SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 25, 2011
Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 27 of 40 passes for 369 yards and two touchdowns and Rian Lindell kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired as the Buffalo Bills snapped a 15-game losing streak to New England with a 34-31 victory over the Patriots on Sunday.
Fred Jackson rushed for 74 yards and a score and the Bills intercepted Tom Brady four times – leading to 24 points – in overcoming a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Buffalo (3-0), which overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Oakland Raiders last week, battled all the way back to take the lead in the second half against New England before clinching the win on Lindell’s chip shot.
Brady’s four interceptions marked the most for the reigning MVP since November 2006 against the Indianapolis Colts. He threw four picks all of last season.
Wes Welker had 16 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns for the Patriots (2-1).
Brady was on target early in the game, hitting Welker and Rob Gronkowski twice for touchdowns. Fitzpatrick was off target in the first half, throwing a pair of interceptions as New England jumped out to a big lead.
But Buffalo bounced back quickly, cutting it to 21-10 at the break. Brady’s second interception turned into seven points early in the third quarter when Fitzpatrick found tight end Scott Chandler for a 3-yard score.
The Bills tied it on Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown burst with 10:36 left in the game and took the lead 14 seconds later when Drayton Florence returned an interception 27 yards to make it 31-24.
Brady’s second touchdown pass to Welker evened it at 31-31 with 3:25 remaining, but the Bills used a key pass-interference penalty in the end zone to bleed the clock all the way down before the winning field goal.