Blustery winds made an NFL game so crazy the Patriots only needed to throw the ball 3 times to win

• The Patriots beat the Bills 14-10 on Monday night in a blustery game in Buffalo.
• With wind steadily at 25mph and gusts up to 50mph, it was not like many football games you've seen before.

The Patriots and Bills battled through biblical winds to attempt to play something resembling an NFL football game on Monday night.

With gusts reaching up to 50mph in Buffalo, fans could tell even before the game that this game would be like nothing we've seen before.

The opening kickoff confirmed for any doubters that the game would be an odd one, as Bills kicker Tyler Bass smashed his kick through the back of the end zone and six rows deep into the stands with the wind at his back.

The first punt of the game was just as bizarre. After calling three rushing plays — a signifier of what was to come — the Patriots sent out punter Jake Bailey to try and switch the field.

Bailey took his snap and booted the ball just 15 yards. According to the broadcast, it was the shortest Patriots punt since 2007.

Later in the game, with the wind at his back, Bailey booted a career-long 71-yard punt for the Patriots.

But even with the wind wreaking havoc on the kicking game, the biggest impact the weather had was on the Patriots' playbook.

Through 60 minutes of football, Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones threw the ball just three times, completing two of his passes for 19 yards.

Jones would've been 1-for-3 if not for a miraculous circus catch from tight end Jonnu Smith on his first pass of the evening.

Instead of passing, the Patriots rushed. And rushed. And rushed. And rushed.

Seven different players recorded a carry for New England throughout the game, resulting in 46 carries for 222 rushing yards and a game played with what felt like a running clock.

The biggest run of the day came from Damien Harris, who broke free for a 64-yard score in the first quarter to give the Patriots a lead they would never squander.

After one final stop from the Patriots defense to end the game, New England secured the win, their seventh straight on the season, to take the top spot in the AFC standings.

Even with the knowledge that they won the game, looking back at the Patriots' play selection is still jarring.

Bill Belichick looks at football games as problems to be solved, and Monday night presented to him what must have been a fun challenge. How do you win a game when throwing the ball is barely an option?

It turns out the answer isn't all that complicated.