FOXBORO -- Stepping in when Patrick Pass' leg gave out, Corey Dillon showed Patriots fans that he still has some life left in his "old" legs last night, bulling his way to 72 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Bills.

Dillon, who turned 31 a week ago today, looked like he was once again going to spend the game suited up but on the sidelines as Pass got the Pats' carries on their first offensive series of the game and started the second series the same way.

That is, until Pass got the ball on second-and-one on the second play of the second quarter (he had gained nine yards on the previous play) and he dropped the ball. It appeared that Pass' left hamstring clenched up, causing him to fall.

Though he limped off the field on his own, Pass did not return.

But that put Dillon back in the spotlight. After a franchise-record 1,635 yards rushing last season, Dillon got off to a slow start this year, not cracking 70 yards in New England's first four games, and then gaining 106 in the fifth, at Atlanta.

The next game, at Denver, he was in uniform but did not play.

Though his ankle injury was thought to be improved, there was no knowing if Dillon would play last night, and there's no telling if he knew whether he'd get to play. As is often his custom, Dillon was scarce when the media was in the locker room after the game.

On his way into the shower, Dillon was asked how he was feeling and he said, "Banged up, as usual."

With that, he ducked behind a curtain in the shower area. Dillon was sporting some large scrapes on his right upper arm.

All told, Dillon had 18 carries and averaged 4 yards per rush. Sixty-two of his yards came in the second half.

Dillon opened up the third quarter with a 12-yard run up the middle, and got 12 more yards on a drive that ended with Tom Brady's 33-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch.

In the fourth quarter, with the Patriots trailing, 16-7, Dillon pulled New England to within two points. On first-and-goal from the one, Dillon needed just one play, on the shirttail of Dan Klecko, to get into the end zone for his sixth touchdown of the season.

Less than two minutes later, he was at it again -- Brady found Branch to set up another Dillon score. This time, Dillon used a nifty spin move to get over the goal line.

Not a bad effort for someone who has joked for the past month that he's too old to talk to the media, the result of an article that listed several reasons why Dillon might be struggling. One of those reasons was that running backs historically have little success after the age of 30.