By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Writer
This isn’t the way the Bills want to live — coach Sean McDermott admits as much — but it’s hard to argue with the results.
On a snowy Sunday afternoon at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium, for the seventh time in this bizarre 10-win season, Buffalo rallied in the second half — this time from a huge deficit — to beat the Patriots 35-31 to stay alive in its bid for a sixth straight AFC East championship title.
This was after trailing 21-0 as many minutes into the game and 24-7 at intermission.
Of course, all the dramatic victory did was keep the Bills (10-4) alive in the divisional race still chasing New England (11-3) for that sixth consecutive crown.
Buffalo closes the season at Cleveland and home against Super Bowl champion Philadelphia and the struggling Jets. The Patriots end the campaign at Baltimore and the Jets and home with the Dolphins.
Still New England retains the head-to-head advantage (better division record 3-1, 2-2) so for Buffalo to win, the Pats must lose twice and the Bills have to win out.
However, that doesn’t change what McDermott’s crew did on Sunday afternoon.
It scored five touchdowns in as many in its final possessions, taking the lead with 10 minutes to play, giving it back 14 seconds later, then taking it for good with three minutes remaining.
Buffalo started its streak with its last possession of the second quarter, a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Allen — who found out this week he’s becoming a dad — to running back James Cook.
Then, in the second half, Cook scored on runs of three and 11 yards and tight end Dawson Knox, who actually became a dad this week, had scoring catches of four and 14 yards.
“We said in the locker roon (at halftime) this is what we need to do, and we did it,” Allen said.
When asked if he recalled a turning point in the game, Allen recalled one play.
“I think it was Ray Davis’ return to start the second half (for 56 yards) … he gave us some great field position. Sometimes it comes down to who makes more plays and tonight it was us.”
Of the race for the division title, he added, “Obviously, we’re not the standard-bearer because we’re not in first place, but the last five years we’ve found some success but haven’t been able to punch our ticket to the Super Bowl … our goal is not just to win the AFC East, it’s to give ourselves chance to win the Super Bowl.”
To which McDermott added, “Our guys have a pretty good feel for when it’s to time play and I could see in Josh’s eyes at halftime that he was ready.”
As for the rally, Allen concluded, “Whether it’s the third quarter or the fourth quarter, we feel if we have the ball in our hands, we like our chances.”
But, McDermott was miffed that his defense had surrendered a galling 246 rushing yards on 25 carries with four rushing touchdowns including rookie TreVeyon Stevenson (14 carries for 148 yards) who had scores of 52 and 65 yards. Quarterback Drake Maye scored on runs of seven and eight yards.
“That’s something we have to work on,” McDermott admitted, “but there’s also the ability to adjust during the game.”
NOTES from the Bills 35-31 win over the Patriots Sunday afternoon at Foxboro Stadium:
— The Bills hotel in Providence was less that two miles from the shooting incident at Brown University.
Quarterback Josh Allen offered condolences to the deceased and wounded and coach Sean McDermott allowed, “It’s a shame this is the world we live in.”
— The game’s lone turnover was an interception of a Drake Maye pass by Bills cornerback Tre’ Davious White, his first of the year.
— Maye had two rushing touchdowns on the season coming in then had two in Sunday’s first quarter.
— The Patriots first sack of Allen was logged by linebacker Jack Gibbens, his first of the season. The second sack of Allen was made by linebacker Harold Landy III, giving him 3 1/2 on the season.
— The only two sacks of Maye were logged by Bills linebacker Matt Milano his first of the season.
— Inactive for the Bills were middle linebacker Terrel Bernard (elbow), cornerback Christian Bernard (toe), wide receiver Gabe Davis, defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis, cornerback Darnell Savage and offensive tackles Tylan Grable andChase Lundt.
Shaq Thompson replaced Bernard while first-round draft choice Maxwell Hairston took Benford’s spot.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
