WATCH: New England Patriots Jabrill Peppers Interception Sparks Ezekiel Elliott TD, 10-0 Lead vs. Buffalo Bills
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots are looking to strike first and strike hard in their Week 7 matchup against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.
Holding a 3-0 lead, Bills quarterback Josh Allen dropped back to attempt a deep right pass intended for tight end Dawson Knox. The ball was read well by safety Jabrill Peppers at the Buffalo 46 yard line. Peppers picked the pass, giving the Pats the ball at the Bills 45 yard line with 9:47 left in the first quarter.
Taking over with great field position, quarterback Mac Jones led the Patriots on a seven-play, 45-yard drive, highlighted by a pair of 10-yard connections with rookie receiver Demario Douglas. Jones capped the drive by handing off to running back Ezekiel Elliott for the two-year touchdown run. It marked Elliott's 70th career rushing touchdown, which places him 34th all-time on the NFL list.
Watch Elliott's history-making touchdown, giving the Patriots a 10-0 lead.
The Patriots face a daunting task in attempting to snap a three-game losing streak against the defending AFC East champions.
Patriots S Jabrill Peppers
Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Pats entered this matchup hoping to rebound from their 21-17 defeat at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders. Conversely, the Bills are fresh off a 14-9 victory over the New York Giants last Sunday night.
Despite being riddled with injuries for much of the season, New England has welcomed cornerback Jack Jones (hamstring), left guard Cole Strange (knee) and Demario Douglas (concussion) back to the lineup for Week 7.
Unfortunately, injuries kept receivers Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion), linebacker Josh Uche (foot and defensive end/linebacker Keion White (concussion) from suiting up for the Pats first matchup of the season against their division rival.
Lastly, quarterback Malik Cunningham was declared a healthy inactive, leaving reserve Bailey Zappe as the team’s primary backup, with Will Grier serving as the emergency third quarterback.
