ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Once again, we were reminded of how nearly impossible it is to win in the NFL, or really, any sport, if you can’t score.

Not that the New England Patriots did a whole lot of scoring Monday night at New Era Field. But it was enough to beat the inept Bills, who continue to possess perhaps the worst offense in the franchise’s 59-year history.

If it wasn’t so sad watching this team try to run and pass, you’d have to laugh at the comedy show put forth week after week.

The final score looked lopsided at 25-6, but this was a game that was right there for the taking as Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were not the usual purveyors of death and destruction we’ve seen for oh so long in this non-rivalry.

The greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL made some throws like he always does, and Gronk caught a few like he always does, but it certainly wasn’t a vintage performance as the Buffalo defense frustrated New England all night. And still, even on a night when he wasn’t all that sharp, Brady had 324 yards passing and no turnovers.

None of it mattered, though. With LeSean McCoy suddenly looking like a fading 30-year-old running back, and Derek Anderson looking like he should have never answered the phone, the Bills simply had no chance to win.

In the first half, all the Patriots could muster were three Stephen Gostkowski field goals from 25, 40 and 38 yards, while the Bills’ lone reply was a 47-yarder by Stephen Hauschka.

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Brady’s best drive of the half came on the Patriots’ second possession, a 15-play, 73-yarder that chewed up 5:15 and died when the Bills stiffened after New England had first and goal from the 5. Meanwhile, the Bills spent most of their first two series running silly plays out of the wildcat. Predictably, the Bills punted after both.

Brady then put together scoring marches of 58 and 42 yards, though both failed to reach paydirt and Gostkowski came in to kick two more field goals for a 9-0 lead.

Anderson finally got something going late in the half as he completed a 21-yard pass to Andre Holmes at midfield to convert a third-and-6, and then found Zay Jones for 11 to pick up a third-and-4. There was no more forward movement, and Hauschka made his kick with 1:39 left in the second quarter.

Brady moved New England into position for a 50-yard attempt, but Gostkowski missed to the right.

Following the halftime jersey retirement ceremony for Thurman Thomas, it would have been nice if Thomas and some of his all-time great teammates on hand could have suited up. Instead, we watched more slovenly play from overmatched offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s group of mismatched parts.

The Bills did pull within 9-6 with a wonderful drive that covered 2 whole yards in four plays. They were set up at the Patriots' 35 thanks to a 31-yard punt return by Micah Hyde, but did nothing and Hauschka had to kick a 51-yard field goal.

New England answered with a 25-yard field goal by Gostkowski, another situation where the defense was outstanding after Anderson was strip-sacked by Kyle Van Noy at the Buffalo 29.

And then in the final period, the inevitable collapse finally happened. First, Brady pulled off one of his typical suck-the-life-out-of-the-opponent drives, an 85-yarder that ended with James White’s 1-yard run to make it 18-6. Then Anderson, just a couple snaps after the Bills thought they had scored a touchdown only to see it correctly reversed by replay, threw a brutal pass over the middle which Devin McCourty intercepted and returned 84 yards for a touchdown.

With that, most in the sellout crowd, which had waited 10 years for its Monday night mayhem, began streaming to the parking lots, another loss to the Patriots, No. 32 in the last 37 meetings, in the books.

Follow the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle's Sal Maiorana on Twitter @salmaiorana.

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