It Counts as a W

As they lined up for what would be the winning field goal, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘They’ve got a new holder.’ After everything that had gone wrong, after all the mistakes that had already been made, missing a 35-yard game-winning field goal attempt just seemed to write itself.

Then it didn’t and Tom Brady had led the 36^th fourth quarter comeback of his HOF career.

 

Do we know how good we have it as Patriots fans? Tom Brady. Tom Freakin’ Brady. This is what it’s going to take in 2013. Brady being Brady. The numbers don’t really tell the story and TB12 had a rare gaffe with a fumble on the 4^th and Goal from the one-yard line but Tom was Terrific when he needed to be. He also had some help…

Who has Julian Edelman on their fantasy football team? Anyone? Who had Jules catching 7 on 9 targets for 79 yards and 2 TD?

Nobody, that’s who.

And all you haters; you didn’t see that second half from Danny Amendola coming, did you? Not after he tweaked his groin at the end of the first half. (He’s fragile, you know.) Amendola had at least three “did you see what just happened” catches; receptions I had to watch on slow-motion replay to see how he’d come up with the ball. He had 10 catches on 14 targets for 104 yards. Perhaps more importantly, 9 of those catches moved the chains; 7 of those 9 converted 3rd downs. 

For the season, Amendola’s on pace to catch 160 passes for 1,664 yards and (oddly) 0 TD. Edelman on the other hand is on pace for 32 TD catches.

Math is full of surprises.

Shane Vereen’s Marshall Faulk-esque slash lines of 14/101/0 rushing and 7/58/0 receiving produced an average of 7.5 yards per touch. To all the pigskin pundits and bobbleheads who were all up on Vereen’s jock after Danny Woodhead signed with San Diego: Good call. Vereen is on pace to gain 2,544 yards from scrimmage in 2013.

Overall, I’d say the defense played pretty well. They didn’t register a sack or an interception but they did pick up two fumble recoveries (thank you, Kyle Arrington!). They were solid on third down as Buffalo converted just 4 of 13 opportunities. The Patriots outdid the Bills on First Downs, Total Plays, Total Yards, Passing Yards, Rushing Yards and held a startling 15:26 advantage in time of possession (37:43 to 22:17). How was this game that close!?

Stephen Gostkowski deserves an also starring credit with 11 points that included a perfect three for three on FGA. (Remember when we worried about him during the preseason? How silly of us! Okay, yes, still worried.) He was a weapon on kick-offs as well. Buffalo could return but one of Gostkowski’s kick-offs for just 19 yards.

It wasn’t all sunshine and puppies, of course. As is usually the case in a 23-21, last-second win, there were moments of anguish and despair, too.

What happened to the much discussed chemistry between Kenbrell Thompkins and Tom Brady? What happened to Thompkins much ballyhooed ability to get off the line of scrimmage? Thompkins was wearing a Leodis McKelvin suit all afternoon long. He could manage just 4 catches on 14 targets. It will be interesting to see how Thompkins bounces back.

If he gets the chance to, of course.

Another guy to look for Thursday night is Stevan Ridley, who got the rest of the day off Sunday after his second fumble. And Zach Sudfeld only had one play of note against the Bills but it was freaky bad, resulting in an interception.

So, there it is. Some good. Some bad. Some Brady. And New England manages to take home the W.

I’ll take it.