ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - When the Patriots knocked off the Redskins, 52-7, three weeks ago, the rumble from the visitors' locker room in Gillette Stadium was that New England was running up the score when it went for it on fourth down with a 38-0 lead. They were the same whispers heard at Miami Oct. 21 when Tom Brady was passing in the fourth quarter of a game that was out of hand.
Last night, the Patriots were ahead, 35-7, in the third quarter and faced a fourth and 1 on the Bills' 3. Field goal? No. A Brady touchdown pass to Ben Watson? Yes.
On their next series, with a 42-10 lead and just more than a minute left in the third quarter, the Patriots had a fourth and 1 on the Bills' 10. Field goal? No. A Brady pass to Randy Moss for 3 yards? Yes. Two plays later, Kyle Eckel scored on a 1-yard run for a 49-10 lead.
But instead of the hurt feelings that were coming out of the Redskins locker room, there was nothing but respect from the Bills after last night's 56-10 loss to New England.
"Sure, it gets to you," Bills free safety George Wilson said. "There was a situation like this against the Redskins a few weeks ago and some spoke up. I'm not going to do that. This is a 60-minute game and if they want to go for it on fourth down you've got to strap it up and stop it. This ain't no pity party. In this league there is no remorse."
"I don't feel bad about it," echoed Buffalo strong safety Donte Whitner. "This is football. Our job is to stop it if they want to go for it. There's nothing against them. They play hard, they play the whole game. I don't begrudge them. You have to stop it."
The Bills weren't close to stopping the Patriots, whether it was fourth down, first down, or whatever down last night. A Buffalo defense that had allowed 48 points in its last four games, all wins, was no match for Brady and Moss as the New England offense accounted for 49 points in a little more than three quarters. A Bills' turnover set up New England's first score but it was Brady to Moss on a 43-yarder on third and 12 that made it 14-0 and set the tone.
"We're a proud group," said Wilson, who was left alone against Moss on the play. "I don't want to be the guy who lets us down."
That was the first of Brady's four touchdown passes to Moss, who had 10 receptions for 128 yards. Brady finished with 373 yards, completing 31 of 39 attempts with no interceptions.
"Brady is the best in the league," Whitner said. "They are a great team."
The Bills have seen the Patriots twice this season, losing, 38-7, in Week 3, and have a good perspective on their division opponent and its potential to go undefeated.
"To beat them you have to be perfect," said Wilson. "Coach [Bill] Belichick knows how to keep them humble and keep them hungry. They kept coming at us. It can be a humbling game."
Said Bills general manager Marv Levy: "They are the best I have seen in a long, long time."
When it was over, the Patriots had scored 56 points, tying a team record, and the most by a road team in the NFL since 1973.
"I haven't seen a lot of people slow them down," Bills coach Dick Jauron said. "We knew that if we weren't on our game, it could get out of hand. It got out of hand pretty early. I have no problem with them. Our job is to stop them. Their job is to play. That's football."
