You're welcome, Patriots fans.
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Welp, not lot new learned about the Patriots here today. They've lived and died by turnovers for two straight seasons and yet again they let the opponent beat themselves with a mistake.

The Patriots offense was inconsistent in clutch time, and couldn't close the game out from the four yard-line. 

Until the ending interception this was one of the worst performances we've seen from the Patriots defense. Still a win is a win.

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McCourty interception in the end zone seals it for Patriots, 37-31!

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Two minute warning, with the Bills facing a third-and-ten. This has been a horrid day for the Patriots defense but a stop on this final drive would be a really big building block for them.

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Patriots drive all the way down to the four-yard line on the back of Stevan Ridley, before fizzling out and having to settle for a field goal.

Patriots now lead by four and with just over two minutes to play and once again it will come down to the Patriots defense needing to stop a touchdown.

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Bills score and the lead is down to three, Patriots 34-31. Donald Jones snags a one-yarder to put the Bills within a field goal. And yes it was over the middle.

Let's see what Tom Brady and the offense can put together here. The game might be in the balance. 

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Here come the Bills again. Already on the five yard line. Time out Bills. 

This one's going down to the wire.

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The Bills have four 80-plus drives. That last one was the first to end in a turnover, the others have all ended in touchodowns.

The time off gave the Patriots defense health but they look rusty. And it looks like they will certainly be able to use Talib. 

How they solve the problems against tight ends, I'm not sure.

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Nope. Brady goes three-and-out and here we go again...

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Devin McCourty forces a Fred Jackson fumble on the one yard line with a huge, potentially game changing turnover. Kyle Arrington with the recovery!

This game has been everything you love and hate about the Patriots in recent history. Tons of yards given and gotten, and squeaking it out because of timely turnovers.

Let's see if Brady has a game-sealing drive in him here.

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Patriots defense seemingly imploding at the second with Brandon Spikes getting called for an unsportsmanlike penalty. Seems like New England spent the bye week worrying about the deep balls and forgetting everything else.

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The Bills currently have 14 penalties for 148 yards. Are these the replacement refs?

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Field Goal Patriots and the lead is back to ten on a 48-yarder from Stephen Gostkowski, 34-24 Patriots.

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The good news is that Devin McCourty and Steve Gregory have shored up the back end. The bad news is they're getting destroyed underneath.

The Pats offense is rolling, a run by Ridley for 24 yards as the third quarter comes to and end.

Once again the Pats will have to finish a game that they have a lead going into the fourth quarter.

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Bills touchdown! The Patriots lead is cut to 31-24 and this is like a track meet.

The Patriots defense continues to alternate between awesome and non-existant. 

Yet again this one looks like it will go down to the wire.

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Bills go for it on fourth down and get it. Chan Gailey is playing aggressive and he's going to have to if the Bills want to close the gap and win the game.

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Bills just won't go away. Fitzpatrick with a 19-yard pass to get another drive started, and then Spiller with a 20-yard run and the Bills are rolling. There's a long way to go in this one!

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Woodhead looks like he's in and the Pats should take a 31-17 lead!

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Good start of the second half for the Patriots defense, forcing the punt from Buffalo. Jermaine Cunningham came up huge driving two blockers back and still getting Fitzpatrick down. 

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Patriots first drive of the second half stalls, capping off with a Brady sack on third-and-five. The Pats are trying to take shots down the field and they're not there. They need to ride the run game.

Buffalo takes over.

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And we've got ourselves a shoot out!

The Patriots take a 24-17 lead into halftime in a game that has been marred with bad calls (mostly against Buffalo, if not all) and bad play for both teams.

The good news is that the Patriots defense has only given up one deep pass, but the bad news is that their defense went to sleep in the second quarter, especially against the run and the middle passing game.

It's an under-mentioned area that the Pats D has struggled this year, ranking 32nd and 28th in covering "other wide receivers" and tight ends by Football Outsiders.

Who knows what the score might be if Buffalo hadn't shot themselves in the foot early with the penalties that they were guilty of. The bad ones started rolling in only because they started sloppy.

Offensively the Patriots need to be consistent in the second half. It's going to be a shoot out and every touchdown is vital. Turnovers of course will ultimately decide it, so ball security is paramount.

Defensively the Patriots just need to go back to stopping the run. The pass defense in the middle of the field will come once they take the play action away.

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Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller are starting to tear up the Pats defense. The two have combined for 81 rushing yards already and suddenly the Buffalo offense has awoken, closing the gap to 17-10.

Hard to read too much into anything the Pats are doing, Buffalo just keeps shooting themselves in the foot.

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Patriots lead Bills 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

So far the Pats have looked pretty good on both sides of the ball. Of course, the Bills offense hadn't gotten off the bus until the last drive. They closed the quarter out with a 22-yard passing play. Hope that's not a sign of things to come for the Pats.

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Patriots take a 3-0 lead. 

Bills could've had two interceptions though. Looks like the Pats want to spread them out and go fast on offense today. 

Nice showing from Deion Branch making some big catches. 

Warming up at corner. For real or a BB fake out?
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Safety warm up report :

Gregory and Wilson work as starting safeties with McCourty at left corner, where he's been for pregame warmups all season.

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) November 11, 2012

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Some final thoughts and areas of focus before kickoff...

• If the Patriots want to use McCourty at sefety when Talib arrives they might as well start him today. If it's Gregory and Wilson back there I'd leave the door open for McCourty to stay at corner going forward.
• I'm betting he's a safety now.
• Will we see more of the four defensive end front that we saw against the Rams? If so keep an eye on Justin Francis.
• Can Shane Vereen do what Brandon Bolden did to this Bill defense?
• Will Logan Mankins show any rust against Kyle Williams?
• If the Patriots give up fewer than four twenty-plus passing plays they should be fine on defense.
• As always, protecting Tom Brady is all that really matters.