The game was tied at 10 in the fourth quarter when a blitz was picked up and Kelly found Quinn Early for a 63-yard touchdown; the Patriots drove to the Bills 5-yard line in the final seconds but were stopped on a draw play to Dave Meggett.
The Patriots led 22–0 in the final seconds of the first half after three field goals by rookie Adam Vinatieri and touchdowns by Ben Coates and Curtis Martin (a Vinatieri PAT was blocked), but from his 49-yard line, Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell escaped a sack and threw a desperation heave to the endzone; in the endzone scramble the ball was kicked in the air by Willie Clay of the Patriots and caught by the Jaguars' Jimmy Smith for a touchdown.
Brunell completed long-bomb touchdown throws to Andre Rison, and following a Martin fumble the Jaguars tied the game at 25.
Rookie linebacker Tedy Bruschi ran in his first career touchdown when he caught a blocked Ravens punt near their goal line.
Jim Harbaugh had 223 passing yards and backup Paul Justin had 119, yet the Patriots won 27–9, their first win over Indianapolis since 1994.
An intentional-grounding penalty on Jim Kelly in the endzone was ruled a Patriots safety, but the Bills took an 18–15 lead on a Thurman Thomas run and a Darick Holmes two-point conversion.
Miami's playoff hopes in their first year under Jimmy Johnson had taken a blow the week before in a loss to Dallas, and they suffered even more at Foxboro.
Karim Abdul-Jabbar and Curtis Martin exchanged rushing scores for a 14–14 tie at the half, then after the Patriots took a 21–17 lead in the fourth quarter, Drew Bledsoe finished off the Dolphins, first on a short pass that Ben Coates carried 84 yards for a touchdown, then on a subsequent drive ending in a five-yard Sam Gash touchdown catch, finally on another drive ending in Martin's third rushing score of the day.
Bledsoe then completed a four-yard touchdown to Keith Byars, but the Jets roared downfield on a long throw from Reich to Jeff Graham to the Patriots 11-yard line.
The Patriots took over the game from the opening quarter as Drew Bledsoe tossed touchdowns to Shawn Jefferson and Terry Glenn for a 17–0 halftime lead.
Backup QB Paul Justin drove the Colts downfield and threw a five-yard score to Marvin Harrison for a 27–13 Patriots final.
The Patriots crushed the Chargers 45–7 at Jack Murphy Stadium a week after San Diego went 7–5 in a win at Kansas City.
Drew Bledsoe threw three touchdowns in the first half while Willie McGinest ran down a deflected fumble from the ten-yard line and scored.
Offense was smothered for the most part by both sides as the Patriots and Cowboys entered the game within reach of clinching their divisions and amid burgeoning rumors that Bill Parcells was going to leave New England.