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A20    SPORTS
              Wednesday 31 OctOber 2018
                                                                      McCourty's pick-6 seals



                                                                      Patriots' 25-6 win over Bills





                                                                      ORCHARD  PARK,  N.Y.  (AP)  team out. This was a game  What hurts more is McCoy
                                                                      —  Devin  McCourty  was  where  they  were  moving  knowing  how  the  offense
                                                                      pleased that the New Eng-    the  ball  and  couldn't  get  has let down the defense.
                                                                      land Patriots defense didn't  into  the  end  zone,"  Mc-  "It's  not  fair  to  them,"  he
                                                                      have to play second fiddle  Courty  said.  "We  had  to  said.  "I  didn't  expect  to
                                                                      to  Tom  Brady  and  Co.  for  make  sure  Buffalo  didn't  have no season like this. I'm
                                                                      once.                        get  in  the  end  zone,  and  not really playing well at all.
                                                                      With  the  Patriots  leaning  once it cracked, we had to  We're  not  doing  much  on
                                                                      more  on  Stephen  Gost-     take advantage of it."       offense."
                                                                      kowski's  leg  than  Brady's  The interception proved to  Credit  the  Bills'  defense
                                                                      arm against the Buffalo Bills  be the turning point in what  for  not  playing  the  role  of
                                                                      on Monday night, McCour-     had  been  a  tightly  con-  the  expected  pushover
                                                                      ty stepped up and returned  tested game in which New  against a Brady-led offense
            Buffalo  Bills  quarterback  Derek  Anderson,  right,  fumbles  the   an interception 84 yards to  England  settled  for  four  that had scored 38 or more
            ball on a hit by New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy   secure a 25-6 victory.  Gostkowski field goals, and  points  in  each  of  its  past
            during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct.   "The  last  couple  of  games  after  James  White  scored  four games.
            29, 2018, in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Patriots recovered the fumble
            on the play.                                              it  was  our  offense  scoring  on a 1-yard to make it 18-6  "You  come  out  and  you
                                                     Associated Press  and  us  trying  to  keep  the  with 9:58 left.          hold  those  guys  to  one
                                                                                                   The  Bills  responded  with  touchdown  and  still  can't
                                                                                                   what  was  initially  ruled  a  get a win. It's tough, man,"
                                                                                                   touchdown,  when  tight  Bills cornerback Tre'Davious
                                                                                                   end  Jason  Croom  ap-       White said.
                                                                                                   peared  to  make  a  div-    Stephen   Hauschka     ac-
                                                                                                   ing,  one-handed  catch  in  counted for the scoring by
                                                                                                   the end zone. The 25-yard  hitting  field  goals  from  51
                                                                                                   catch  was  negated  when  and 47 yards.
                                                                                                   replays   showed    Croom  "It's   clearly   not   good
                                                                                                   never had possession.        enough," coach Sean Mc-
                                                                                                   Two  plays  later,  McCourty  Dermott said of his sputter-
                                                                                                   jumped  in  front  of  Derek  ing  offense.  "I  thought  the
                                                                                                   Anderson's  attempt  to  hit  defense  came  out  and
                                                                                                   tight end Charles Clay over  played  well  at  times.  Of-
                                                                                                   the middle.                  fensively, we shot ourselves
                                                                                                   "Those are bonus points. It's  in the foot a little bit there,
                                                                                                   hard  to  count  on  those,"  and just couldn't get it go-
                                                                                                   Patriots  coach  Bill  Belich-  ing enough."
                                                                                                   ick said. "It was a big play  Anderson finished 22 of 39
                                                                                                   for us. They were driving in  for 290 yards and two inter-
                                                                                                   the red area and it turned  ceptions. He was escorted
                                                                                                   it around."                  off  the  field  with  1:25  left
                                                                                                   Buffalo lost its third straight  when  he  was  sacked  by
                                                                                                   and  dropped  to  2-6  for  its  Kyle Van Noy. He was mak-
                                                                                                   worst  start  since  opening  ing his second start in place
                                                                                                   the 2010 season with eight  of  rookie  Josh  Allen,  who's
                                                                                                   losses. The Bills offense con-  listed as week to week with
                                                                                                   tinued  its  anemic  ways  a  sprained  elbow  on  his
                                                                                                   in  being  held  to  under  7  throwing arm.
                                                                                                   points  for  the  fourth  time  Brady  finished  29  of  45  for
                                                                                                   this  season  —  once  more  324  yards,  but  was  held
                                                                                                   than that's happened from  without a touchdown pass
                                                                                                   2013-17. Buffalo has scored  for the first time this season.
                                                                                                   just  two  touchdowns  in  its  "They made it tough on us,"
                                                                                                   past five outings, a stretch  he  said.  "We  couldn't  get
                                                                                                   in  which  it  has  been  out-  anything  going  in  the  red
                                                                                                   scored  by  a  margin  of  zone,  not  enough  positive
                                                                                                   116-37.   Running    back  plays down there."
                                                                                                   LeSean McCoy took the of-    Brady  continued  his  string
                                                                                                   fense's struggles personally.  of career-long dominance
                                                                                                   Though  he  had  a  team-    over  the  Bills  by  improving
                                                                                                   best  82  yards  receiving,  to  29-3,  extending  the  NFL
                                                                                                   McCoy finished with just 13  record  for  most  wins  by  a
                                                                                                   yards  rushing  and  has  yet  quarterback  against  one
                                                                                                   to score this season.        opponent.
                                                                                                   "I'm 30 years old. I've been  The Patriots beat Buffalo for
                                                                                                   playing  since  high  school.  the  seventh  straight  time
                                                                                                   This  stuff  has  never  hap-  and  improved  to  32-5  in
                                                                                                   pened  to  me.  Yeah  it's  their last 37 meetings under
                                                                                                   tough," he said.             coach Bill Belichick.q
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