I'll preface this with saying yes, I am a Pats fan and yes, this is my first post. This isn't my first time at the boards but it is my first post. I usually just read.
I mean, I understand the Bills were up 11 with under 6 minutes left and all, and then up 5 with 2:06 left and getting the ball but, they didn't exactly dominate this game. Actually, the Pats pretty much had every statistical category except the most important one (until the end, anyways). 441-276 total yards, 368-186 passing, 5 red zone trips to 2, 37 minutes to 23 TOP, 28 first downs to 17. The Bills had control of defensive TDs with 1. I mean really, the Pats defense played better than I expected as they only gave up 17 points and it seemed the bulk of the yardage was on that damn screen they couldn't stop on that TD drive that looked like it sealed the game. Let's be honest with ourselves - the Pats should've won the game and the Bills took advantage of "unPatriot like mistakes" to take a lead, then the Pats did pretty just what they have done alot of since 2001 and that was win games no matter the circumstances.
As the game went on, I felt it was basically just going to take them getting into a rhythm which would take time. The last two drives proved that I think - and while the D will be very suspect (especially if Mayo is seriously injured) and will cost the team a game or two I'm sure - you'd really be kidding yourselves if you didn't think the O was going to be very good. Will they put up drives like those last two every time out there? No, of course not. Will there be whole games where they just aren't clicking? Yes, early in the season I do believe you will have whole quarters or halves where the offense's timing is off. In the end, while they won't put up the numbers of the 2007 offense, I do believe as we get towards the end of the regular season and into the postseason - it will be clicking.
Will they be able to outscore everybody every game is the real question.