The New England Patriots improve to 7-5 with a huge 25-21 victory over the Buffalo Bills at Foxboro Stadium.
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Trailing 21-17 with just under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Patriots offense tore a page from their Monday night victory over the Miami Dolphins by orchestrating an 82 yard drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown reception by TE Ben Coates. The 2-point conversion by Adam Vinatieri was successful giving the Patriots the 25-21 win.
Drew Bledsoe - who started the game despite nursing a broken index finger on his throwing hand - connected with WR Shawn Jefferson for ten yards on a 4th-and-nine play from the Bills 36.
On the next play, Bledsoe - who was working with only eight seconds remaining in the quarter - saw his pass intended for WR Terry Glenn in the front-corner of the endzone fall incomplete while time expired. However, the officials ruled that Bills defender Henry Jones interfered with Glenn. That gave the Patriots a first-and-goal at the one.
New England jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but saw the Bills counter with 21-points to the Patriots three. Buffalo grabbed their first lead of the game thanks to a 14-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off with a four-yard TD catch by WR Andre Reed from QB Doug Flutie. Flutie, making his return to Foxboro Stadium, played phenomenal despite the loss completing 21-of-39 passes for 339 yards and two TD's.
Flutie's first TD pass of the game came at the 10:57 mark of the third quarter. He connected with Eric Moulds over the middle and the third-year WR went the distance with the Flutie pass, completing the 84-yard scoring play and bringing Buffalo within two points of the Patriots 14-12
