Here are the grades for the New England Patriots after Sunday’s 37-22 win over the Buffalo Bills to claim sole possession of first place in the AFC East.
Quarterback: Tom Brady is back and in full force as he threw for 361 yards to 10 different receivers. Brady came on strong, showing some impressive accuracy on what could have been his best pass of the game -- a perfect lob pass over the top to Rob Gronkowski down the right sideline. Grade: A
Running back: The Patriots struggled to establish the run game early and Stevan Ridley went down with a knee injury. Shane Vereen was unable to break free on third-down draw plays, as he had against Cincinnati. As a team, the Patriots averaged 2.3 yards per carry with Ridley at 2.3 and Vereen just 0.8. But give some credit to a tough Bills’ front. A flash of production from Brandon Bolden in relief for an injured Ridley was a nice surprise. Grade: D-
Wide receiver: As usual, Julian Edelman was the focal point of the Patriots’ receivers, but Sunday was a little different as two other receivers made their mark. A brilliant 43-yard touchdown catch by newly activated Brian Tyms in triple coverage was the highlight from the receivers. Brandon LaFell added in two big touchdown catches, including one late in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Grade: A
Tight ends: Gronkowski took a beating, but had an impressive game for the second consecutive week. If not for a holding call on Jordan Devey, Gronkowski would have recorded a touchdown as he put on a display of strength and body control to muscle his way into the end zone on a play that was called back. He also made a key play by helping the Patriots convert a late third-and-long to keep the chains moving when it was a one-score game. Tim Wright didn’t have another breakout performance, but he was wide open on his 1-yard touchdown catch. Grade: A-
Offensive line: Losing Dan Connolly was a major blow to the line as Devey was pressed into action. There were penalties, Nate Solder could not handle Jerry Hughes at all and the run blocking never got established. But the interior of the line held up decently against Buffalo’s elite defensive front, especially in pass protection. Grade: B-
Defensive line/linebackers: Led by Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones, the Patriots found a way to rush Kyle Orton after a slow start. Vince Wilfork was dominant in clogging up the middle in the run game with Casey Walker providing help. Jamie Collins recorded an early interception to get the defense going. And all this came despite losing Jerod Mayo to injury. The highlight was Deontae Skinner's delayed blitz where he looked like Mayo as he sacked Orton. On the downside, Bills tight end Scott Chandler diced up the linebacker coverage. Grade: A-
Defensive backs: Orton found a way to pass for 299 yards, but the Patriots locked down Sammy Watkins by playing Darrelle Revis on him. Devin McCourty made a huge play by forcing a fumble late in the second quarter to set up a Stephen Gostkowski field goal. Grade: B+
Special teams: Danny Aiken had a rough day with a false start that was followed up with a low snap that led to a missed field goal. Edelman’s first punt return should not have been fielded as he was lit up. Ryan Allen blew an opportunity to pin the Bills deep with his first punt, then kicked one short out of bounds. Gostkowski hitting a 53-yarder helps. Grade: C-
Coaching: The third-and-long draw plays to Vereen were not working, but offensively the Patriots had a great game plan. The run couldn’t be established, but the passing game was called on and executed to near perfection. The team was excited and played with intensity for the second straight week, and that’s a reflection of the coaching staff. Grade: B+
