In two games last season, Randy Moss torched the Bills for six touchdowns. Wes Welker had 13 catches for 147 yards in the two meetings with the Bills. Wanting to hold both in check Sunday, the Bills placed Terrence McGee on Moss and had Jabari Greer covering Wes Welker.
While the Bills held Moss to just five catches and 53 yards, Welker almost matched his two game total from last season in one afternoon.
Both New England wideouts finished the game without a touchdown, but Welker's impact couldn't be denied as he continually found gaps in the Bills' defense, running an assortment of underneath routes to the tune of 10 catches for 107 yards.
Welker's play left Greer scratching his head to find the answers. He said the wideout's success was a matter of execution.
"If I knew the answer, we'd be in a different position than we are now," said Greer after the game. "I think they called good plays for the coverage. They executed well and they made the plays when they needed to make them."
Greer said the quick passing routes were effective because of the Pats' ability to read the defensive schemes of the Bills.
"That's a lot of adjustments and option routes by them according to coverage. They read our coverage well, adjusted their routes, got into the holes and made their plays."
"Crossing routes were big for them," said Terrence McGee. "We'd get them in third down and they'd make a play get the first down. We couldn't stop them and get off the field. In our defense we feel like we can stop those routes, but they made the plays."
Jauron chose not to reveal what the Bills game plan was following the loss, but did tip his hat to the Patriots' slot receiver.
"He's a tremendous player," said Jauron. "Just a tremendous player and does it week in and week out to everybody."
But Welker saved his best for the Bills notching his first 100-yard receiving day of the season, and setting an NFL record by recording at least six catches in the first nine games of the season.
Right up until the Patriots' final drive, which was representative of their success the whole game chewing up 9:08 and sealing the win, Welker was still contributing. The slithery wideout made a pair of receptions both of which went for first downs en route to game-clinching touchdown run.
"They schemed us as far as going to the weakness of the defense based on the down and defense and based on what (Matt) Cassel saw in the coverages," said George Wilson. "We felt we had good matchups with Terrence on Randy and Jabari on Wes. We just got in some tough spots and Cassel got the ball out on time and the receivers did a good job of getting that extra yard to move the sticks."
