RUNNING MAN: Tom Brady eludes the Bills’ Spencer Johnson and runs for a touchdown in the Patriots’ 52-28 dismantling of Buffalo yesterday in Orchard Park. Brady also passed for 340 yards and three touchdowns. (Reuters)
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — There’s nothing wrong with Tom Brady and the Patriots that a game against their familiar AFC East patsies — the Bills — can’t fix.
Not even after Brady and Co. spotted them a 14-point, third-quarter lead.
Brady responded by directing six straight touchdown drives in the second half yesterday en route to a 52-28 blowout in Orchard Park.
It was a game in which the Patriots (2-2) produced 580 total yards, forced six turnovers and avoided their first three-game losing streak in 10 years.
“Down 21-7 and on the road, backs against the wall, and I thought we showed a lot of heart,” Brady said. “That’s what this team is made of.”
Brady finished 22 of 36 for 340 yards and three touchdowns, plus one rushing. The 580 yards was the fourth-most in team history.
Cornerback Devin McCourty had two interceptions in keying a defense that forced six turnovers and had three sacks.
Running back Stevan Ridley scored twice. Wes Welker had nine catches for 129 yards, and tight end Rob Gronkowski had five for 104 yards and a touchdown as both players bounced back from first-half fumbles.
“You can’t panic,” Gronkowski said. “When you panic, nothing good happens from there. We just stuck to the game plan.”
The comeback began immediately after Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Donald Jones for a 68-yard touchdown pass on the Bills first possession of the second half.
Brady responded with an eight-play, 80-yard drive by hitting Danny Woodhead for a 17-yard touchdown. After tying the game with a 4-yard run, Brady capped a five-play 63-yard drive by hitting Gronkowski with a 28-yard touchdown pass.
The Patriots scored 35 points in a span of 12:41 in building a 42-21 lead over the Bills (2-2).
Texans 38, Titans 14
In Houston, the Texans’ defense made as many plays as the offense, and the formula has the team off to its best start ever.
Danieal Manning and Kareem Jackson returned interceptions for touchdowns and Matt Schaub threw two TD passes as the Texans drubbed the Titans.
Arian Foster also had a touchdown run for the Texans (4-0). Even though they were outgained 325-297 by the Titans (1-3), the Texans’ defense came through with big plays in the third quarter to clinch the win.
Titans quarterback Jake Locker left in the first quarter and did not return after hurting his left, non-throwing shoulder on a hit by Glover Quin. Locker hurt the same shoulder in the season opener against New England.
Tennessee coach Mike Munchak said Locker was “sore” and would undergo an MRI today.