Bills center Eric Wood (70) dives and misses a tackle against Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty (32), who intercepted a pass by Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick during the second half. The Patriots beat the Bills, 52-28. (US Presswire)

If anyone needed a reminder, the New England Patriots showed yet again why they remain the team to beat in the AFC East.

The Patriots rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half, scoring touchdowns on six consecutive drives to leave Orchard Park with a decisive 52-28 victory.

“It was really a great win for us as a team,” Patriots QB Tom Brady said. “Obviously, it only gets tougher from here, but we’re proud of the fact that we really fought through some pretty tough times here in the second half to come up with a big win.”

The Patriots were in unique territory leading up to the divisional clash. A loss to Buffalo would have put them at 1-3 for the first time since 2001 and two games behind the Bills for the division lead. Early in the third quarter, it looked like that might become a reality after Bills' WR Donald Jones scored on a 68-yard catch to give Buffalo a 21-7 lead.

But the Patriots turned on the burners, and there was no looking back. Brady was terrific, as usual. He threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score. It was only the third time in his career that he has thrown for three TDs and had a rushing TD. But it was New England’s two-pronged rushing attack that led the way. Rookie Brandon Bolden exploded for a career-high 137 yards and a TD on just 16 carries, and Stevan Ridley had 106 yards and two TDs on 22 attempts. The Patriots had a combined 247 rushing yards (6.2 yards per attempt).

“I think it tells a lot about a team whenever you’re down like that and you just keep on fighting and keep on staying after it and eventually good things happen,” WR Wes Welker said.

The Bills, meanwhile, missed a golden opportunity to take command of their division and put the rival Patriots in an early hole. They had a 14-point lead in the third quarter at home, which could have been a 21-point lead if C.J. Spiller didn’t fumble near the goal line at the end of the first half.

“The only reaction I have is that was pathetic in the second half,” Bills DT Kyle Williams said.

When the game turned: Although there were many twists and turns, the game turned for good in the third quarter. The Bills went up 21-7 early in the second half, but the Patriots replied with an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive. It was the running game that fueled the Pats, with big gains from Bolden and Ridley. Following a Bills' three-and-out, the Patriots scored again on the following drive and had the momentum completely on their side.

Highlight moments: The Bills actually had more highlight-reel plays than the Patriots. Bills TE Scott Chandler had two terrific touchdown passes. His first was a leaping grab over Patriots S Patrick Chung in the right side of the end zone. Bills WR Jones showed off his speed on a 68-yard touchdown play early in the second half.

Top-shelf performances: The Patriots had two RBs top the 100-yard mark with Bolden (137 yards, 1 TD) and Ridley (106 yards, 2 TDs). Brady had another Brady-like performance against the Bills (22 of 36, 340 yards, 3 TDs, 1 rushing TD). Welker had nine catches for 129 yards.

What they said about New England’s rushing attack:

  • Patriots RB Bolden: “It was a great job by the offensive line. It wasn’t just me, it was almost every back they got back there, they had an opportunity.”
  • Bills LB Nick Barnett: “We played nickel almost the entire game, and we’ve gotta be able to adapt and we didn’t. When you don’t stop the run, it snowballs from there.”
  • Bills DT Kyle Williams: "The most discouraging thing about it is that they literally ran three running plays. They ran the same thing over and over and over."

Numbers you should know: With three touchdowns, Brady extended his TD streak to 36 games, tying Brett Favre for the third-longest in NFL history. The Patriots are the first team to score 45 points in the second half since the Cincinnati Bengals in 1972. Welker (6,485 career receiving yards) moved past Troy Brown (6,366 career receiving yards) into second place on the team’s all-time list.

Injury update: The Bills were hit hard by injuries, losing five key starters in the loss. RG Kraig Urbik left the game in the first half with a right-ankle injury and did not return. LT Cordy Glenn left in the second half with an ankle injury and did not return. FS Jairus Byrd (hip pointer), TE Chandler (head) and WR Jones (head) also left the game. Coach Chan Gailey said after the game that the injuries to Glenn and Urbik were the most serious and they would both be out a while. The injuries to Chandler and Jones do not appear to be serious.

Going forward: With Miami losing at Arizona, the Patriots, Bills and New York Jets are in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC East at 2-2. No matter the standings, this game proved that the Patriots are still in a different class than their division rivals. Brady squares off against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Week 5. The Bills have a difficult two-game West Coast trip at San Francisco and Arizona next on the schedule.

For more updates on the Bills, follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSBills and @MarkLud12.