Bills QB J.P. Losman looked horrible all afternoon, going 10 of 27 with three interceptions and one touchdown pass. The Pats defensive backs looked like the defensive corps we've come to know and love over the course of the last four years, with Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, and James Sanders all chipping in with key interceptions. As poor as the Buffalo's passing game looked, their running game looked even worse, with Willis McGahee's three yards on eight carries. I'm sure Barry Sanders will be jealous of that performance...
Excellent Coaching by Belichick, Mangini
Well, you have to credit both Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Eric Mangini. With three starters out and another uncertain roster by game day, both coaches did what they to do in order to prepare their boys for Sunday's show down. Taking Brady out and replacing him with back up Doug Flutie with seven minutes left was a smart move, too. With a soar leg and up over 20 points, there was absolutely no need to keep Tom out there.
That'll wrap up another edition for Stats on Pats. Don't forget Patriots fans, they play this Saturday, not Sunday at 1:30 p.m. as the boys in blue hook up with those pesky Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are at 9-4 right now, coming off an emotional 20-10 win over divisional rivals the Carolina Panthers. Everyone keeps saying how quarterback Chris Sims is the real deal; let's see what he can do in 20 degree weather, that's all I have to say. Side note, this is the first time that Bucs head coach John Gruden has been back in Foxboro since the infamous "Snow-Bowl" game over three years ago. Back then, he was dawning the silver and black as the head knocker for the Oakland Raiders.
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As excited as I am about this mini two game winning streak New England has posted, I must smartly sit back and realize that they've beaten two horrible teams. Last week against New York, they played a team that has absolutely no leadership what so ever, with a quarterback (Brooks Bollinger) that looks like he belongs playing D3 college football; and this past week, they pounced on yet another team (Buffalo, 35-7) that is in utter disarray. Bills (4-9) head coach Mike Mularkey's head is on the chopping block, star wide-our Eric Moulds is being benched, and starting quarterback J.P. Losman doesn't seem to have any clue what so ever in what the purpose of an offense is actually for--not trying to be too negative, of course.
