Ex-Patriots Savor Shutout of Old Team
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills’ victory was well in hand when Drew Bledsoe and Lawyer Milloy -- the two Pro Bowl players in the middle of this captivating drama -- shared a few words on the sideline.
“We were talking about what you probably think we were talking about,†Bledsoe said with a wink. “We were both pretty happy with the win.â€
Bledsoe and Milloy combined to stick it to their former team, the New England Patriots, sparking the Bills to a 31-0 victory Sunday in their opener.
Besides snapping Buffalo’s five-game losing streak against New England, it capped an emotional week for both players. Bledsoe, traded to Buffalo in April 2002, spent the off-season itching to erase the dreadful memories of last year’s two losses against the Patriots.
Milloy’s wait for vindication was much shorter, coming five days after the four-time Pro Bowl safety was released by the Patriots for salary cap reasons.
Milloy made a big impact, despite having only three days to learn the playbook. He forced an interception, recorded a sack and got in on five tackles.
Bledsoe engineered scoring drives on his first two possessions and finished 17 for 28 for 230 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
The game was effectively over when the Bills went up 21-0 with 10:14 left in the second quarter. The lead was built on Travis Henry’s one-yard plunge, Dave Moore’s seven-yard reception, and defensive tackle Sam Adams’ 37-yard interception return.
The Patriots had nothing in response, looking nothing like the team that outscored Buffalo by a combined 65-24 in two games last season.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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