Incompetent Patriots Blanked By Bills (9/23/60)

When you look at the final score, you'd think that Buster Ramsey's Buffalo Bills dominated the Boston Patriots by shutting them out. You'd be wrong, the Patriots outgained the Bills 284 yards to 233. So what went wrong? The Patriots turned the ball over SEVEN times including four interceptions. Patriots quarterback Butch Songin was a dreadful 5 of 14 for 37 yards and an interception. Tom Greene wasn't much better going 6 for 17 for 60 yards and 2 interceptions. Dick Christy was 1 for 2 for 39 yards and a pick. All in all that's 12 for 33 for 136 yards, four picks and no touchdowns....woof. Meanwhile Tommy O'Connell threw a 58 yard bomb to Carl Smith for a touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Wray Carlton rushed for a two yard touchdown with a Billy Atkins extra point. The score at halftime held up and the Bills had won the game 13-0 at Nickerson Field.

                                                             Program from Week 3

The first quarter the Patriots did their best to hang in with the Bills but kept turning the ball over. The Bills went up for good when quarterback Tommy O'Connell found fullback Carl Smith who rumbled 58 yards for the touchdown. Bills kicker Billy Atkins missed the extra point but the Bills led after the first quarter 6-0.

                                                               Smith scores a TD

Neither Patriots quarterback could muster anything in the second quarter. Butch Songin and Tom Greene combined to throw three interceptions. The sad part was halfback Dick Christy rushed for 93 yards on just 9 carries. The Patriots just couldn't punch it into the end-zone. The Bills did however, driving to the Patriots goal-line. There, Bills halfback Wray Carlton pounded in a 2 yard touchdown to increase the lead. Billy Atkins hit the extra point this time and the Bills went into the half with a 13-0 lead.

                                                        Carlton rushes for a touchdown

The Patriots did get some action on the ground in the third quarter with Alan Miller rushing 9 times for 35 yards. Walter Beach caught two passes for fifty yards and Jim Colclough caught another two passes for 26 yards. The problem was the Bills defense kept making the Patriots cough the ball up. Billy Kinard, Jack Johnson, Atkins and Bernard Buzyniski all made picks in this one. The score remained 13-0 going into the fourth quarter.

                                                       Kinard leads the charge for Buffalo

The Patriots did get to pick O'Connell when defensive back Ross O'Hanley picked him off. Problem was Gino Cappelletti missed his only field goal try of the game. When Tom Greene punts three times the entire game and you scored no points, that's how you know your offense is inept. After seven turnovers, the Bills had won the game 13-0.

Reaction:

How in the hell did the Patriots lose that game? A totally incompetent offense, that's how. Defensively the Patriots shut the Bills out in the second half and the Bills only had one sustained drive all afternoon. The Patriots rushed for 169 as a unit compared to 112 for Buffalo. Hell the Patriots passed for 136 yards compared to Buffalo's 131. When you turn the ball over seven times, usually you don't win the game. Its a shame the offense was this bad because the defense was that good. Hopefully there will be other games this year the offense can pick up the pace. At 1-2, the Patriots are in the middle of the pack in the AFL so far. No team has started out 3-0 so that's a silver lining.  The Patriots play again Saturday October 8th against Sid Gillman's Los Angeles Chargers. The game begins at 4:00 PM Eastern time at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.