Over the last 15 years, winning has been the norm for the New England Patriots, who have been especially dominant on their home turf. On Sunday, the story changed dramatically as the Bills beat the Patriots, 16-0, at Gillette Stadium. "I don't want to hear the Patriots were without Tom Brady as an excuse. They were still a three-and-oh team and are likely the team to beat in the AFC," analyst Matt Sabuda said. "And yesterday, the Bills beat them."
"This was indeed a statement game for the players and the coaches," Sabuda said of the first shutout of the Patriots in the history of Gillette Stadium. The performance was in stark contrast to week two when Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets embarrassed the Bills in front of a sell-out crowd at New Era Field and a national television audience.
"On the coaching front, a lot has changed in eight days,. The day before the Cardinals win, fans and the media were calling for a house cleaning, and yes, I was one of those people," Sabuda admitted.
"While I'm still far from sold on Ryan, I have to give him credit. He just beat Bruce Arians and Bill Belichick-led teams in back-to-back weeks."
