ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The New England Patriots’ 37-22 win over the Buffalo Bills probably will be best remembered for a devastating knee injury to Jerod Mayo, but how the team recovered from the All-Pro linebacker’s loss was just as notable.
The Patriots didn’t panic and came out in the second half like a different team, and that started with a fantastic throw from quarterback Tom Brady to 6-foot-3, 204-pound wide receiver Brian Tyms.
Tyms will lead off our five stars of the game:
BRIAN TYMS
Tyms didn’t play much, but he made a huge impact by catching a 43-yard touchdown pass from Brady in triple coverage. Tyms outran two defenders and fought the ball away from a third.
Tyms was supposed to have deep speed, and he flashed it in his Patriots debut. When he’s on the field, opposing defenses will need to respect the back half of the field.
TOM BRADY
Brady played as well as his offensive line would let him. The Patriots’ offensive line looked solid in the first half, but after starting left guard Dan Connolly went down with a head injury, they started to crumble around Brady.
Brady started to trust his O-line, however, and completed 27 of 37 passes for 361 yards with four touchdowns. It was a stellar performance from a QB who supposedly was washed up just two weeks ago.
ROB NINKOVICH
The Patriots have had trouble bringing pressure this season, but Ninkovich sacked Bills quarterback Kyle Orton, who seems to have negative pocket presence, three times on Sunday afternoon.
Ninkovich also helped limit the Bills to just 3.0 yards per carry with some stout edge protection. He had six tackles with four coming for a loss.
BRANDON LAFELL
LaFell delivered the nail in the Bills’ coffin, catching a 56-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. LaFell finished with four catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He definitely has caught on to the Patriots’ offense quicker than anyone might have imagined.
LaFell has proven to be difficult to bring down once he has the ball in his hands. He shook a tackle on his second TD catch.
ROB GRONKOWSKI
The big tight end gave Patriots fans a scare when he suffered an injury in the third quarter. He had to be helped off the field, and his left arm was checked on the sideline. Gronk came back into the game, and didn’t skip a beat.
Gronk caught seven passes for 94 yards and he looks close to 100 percent recovered from last December’s knee surgery to repair a torn ACL.
