Patriots vs. Bills: 5 Things We Learned in New England's 49-21 Win

Another week gave us another comeback for the New England Patriots, as they rallied from a 21-0 deficit.

Sound familiar? It should, as the Patriots returned the favor for the Buffalo Bills' miraculous comeback from the exact same deficit back in Week 3.

The only difference is, the Patriots were much more convincing about it as they scored 49 unanswered points. The win wrapped up home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

As we head into the playoffs, we take a few lasting lessons from this game and from the season as a whole.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter.

Patriots Pass Defense Is the Worst in History

With 4,643 gross passing yards against them, the Patriots entered today's contest just 108 yards short of the record for the most passing yards given up by a defense in a single season.

Needless to say, they surpassed that total on Sunday. It got so bad at one point that Bill Belichick could be seen getting very vocal with his defensive backs from the sideline. 

On the day, the Patriots gave up 307 gross yards passing and finished with 4,950 on the 2011 season.

But thanks to a 45-41 shootout in which the Green Bay Packers gave up over 500 yards to Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions, the Packers end the season with the most gross yards given up through the air.

As the Patriots have done for much of the season, they made the big plays when they had to with four interceptions that helped change the pace of the game.

Patriots Are Synonymous with Slow Starts, Coming Alive Late

The Bills got an early start on the Patriots, marking the third consecutive game in which the Patriots allowed their opponent to score a touchdown on their first drive. By the end of the first quarter, the Patriots were down 21-0. 

The offense failed to score any points in the first quarter, marking the fifth time this season that's happened. It took until the last play of the first quarter for the Patriots to pick up a first down.

But that was all the momentum they needed, as they hit the ground running in the second quarter with a drive that went 46 yards through the air and 31 yards on the ground, punctuated by a trampoline touchdown run by BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

The Patriots inched their way back into the game from there, and finished by scoring 49 unanswered points.

They were scorched through the air to start, but kept fighting and finished with four interceptions. Through the first quarter, Ryan Fitzpatrick had a near-perfect passer rating of 154.5, but had a passer rating of 27.3 in the final three quarters. 

The Patriots have been much better at making in-game adjustments this year than in years past, but whether they can survive a slow start in the playoffs remains to be seen. Their ability to make those adjustments gives them a chance even if they should fall behind.

The Patriots Can Count on Their Backfield

As the Patriots gear up for cold weather football, they've begun turning to the running game, and they've been effective doing it. The Patriots have rushed 96 times for 398 yards in the past three weeks. 

Ridley showed the type of big play potential that's been missing from the Patriots backfield. He ran the ball nine times for 48 yards in the first half. Of course, the second half started dubiously with a fumble that trickled out of bounds, and he'll have to take care of the ball if he wants to continue getting it.

At least he knows it. Still, he finished the game with 81 yards on 15 carries (5.4 YPA). This marked just the fifth time all season that a Patriots running back has gone over 15 carries in a game. As a team, the Patriots totaled 138 yards on 29 carries (4.76 YPA). But that wasn't all the Patriots did in the backfield.

All season long, the Patriots have virtually ignored the screen game, but they got the ball in the sure hands of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and, with a great lead block by Brian Waters, the Law Firm reeled off a 53-yard gain.

Sterling Moore Should Be a Part of the Future for the Patriots Secondary

The Patriots haven't had a lot of highlights this season, but Sterling Moore gave them a couple to end the 2011 regular season.

The undrafted rookie from Southern Methodist University had two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He also had a pair of defended passes, including part of one that resulted in Devin McCourty's tip-drill interception.

In a secondary devoid of talent, the Patriots need to do what they can to retain what little talent they have.

Rob Gronkowski Is the Worst Nightmare of the Buffalo Bills Defense

With eight receptions for 108 yards and two scores, Rob Gronkowski enjoyed his third game against the Bills in which he has caught multiple touchdowns.

In fact, in his four career games against the Bills, he has 22 receptions for 314 yards and seven touchdowns.

Gronkowski has been the worst nightmare of every defense he's faced this season. He torched the NFL with 1,327 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns (18 total), both NFL records.

Side Note: Patriots Lock Up No. 1 Overall Seed, Bill Belichick's Historic Feat

The Patriots locked up the No. 1 seed with their win, and Bill Belichick became the first coach in NFL history to have five seasons of over 13 wins.

But that's not all. This marks the fourth time since 2003 that the Patriots have locked up home field advantage throughout the playoffs.