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Patriots Make Bills Pay

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From Associated Press

The New England Patriots watched the Boston Red Sox show off their championship trophy, then played as if they’re headed for another one of their own.

In their most dominating performance of the season, the Patriots rolled over the Buffalo Bills, 29-6, on Sunday night at Foxboro, Mass.

Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes, Adam Vinatieri kicked five field goals, and Corey Dillon rushed for 151 yards for the Patriots.

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All that came after outfielder Johnny Damon scampered onto the field, pitcher Curt Schilling was driven out on a golf cart following his ankle surgery, and Red Sox owner John Henry led them onto the field carrying the World Series trophy in a pregame ceremony.

“Hey, we could use him. We could definitely use him,” Patriot defensive end Richard Seymour said after Damon’s energetic entrance.

The Bills (3-6) could use Damon -- and a lot more -- after a weak performance stopped their 3-1 surge. They were outgained, 428 yards to 125, and trailed in first downs, 25-8, and time of possession, 41:22 to 18:38. Drew Bledsoe fell to 1-5 against his former team, completing only eight of 19 passes for 76 yards.

“Coming in here, we knew we had a tremendous challenge,” Bledsoe said. “Playing against the world champs, they played like it.”

One of Bledsoe’s three interceptions went to a player he had thrown 12 touchdown passes to while both were with New England. That player, Troy Brown, spent some time at cornerback Sunday because of Patriot injuries at that position.

“I don’t think Drew saw me so he threw it, and I was there to make the pick,” Brown said of the pass intended for Eric Moulds.

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Bledsoe “is my boy,” Brown added. “I mean, I would like to see him do well [but], I do not want to see him come in here and beat us.”

The Patriots (8-1) led, 20-0, at halftime, scoring on four of their five possessions.The Bills, meanwhile, punted three times, were intercepted twice, and scored only on a punt return.

Even Willis McGahee, who had sparked the Bills, couldn’t do much as Buffalo had to focus on the pass to try to come back from the early deficit. McGahee was limited to 37 yards in 14 carries by the Patriots.

Indianapolis 49, Houston 14 -- Peyton Manning led the Colt victory, passing for five touchdowns as he completed 18 of 27 throws for 320 yards in the victory at Indianapolis.

“For us, just the total points is what I’m happy about,” Manning said. “It’s not something we’re being conscious of as far as throwing touchdowns.”

Manning, who once threw for five touchdowns four times in a 12-month span, tied an NFL record by passing for five touchdowns for the third time this season. Brandon Stokley had five receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

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Indianapolis (6-3) remained tied with Jacksonville atop the AFC South. Houston (4-5), which has never won in five games against the Colts, matched the worst margin of defeat in franchise history. The Texans lost, 38-3, to Cincinnati in their inaugural season of 2002.

The Texans’ David Carr, who completed 22 of 41 passes for 215 yards, was intercepted three times and sacked five times. Carr’s quarterback rating of 38.2 was his worst of the season.

The 35-point margin of victory was the Colts’ most lopsided since a 41-0 victory over Miami in 1997.

“It’s hard for me to find any redeeming qualities in this football game,” Houston Coach Dom Capers said. “You have no chance when you give up big plays on defense and turn the ball over on offense.”

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