FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The seventh straight win was in the books, and Vince Wilfork had a message to get across to the people who doubted his New England Patriots early this season.
“So many people saying how bad we were … everything possible negative that people could say they said about us,” the nose tackle said after Sunday’s 34-9 rout of the Detroit Lions. “Our No. 1 job was to block out all the noise, ignore it, and just concentrate on what we need to do to get better. That was our No. 1 goal and that’s still our No. 1 goal.
“Now you look … we’re one of the best teams in the league. So the same people that were saying we were the most terrible team in the league now are patting us on the back. We don’t have no room for them. We don’t have no room for bandwagons.”
Quarterback Tom Brady, playing on the 14th anniversary of his first NFL snap, handled the Lions’ top-ranked defense in the league, throwing for 348 yards and two first-half touchdowns to tight end Tim Wright.
Brady, who relieved Drew Bledsoe at the end of the Detroit rout on Thanksgiving Day almost a decade-and-a-half ago, registered the 63rd 300-yard game of his career, tying him with Dan Marino for third place on the NFL’s all-time list.
“I thought we got off to a good start and then played from ahead,” said Brady.
Running back LeGarrette Blount, re-signed by the Patriots on Tuesday after his release by the Pittsburgh Steelers, also scored two touchdowns, both on short runs and the first on his first carry. He added a 23-yard run in the third quarter and a 33-yarder in the fourth and finished with 78 yards on 12 carries.
“It’s good to see him back,” said Wilfork. “You know how we do things around here. He’s never been a problem and I don’t see him being a problem for us.”
The win was the Patriots’ 15th straight at home, including six this season, and was also New England’s 14th straight over a AFC North opponent, the longest current streak by any team against any division. It also ensured the Patriots (9-2) of their 14th straight winning season, third most ever by an NFL team.
The Lions, who came in No. 1 in the league in total, scoring and rush defense, failed to score a touchdown for the second straight week and fell to 7-4 with their second straight loss, following last week’s defeat against Arizona.
“I don’t know how you can call yourself a competitor if you are going to chalk it up and say we just aren’t good enough,” said Lions center Dominic Raiola. “I don’t look at it like that. There is stuff we could have done better, period.”
Brady, who finished 38 of 53, was picked off at the Detroit goal line by safety James Ihedigbo in the third quarter — only the third red-zone interception of Brady’s career to go with 140 red-zone touchdown passes.
He has 20 touchdown passes and two interceptions during the winning streak — and on Sunday he became the sixth quarterback in NFL history with 7,000 pass attempts.
Wide receivers Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell caught 11 and nine passes, respectively, while running back Shane Vereen had eight catches, as the Patriots rolled up 439 yards of offense.
LaFell was banged up and moving gingerly in the locker room after the game.
Detroit quarterback Drew Stafford was 18 of 46 for 264 yards and an interception — to go with a 49.5 passer rating.
Matt Prater was three of four on field goals for the Detroit scoring, while Stephen Gostkowski kicked two field goals for New England.
Danny Amendola had an 81-yard kickoff return after the Lions made it 7-6 in the second quarter to set up New England’s second touchdown. The Patriots also got a 70-yard punt return, for an apparent touchdown, by Edelman called back for a penalty.
NOTES: Patriots rookie RB Jonas Gray, who ran for 201 yards and a club-record four touchdowns last Sunday night at Indianapolis before being sent home from practice Friday, reportedly for being late, was in uniform but did not play. “We do what we think’s the best, that’s what we did today,” said coach Bill Belichick.