Buffalo Bills' Chan Gailey Leads Bills in Comeback Against the Patriots

“Keep playing.”

It seems like a simple enough phrase and is one that has been used for eons throughout the sports universe. It's the idea that no matter what circumstances surround an athlete or a team, it’s in their best interest to simply keep on playing.

Yet it’s the same phrase that coach Chan Gailey said he used to help the Bills become the first team to overcome deficits of at least 18 points to win in consecutive weeks.

Against a team like the Raiders, the comeback made more sense to the analysts across TV and radio, but breaking down the film last night, it was almost as though they didn’t believe what they were seeing.

Having been in Section 131 of Ralph Wilson Stadium, let me show you how I experienced this week’s comeback.

Setting the Stage

The way the Bills developed the deficit was straight out of the “How To lose to New England” guide that Dick Jauron wrote four years ago. New England took the kickoff, didn’t encounter a single third down and drove down the field for the score.

Still resilient, the fans erupted as the first Bills play went to Stevie Johnson for 33 yards. Their cries turned to moans on the next play, when Fitzpatrick’s pass was picked on a deflection to the Buffalo 35. In my seat, I slowly started to curl into the fetal position next to my mother.

Like a machine, the Pats dinked and dunked their way down to the goal line, never experiencing a tougher down situation than 2nd-and-6. Gronkowski caught the 1-yard toss, then did his signature flexing towards the hometown crowd.

After a touchback, the Bills drove again, but worked themselves into a 4th-and-14 at New England’s 35, which was picked when Fitzpatrick threw for the sticks.

The defense was finally able to get Brady off the field, but the Bills offense couldn’t muster anything either. Every time the Bills offense failed to get something going, the feeling that this was going to turn into a blowout continued to set in to the crowd.

Then, like a flash of lightning, Brady led the Pats 65 yards in 92 seconds to put them up 21-0.

At this point, I looked at my phone, saw a tweet that read "Brady has never lost a game he led by 21 points," and started wondering if I should try to beat traffic.

Little did I know, these Bills would keep playing. 

Don’t Call it a Comeback…Yet

After the third touchdown, the least the Bills could try to do was get a spark on special teams for good field position, right?

Wrong—a block-in-the-back penalty put the Bills at their own 4-yard line.

Working methodically, Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson picked their spots, leading to Fitz finding Stevie Johnson to make it 21-7. The immediate thought in my head was that we left two whole minutes for Brady and that could be a problem.

I was already telling people "I told you so" as Brady briskly moved New England into Bills territory. With 1:05 to go in the half, Brady threw a safe pass to Woodhead in the flat, but it was just off the mark; Bryan Scott, who had fallen on Welker's first touchdown, made the diving interception.

These aren’t your Dick Jauron Bills though. With one minute to go, and on their own 10, Gailey and Fitzpatrick glided through the Pats defense, allowing Lindell to nail a 42-yard field goal to make it an 11-point game at the half.

A Half to Remember

Coming out of the half, after deferring to start the game, fans felt like the Bills had to get points on their first drive to keep the momentum.

A quick three-and-out really didn’t help things, but then lightning struck.

Maybe it was Brady pushing it to get Ochocinco involved or a great jump by McKelvin, but the Bills'  first-round choice of three years ago made a great play to make the pick and return it to Patriots territory.

The Bills converted that play into points; Fitzpatrick found journeyman Scott Chandler for his fourth touchdown of the year. With 25 minutes to go, the Bills were only down by four.

Like any Hall-of-Fame signal-caller will do, Brady got his team back on track.

He drove them down on a methodical five-minute, 83-yard drive, ending in a Gostkowski chip shot to put New England back up by a touchdown.

The Bills followed this with a three-and-out, putting the ball back into Brady’s hands as the third quarter came to a close. 

It Ain’t over til It’s over

After two quick three-and-outs, Brady had New England up by seven, and just outside the 20-yard line.

On first down, he looked down the seam for stud TE Rob Gronkowski, a route which has destroyed defenses since the Arizona product joined the league a year ago. However, the senator, George Wilson, kind of "undersold" his coverage and sprung as Brady threw it to make the athletic interception.

After being on the precipice of being down two scores in the fourth, Buffalo had newfound life.

The next five plays from scrimmage were as insane as any I can remember as a Bills fan.

From his own 5, Fitzpatrick was incomplete for Stevie Johnson, but a roughing-the-passer call on New England moved them up to the 20. There, Fitzpatrick lobbed a perfect ball to second receiver Donald Jones for a gain of 48.

Next, Fitzpatrick stepped up and rolled out, signalling Week 2 hero David Nelson to go to the end zone. Right as I yelled to the Harvard grad not “to do anything stupid,” he lofted a ball into double-coverage in the end zone.

I remember seeing Nelson getting held as the ball fell lazily into Barrett’s hands for the Patriot interception, then the jubilation as the crowd around me saw the ref drop his flag in the end zone.

In an era where every call refs make is under a microscope, it was refreshing to see a legitimate call made on the play, putting the Bills on the 1-yard line for a Fred Jackson plunge to even the score. Jackson then led the stadium in the "Shout" song, keeping them amped up through the commercial break.

When Brady lined up for the next play, the stadium was as loud as I’d ever heard it. Even the most confident of Bills fans would’ve told you after being down 21-0 that these “new Bills” were done, but here they were—tied with the unbeatable Tom Brady with 10 minutes to go.

On first down, Brady dropped to pass, with the crowd going bananas; the ball ricocheted up off of Marcel Dareus into the waiting arms of Drayton Florence. He ran it into the far side corner of the end zone.

It was surreal to see Brady, who had beaten us for seven straight seasons, jog helplessly as Florence and Jairus Byrd ran by him past the goal line. Now, all the Bills had to do was stop the Patriots.

Of course, Brady made a run at the Bills, despite an Ochocinco drop on a touchdown, and the Pats converted a 4th-and-6 to Welker for the tying score. Then, in a most un-Bills-like fashion, Fitzpatrick and the offense went down the field, gaining 79 yards in three plays to set up the winning field goal.

These aren’t your best-friend Bills, folks, these guys are here to play.

It wasn’t just the comeback, but the fact that they avoided the numerous pitfalls that had plagued them in the past to come back and win the most important game this franchise has played in years.

Looking back, I guess the overall key for the Bills was to…keep playing.