Pats @ Bills First Half Thoughts

As the New England Patriots take a commanding 24-10 lead into halftime of their Week 8 road game against the Buffalo Bills, here are some first half thoughts.

A Sloppy Start- The Patriots defense came out and laid an egg on the Bills' opening drive of the game. With a slew of backups on the field, the Buffalo offense took to the ground to carve up the defense within the first few plays of the game. From there, quarterback Tyrod Taylor used his elusiveness in the backfield to avoid multiple rushers and find fullback Jerome Felton for a 22-yard connection inside the Pats' 10-yard line. New England did get bailed out in the end, as the Bills failed to get into the end zone and had to settle for three points. Nonetheless, it was a sloppy and somewhat surprising start for the Patriots defense.

Picking 'Em Up- While the New England defense got off to a bumpy start, allowing three point, the Patriots offense picked them right up with a dominant first drive of their own. Getting their first action on the day, the Patriots put together a methodical 14 play, 70 yard scoring drive. Led by quarterback Tom Brady, who completed seven of nine pass attempts for 54 yards on the drive, the team was a perfect four of four on third down conversions. With the team facing a third and eight from the nine, Brady used some nifty footwork to by an extra second and found receiver Danny Amendola in the front of the end zone for the score.

Keeping it going- The Pats offense kept rolling on their second drive, after receiving favorable field position due to a poor punt by Buffalo. On six plays, the Pats moved 45 yards down the field to get back into the end zone. This time, it was Brady showing off his big arm, as he fired back-to-back down field strikes to receivers Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan. The first pass, which went to Edelman, took the team down to the Buffalo 1-yard line and was a more dynamic play by Brady who was able to elude an aggressive Bills pass rush, though it was called back because of an ineligible lineman down field. The second deep ball was a picture perfect thing of beauty, however, as Brady hit Hogan in stride and over the top of the Buffalo defense for a 53-yard walk in score.

Converting On Third Down- The New England offense was extremely effective in the early going, as they converted their first five third down attempts. Four of those first five conversions came on the team's opening drive, with the fifth capping off their second drive. Both scores on the first two drives also came on third and long situations, as the Pats scored on a third and nine on their first drive and had the big play to score on third and 13 during their second series.

A Poor Sequence- The Patriots defense, once again, looked out of control midway through the third. With Buffalo struggling to hit on just about anything they dial up, the New England defense fell apart over a poorly play 6-play sequence. It all started when cornerback Eric Rowe was beaten on a deep ball and flagged for pass interference, which gave the Bills a first down in Patriots territory. From there, a  big connection between Taylor and running back Reggie Bush on a wheel route and a couple of issues in personnel for the Pats put Buffalo right back inside the New England 10. A power run from starting back Mike Gillislee got the Bills back on the board and capped just a disastrous stretch for Matt Patricia's defensive unit.

Put It In The Record Books- Though he had a somewhat quiet start to the day, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski ended up making history late in the second quarter. With just over four minutes remaining in the half, Gronk split right up the seem and beat one-on-one coverage, as he was hit in stride by a dart from Brady. Gronk corralled in the pass and put the burners on to complete the 53-yard touchdown and put himself atop the franchise's top all-time touchdown list with his 69th career score. No doubt, it was a memorable one for the All-Pro.

Another Strong Start- It was another hot start for Brady today, as the future Hall-of-Famer completed 14 of his 21 first half attempts for 202 yards and three scores. Brady was sacked twice, which derailed a couple of the team's drives, but he also was able to elude a number of staunch pass rushers and create opportunities down the field throughout the first two quarters. The 39-year-old also unleashed the deep ball and connected on two 53-yard scoring plays in the half.

Getting His Mojo Back- After five missed kicks to start the season, Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski has been perfect so fat today. The veteran kicker has nailed three extra point attempts and got a lucky bounce off the goal post at the end of the half to nail 51-yarder as time expired. Dealing with wind and some rain in Buffalo, Gostkowski looks like he might be figuring some things out.

A Chance To Double Dip- The Pats are now in prime position to do what they do best, double dip before and after the half. New England got the 51-yard field goal from Gostkowski to end the first half and will start the third quarter with the ball. Look for them to come out of the break firing with a chance to throw back-to-back scores on Buffalo before they can even get back on offense.