Safety First for Patriots

The scoreboard looming over J.P. Losman as he scrambled behind the Bills’ goal line showed a tie score. Ty Warren was determined to change that.

“My priority was to get him in the end zone,” the Patriots defensive end said. “We’re tied up, so I’m thinking, ‘Let me get this dude.’ ”

Losman went down, the official’s arms went up to signal a safety, and New England beat the Buffalo Bills, 19-17, with poise under pressure and increasing pressure by a defensive line.

“I should have gotten rid of the ball, but the game was on the line,” Losman said. “I dipped under one defender, but then there was another guy.”

Warren’s game-winning safety with 8 minutes 33 seconds left completed a comeback from a very poor start that had the Patriots trailing, 17-7, at halftime. Even the pregame activities were missing something.

For the first time in three years, the Patriots’ opener was not preceded by the unveiling of a championship banner. Kicker Adam Vinatieri, receiver David Givens and linebacker Willie McGinest were elsewhere after leaving as free agents.

The Patriots didn’t have holdout wide receiver Deion Branch or injured linebacker Tedy Bruschi either.

And on the game’s first play from scrimmage, Tom Brady fumbled as he was belted by Takeo Spikes, and London Fletcher ran the recovery in for a five-yard touchdown.

“It’s no way to start the season, but we recovered and came back and put together a nice drive after that,” said Brady, who said he was disappointed with his performance, 11 completions in 23 attempts for 163 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Bill Belichick became the 31st coach in NFL history with 100 regular-season wins, improving his record to 100-77.

Spikes, who sat out the last 13 games last season because of a torn Achilles’ tendon, left Sunday’s game on the Patriots’ second series because of a mild hamstring injury but said he doesn’t expect the injury to keep him out of next Sunday’s game at Miami.

The Patriots put together a 183-yard running attack with rookie first-round draft pick Laurence Maroney gaining 86 yards and Corey Dillon adding 73.