Buffalo Bills Beat Patriots to End 15-game Skid

The upstart Buffalo Bills defeated the New England Patriots in a shootout on Sunday. The game marked the first time in 16 meetings that the Bills were able to beat the Boston team and proved that the often downtrodden Bills have a legitimate chance at being contenders this year.

The game came down to the final minutes as the Bills rallied from being down 21-0 in the second quarter. A late field goal put them ahead 34-31 and established quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as the leader of a new era in Buffalo, which has seen little success since their run of Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990's.

Fitzpatrick finished the game with 27 completed passes in 40 attempts for 369 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Fred Jackson had 72 yards on the ground along with 87 through the air to establish a solid offense for the game.

Even in the loss Patriots receiver Wes Welker had an outstanding game. His 16 catches for 217 yards and two touchdowns, combined with tight end Rob Gronkowski's two scores, seemed to put the Patriots in position to beat the Bills for the 21st time in their last 22 meetings. Tom Brady threw for 386 yards to continue his great start to the season but it was not enough to defeat the team from Buffalo. He was also intercepted four times.

The Bills have come back twice this season from large first half deficits and look nothing like the Bills that football fans are accustomed to. With Fitzpatrick, Jackson and Stevie Johnson providing explosive plays on offense Buffalo could be a surprise contender this year.