On to the Next One...

By crushing the Bills 34-3 Sunday afternoon, Tom Brady and
the Pats are now the #1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. 

With Sunday afternoon's resounding 34-3 blowout of the helpless Bills now in the books, the Patriots have not only extended their current winning streak to seven straight games (improving their overall record to a league-best 13-2) but have also achieved a pair of goals that seemed like a long shot before the season began. In addition to being crowded the AFC East champions for an astounding eighth time in the last ten years, the Pats also clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, earning a first round bye while at the same time proving to all other AFC contenders that the road to the Super Bowl will once again go through New England.

The shellacking of Chan Gailey's resilient yet subpar football club in frigid Buffalo was also littered with jaw-dropping milestones and juicy storylines for the Patriots. As a team, the lopsided victory extended New England's NFL-best winning streak over the Bills to a head-shaking 15 straight games. The last time the Bills were victorious against New England came in 2003 when Buffalo shut out the Patriots 31-0 in the season opener. If you remember correctly, the subplot surrounding the game centered upon former Pats star safety Lawyer Milloy. A surprising salary cap casualty, Milloy was released by New England just five days before the season began, then signed with the Bills and got sweet revenge as Brady and the Pats were humiliated on national television. Looking back, that game seems like an eternity ago.

The Patriots also dominated the turnover battle, intercepting Harvard's Ryan Fitzpatrick three times while also recovering four fumbles. Conversely, New England took special care of the football despite the frigid conditions, failing to turn the ball over once. As a result, the Patriots extended their own streak to eight straight games without surrendering a turnover, also an NFL record.

Individually, Tom Brady's performance stole the show in Orchard Park. Although he only went 15-27 for 140 yards, Brady did toss three touchdowns, running his league-leading total to 34. However, these are not the stats that landed Brady in the NFL record books. Instead, Brady proved his immortality during the third quarter when he broke the NFL record for most consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception (309), a feat previously held by Bernie Kosar.

As if another case needed to be made for Brady to win his second MVP award this season, let me throw one more statistic at you: the last time Brady threw a pick came on October 17 against the Ravens. He was picked off twice that day, but don't feel bad if that slipped your memory. After all, Brady did lead the Patriots to an epic come-from-behind victory over Baltimore that day, treating the Foxboro faithful to a stunning 23-20 overtime win over the team that knocked them out the playoffs the previous year.

While several other Patriots had outstanding performances against the Bills on Sunday (the two headed monster of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead combined for 197 yards on just 32 carries), the second star of the game, behind Brady of course, was rookie tight-end Rob Gronkowski. The 21-year-old, 6'6'', 265 pound freight train hauled in four passes for 54 yards, including a pair of touchdowns, while also making a key block late in the first quarter to spring Woodhead's 29-yard touchdown run. Did I mention the Gronk also made a highlight reel one-handed catch in traffic just before his first score?

Even though the Patriots continue to stockpile draft picks like a 1950s bomb shelter owner hoarding cans of soup and bottled water in preparation for a Cold War apocalypse, one area in which Belichick and the rest of the Pats brass need not invest more draft picks is the tight end position. With Gronkowski and fellow rookie Aaron Hernandez, New England appears loaded at the position for a long time to come (Hernandez sat out today's game with a hip injury). The two rookies also compliment each other perfectly. While Gronkowski is a towering, immoveable presence in the blocking game and also sure handed in the red zone, Hernandez is quick, fast and a great route runner, fluid and elusive with the ball in his hands.

At 13-2, the 2010-11 Patriots look greatly reminiscent of the New England dynasty that began nearly a decade ago. And with two first round picks, two second round picks and two third round picks in the upcoming draft, the Kraft Empire in New England has a great chance to stay on top for years to come, as long as one constant remains: Belichick and Brady.