New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 31-17

OK, so now the Patriots are 3-0 on this exhib-, no, wait, these games actually count, don't they?

"It's weird," said tight end Christian Fauria. "It's Oct. 3, and it's our third game. It definitely felt like our first game of the season."

Looked like it, too. The first half, anyway. Before making the fourth-quarter plays that guaranteed yesterday's 31-17 conquest of the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots had submitted a very spotty first half. Had they not been playing a te...

Tom Brady walked out of the Patriots locker room and walked to the podium in the interview room at Ralph Wilson Stadium smiling, and why not? Though he's not supposed to think about it, the team he quarterbacks had just won its 18th straight game, a 31-17 triumph over the Bills, tying the record for the most consecutive wins including postseason games.

In some locker rooms that would have been cause for champagne streaming through the air, a celebration of a remarkable ...

Patriots left guard Stephen Neal is a good listener.

Neal yesterday remembered instructions from coach Bill Belichick that when a player is running after an opponent who is going toward the end zone, he should knock the ball toward the end zone because it'll be a touchback if it goes through it.

Yesterday in the fourth quarter, Neal was pursuing Buffalo's London Fletcher down the right sideline after Fletcher had picked up a loose ball when New England's David Givens...

Two plays. Two decisions. The difference between two teams.

Many things and not many things separated the New England Patriots from the Buffalo Bills yesterday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but two plays made clear why the Patriots have won their last 18 games while the Bills have now lost six straight and 10 of their last 12.

In a game linebacker Tedy Bruschi quite rightly called "really weird" the Patriots made the smart play and the Bills made the dumb play. The Patrio...