Ruling Puts Patriots in Power

Receiver David Patten thought he was in another country. After winning another overtime game against the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots are in another world.

Adam Vinatieri kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime, his fourth of the game, lifting New England to a 12-9 victory over the Bills on Sunday.

The Patriots (9-5), in the thick of the AFC playoff race after finishing 5-11 last season, have won four straight for the first time in two years. The Bills (2-11) lost for the seventh time in eight home games.

The game turned on the overturn of a ruling that Patten fumbled after making a reception after five minutes of overtime.

Patten caught Tom Brady’s pass at the Bill 41, where he was hit hard by Buffalo’s Keion Carpenter. The ball popped loose and was recovered by Buffalo’s Nate Clements.

Referee Mike Carey determined by a video review that Patten’s head was out of bounds while the ball remained loose under his leg.

Antowain Smith broke the game open on the ensuing play, bouncing off the pile and down the sideline before he was pushed out of bounds at the three, setting up the game-winning kick.

“It’s their job to make the calls,” Patriot Coach Bill Belichick said. “We can just control how we play. If we got a break on the call, great.”

Patten couldn’t comment on the call. Carpenter’s hit knocked him unconscious.

“I didn’t know where I was. I could have been in Czechoslovakia,” Patten said. “I thought I let the team down, but the replay was one thing that went our way.”

The Bills saw things differently.

“I don’t believe it’s the right call,” guard Ruben Brown said. “It’s a fumble. I could see if the guy was out of bounds and came back in. This guy was never all the way out of bounds. Strange call.”

The ending was eerily familiar to what happened when the teams met at New England in November 1998. The Patriots won that game, 25-21, when the Bills were penalized for a questionable pass interference call that set up the winning touchdown with no time left.

Records haven’t mattered much when these rivals meet. This was the fourth time in their last five meetings that the game was decided in overtime.

Their last eight meetings have been determined by a combined 39 points.

The Patriots won after squandering a 6-0 first-half lead.

Rookie Shayne Graham accounted for all of the Bills’ scoring, kicking three field goals, including a 41-yarder that put Buffalo ahead, 9-6, with 5:57 left in regulation.

Brady responded on New England’s next possession, marching the Patriots 56 yards on seven plays, setting up Vinatieri’s 25-yard field goal.