Tedy Bruschi didn't mind being on the sidelines. The leader of the Patriots defense watched Corey Dillon run for two 1-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter that took New England to a 21-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Bruschi returned to the gridiron 8.5 months after suffering a mild stroke and an operation for a hole in his heart. But on Sunday night he started at inside linebacker just eleven days after returning to practice.

With 5:30 left, Rosevelt Colvin stripped the ball from quarterback Kelly Holcomb and recovered at the Bills 23. Brady then hit Deion Branch with a 22-yard completion, and Dillon, who missed the previous game with an ankle injury, scored the winning touchdown.

"I see Rosevelt Colvin making a play to win the game," said Bruschi . "He was the guy tonight and, hopefully, there will be other guys that do that many times for the rest of the year."