Game notes

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- A few final game notes, courtesy of the Patriots' media relations staff:

PATRIOTS TIE FRANCHISE SINGLE-GAME SCORING RECORD
With 56 points against the Bills, the Patriots tied the highest single-game point total in franchise history, equaling the 56 points scored in a 56-3 victory over the New York Jets on Sept. 9, 1979. Of the 10 highest-scoring games in the Patriots franchise’s 718-game history, four have come this season – a 52-7 win over Washington (10/28/07), a 49-28 win over Miami (10/21/07) and a 48-27 win over Dallas (10/14/07), in addition to the 56-10 victory over Buffalo tonight. New England’s 46-point margin of victory over the Bills is the second largest in franchise history, trailing only their 53-point margin in their 56-3 win over the Jets in 1979.

PATRIOTS SET SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE TOUCHDOWN RECORD
With eight touchdowns against Buffalo, the Patriots raised their season total to 54 touchdowns, setting a new single-season team record. New England’s previous team record was 52 touchdowns, achieved in 1961 and in 1980. The NFL record for most touchdowns by a team in a single season is 70, achieved by the 1984 Miami Dolphins.

PATRIOTS BECOME 10th TEAM SINCE 1970 MERGER TO START 10-0
The Patriots improved to 10-0, extending the best start in franchise history and becoming the 10th team since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger to begin a season with at least 10 consecutive victories. New England has won 13 straight regular season games dating back to last season, compiling the second longest regular-season winning streak in team history, trailing only their NFL record 18 straight regular-season wins from 2003-04. The Patriots are the first team since the 2005 Indianapolis Colts to start a season 10-0 and join the 1990 New York Giants, the 1990 San Francisco 49ers, the 1991 Washington Redskins, the 1998 Denver Broncos and the 2005 Colts as the only teams to accomplish the feat in the last 20 years.

510 TOTAL NET YARDS MOST SINCE 1979
The Patriots gained 510 total net yards, marking the franchise’s highest total in 28 years. The Patriots’ offensive output was the highest since New England gained a franchise-record 597 total net yards in a 56-3 win over the New York Jets on Sept. 9, 1979. The Patriots’ 510 total net yards against the Bills are the fourth highest total in franchise history, trailing only their 1979 total and also a 529-yard performance on Oct. 29, 1978 and a 526-yard output on Dec. 18, 1965.

411 POINTS IN 2007
Through 10 games, the Patriots have score a total of 411 points, marking the sixth highest single-season point total in franchise history. New England’s 411 points are the most since the Patriots scored 437 points in 2004. New England is averaging 41.1 points per game. The all-time NFL record for a full season is 38.8 points per game, achieved by the 1950 Los Angeles Rams. The post-merger record is 34.8 points per game, achieved by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. Through 10 games, the Patriots have scored 411 points and have allowed 157 for a net differential of 254 points. That total already ranks ninth all-time in NFL history (since the league was founded in 1920). The NFL record for total point differential is 292, achieved by the 1942 Chicago Bears (376 points scored, 84 points allowed).

MOSS TIES RECORD WITH FOUR TOUCHDOWN CATCHES IN FIRST HALF
Randy Moss’s four touchdown receptions in the first half tie an NFL record for the most touchdown catches before halftime. The last NFL player to achieve the feat was Roy Green of the St. Louis Cardinals, who did it against Seattle on Nov. 13, 1983. The other players to achieve the feat were Miami’s Paul Warfield (12/15/73), Harold Jackson of the L.A. Rams (10/14/73) and Green Bay’s Don Hutson (10/7/45).

BRADY: HIGH YARDAGE TOTAL, HIGH TD TOTAL
Tom Brady totaled 373 passing yards and had five touchdown passes tonight. His 373 passing yards are the third highest of his career, trailing only his 410 yards against Kansas City on Sept. 22, 2002 and his 388 yards at Dallas on Oct. 14, 2007. His five touchdown passes tie the second highest total of his career (also achieved at Dallas on Oct. 14, 2007) and trail only his franchise-record six scoring tosses at Miami on Oct. 21, 2007.

WATSON GRABS SIXTH TOUCHDOWN OF SEASON
Benjamin Watson caught his sixth touchdown pass of the season, a 3-yard scoring grab from Tom Brady to give the Patriots a 42-7 lead. The touchdown catch was Watson’s first since Oct. 7, when he had two scoring catches in a victory over Cleveland. Watson’s six touchdown receptions are a single-season career high, topping his four scoring grabs in 2005. Watson’s six touchdown catches are the most by a Patriots tight end since Daniel Graham had seven scoring grabs in 2005.

WELKER SETS SINGLE-SEASON CAREER HIGH
With his seventh catch of the night – a 24-yard reception in the third quarter – Wes Welker set a new single-season career high with his 68th reception of the season. Welker’s previous career high was 67 receptions, achieved in 2006 with the Miami Dolphins.