With a last gasp drive that looked like it was inspired by a combination of the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers the Buffalo Bills snatched defeat out of the jaws once again as they lost to the New England Patriots Monday night in Foxborough  25-24. Buffalo had looked like they would end week one in the victory column as they were out-right dominating the Patriots 24-13 late in the fourth quarter. But that is when “Tom Terrific” aka New England QB Tom Brady showed that a season on the sidelines recovering from injury had not diminished that old fourth quarter magic.

Repeating the immortal words that Alexander Graham Bell said on the first telephone transmission “Watson come quickly I need you” got the offense in gear as Benjamin Watson caught two touchdowns to give the Patriots a 25-24 lead with 50 seconds left to play. The Patriots defense then shut down Trent Edwards sacking him at his own 30 yard line for a ten yard loss with 24 seconds left. The final play was a desperation drive of “hot potato” as Buffalo kept lateraling the ball trying to keep the play alive until a fumble ended  the game.

It was “Throw-Back Night” at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots wore their original colors of red and white and the old ”Pat The Patriot” emblem on the helmet.  Whether the uniforms had anything to do with it or not they played like the old hapless Boston Patriots for most of the game especially early on. 

Patriots fans knew it would be a long evening when their second drive ended unsuccessfully as “Mr. Reliable” New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a 41 yard field goal attempt as the ball went wide right. The Bills would have the lead at the end of the first after Edwards connected with Shawn Nelson for an 11 yard touchdown pass. After Rian Lindell kicked the extra  point Buffalo led 7-0.

New England knotted the game up at 7-7 when Fred Taylor ran one yard into the end-zone and Gostkowski got the point after with 6:22 left in the half. Buffalo capitalized big time on a Brady mistake as Aaron Schobel picked off an errant pass and ran into the Bills end-zone with a 26 yard touchdown. Lindell’s kick sailed through the uprights and Buffalo had a 14-7 advantage with 3:29 to go in the half. Gostkowski  kicked a 20 yard field goal at the end of the half however the Bills still held a 14-10 lead at the half.

Neither team could get on track offensively in the third quarter as the only points put on the board were courtesy of a Rian Lindell 40 yard field goal with 2:32 remaining in the period. Buffalo would enter the final quarter of play leading  the Patriots 17-10.

Gostkowski put New England within 4 points as he kicked a 28 yard field goal with 11:43 left in the game and cutting the Bills lead to 17-13. Edwards again showed poise behind center as he threw a ten yard dart to Fred Jackson and after Lindell kicked the point after things looked pretty good for the visitors as they had a 24-13 lead with 5;32 to play.

However as Patriots fans know all too well Brady seems to work magic with his back against the wall and time running out. With 2:06 to play Brady hit Benjamin Watson with an 18 yard touchdown pass; New England failed on a 2 point conversion but the lead had been shaved down to 24-19.  And then with 50 seconds  to play Brady sent a 16 yard touchdown pass to Watson and again the team failed to get the 2 point conversion however they had the lead for the first time in the contest 25-24.

Edwards  played good enough to get the win for the Bills as he completed 15/25 passes for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brady looked like he was in mid-season form as he completed 39/53 pass attempts for 378 yards  with 2 touchdowns and the 1 pick. New England will travel to take on division rivals the New York Jets with a 1-0 record; the Bills will have their home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into the contest 0-1.

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