After Fred Jackson scored on a ten-yard screen to put Buffalo up 24-13 with five and a half minutes left, I began writing a rough draft of a blog in which the Patriots’ lose to the underdog Bills.  Typically I try and get a head start on writing when the Pats play a late game.  It’s tough enough to get up and get going as a teacher some days, let alone when you only snag four or five hours of sleep because you were writing and editing after the game finally ends.

As Brady methodically ate up the middle of the Bills’ zone defense, I was typing away on the laptop about Fred Jackson and Aaron Schobel destroying New England, as they usually do.  When Brady hit Watson for his first touchdown, I was commenting on Wilfork’s bogus personal foul call that changed the tone for the defense early.  After McKelvin foolishly brought the ball out of the end zone and Meriweather and Woods teamed up on a terrific special teams’ strip, I stopped typing.  Quickly realizing my typing about a Patriots’ loss may just be the reverse jinx they needed, I continued clicking away about the lack of consistent pressure by the Patriots’ D and the plethora of it for the Bills D.  When Tom Terrific hit Watson again to take the lead, I nearly lost it (and maybe my voice as well).  The dogs ran to hide thinking they were in trouble.  They might not stop cowering from my excitement till late tomorrow afternoon.

I actually finished most of the rough draft just before the lateral loaded final play finally finished.  And I could’ve published it, and it most of it would be true.  Buffalo’s D harassed Brady.  Brady was rusty early, especially on Schobel’s INT.  Fred Jackson was a monster.  The Pats’ offense couldn’t punch it in during the early goings.  Trent Edwards did enough to win.  But now we’ll look back at this game and forget all that.

Instead we’ll remember another tale in the growing lore of Tom Brady.  How he came back from a year off to rally his team to a near impossible victory.  How he threw the clutch TDs to Ben Watson (who has now matched last year’s TD total), not Wes Welker or Randy Moss.  It was vintage Brady and made last night one of the most memorable in his career.  I’m sure one day I’ll be telling my grandchildren about this game.

I’m sure the boys celebrated late into the night in Foxboro.  And they deserved that.  This win will help solidify a team that lost so many veteran leaders.  But Belichick will be waiting for them to come back from the festivities, with enough game tape to keep them busy for the week.  More to come on this amazing win later in the week.  For now, what will be your lasting memory of last night?