Patriots running back Shane Vereen had his first career 100-yard rushing performance during a 23-21 win Week 1 at Buffalo. Vereen rushed for a team-high 101 yards on 14 carries, while adding seven catches (10 targets) for 58 yards.
Vereen, whose longest carry went 21 yards, saw an increase in reps after Stevan Ridley was benched following a second quarter fumble. Vereen had three carries for 31 yards and three catches for 29 yards in the first half. His best chance for a touchdown came on a 3rd-and-1 play late in the third quarter, but Vereen was stopped at the goal line.
"I think Shane stepped up, did a good job for us," coach Bill Belichick said at his postgame press conference. "We counted on him a lot, he came through on a lot of plays, that was a huge run he had at the end to get us in field goal range, keep the ball in bounds and force them to use another timeout, that was good play and that was a smart play."
The Patriots host the Jets Week 2.