New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 13-0

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - On a day that featured oddities such as a second-quarter delay to adjust the wind-tilted goal posts, two punts on third down (one by a quarterback), and an extra-point attempt that nearly took a U-turn back onto the field of play, Patriots coach Bill Belichick had little doubt as to the key play of the day.

So the coach, who was about eight minutes into his postgame news conference and hadn't been asked about it, interrupted his answer on a differen...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - OK, 11-5 wasn't enough, but after what the New England Patriots did this season, and especially in the final month, there is no reason for anyone to respect and/or love this team one iota less than if it had gone 16-0.

Never forget what happened to Tom Brady in Week 1. Never forget that this team was 7-5 with absolutely no margin for error in December. The Patriots needed help from either the Jets or Jaguars yesterday, and they did not get it. No on...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Yesterday's season-ending 13-0 victory over the Buffalo Bills was quite a rush for the Patriots.

With the windy conditions dictating offensive play-calling, the Patriots ran 47 times for 168 yards and a 2-yard touchdown by LaMont Jordan. Sammy Morris led the way with 24 carries for 85 yards, giving him a team-high 727 yards on the season.

The Patriots gained 2,278 yards on the ground, the team's most since 1985 (2,331) and the sixth-highest total...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Last season, the Patriots made history in their regular-season finale, becoming the first team to go 16-0. Yesterday, they made history once again with a regular-season-closing conquest, only this time it was of the unfortunate and disappointing kind.

The Patriots are out of the playoffs despite an 11-5 season, becoming the first team since the NFL switched to a six-playoff-spot-per-conference setup in 1990 to miss the postseason with 11 wins and on...