Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good and that certainly was the case on the Patriots game-winning scoring drive in overtime. On first-and-10 from the Patriots 46-yard line, quarterback Tom Brady, who struggled throughout, rolled to his right and connected with wideout David Patten on the sideline for 13 yards, but Patten fumbled when he was hammered on the play by Buffalo’s Keion Carpenter. Buffalo rookie cornerback Nate Clements scooped up the loose ball for what seemed like a critical turnover.
But the play was reviewed in two areas. First, referee Mike Carey checked the validity of the call on the field, which had it as a catch, fumble and Buffalo recovery. He ruled it was indeed a catch and a legitimate fumble, but then ruled that Patten’s legs were in contact with the ball while his head rested out of bounds. By rule, the ball is dead and out of bounds meaning the Patriots retained possession.
“I don’t know exactly what the ruling was,” Belichick said. “We were just focused on getting our plays in. We were ready to go either way, offense or defense.”
Antowain Smith vs. Bills One play later, however, running back Antowain Smith turned nothing into something when he ran left into a pile only to bounce it out and reverse field to the right where he took off for a 38-yard gain to the Bills 3. That run set up Adam Vinatieri for his fourth field goal, this one from 23 yards, as the Patriots escaped with a 12-9 win.
