In week 12, the Lions flew east for another battle of division leaders, this time with the AFC East's 8-2 New England Patriots. The Lions failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive week, and fell to second place after a blowout loss. The Lions scored first when Matt Prater hit a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter. The Patriots then took the lead which they kept for the rest of the game when Tim Wright caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady near the end of the first quarter. The Lions responded with a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Patriots then scored two touchdowns on a 3-yard run from LeGarrette Blount, then an 8-yard catch by Tim Wright. New England's Stephen Gostkowski then kicked a 35-yard field goal to make the score 24-6 at halftime. The only score of the third quarter was a Patriots 35 yard field goal. In the final quarter, the Lions scored their third field goal, this one from 49 yards out. The Patriots capped their large victory with a 1-yard touchdown run from LeGarrette Blount.

Based on the above article, answer a question. How many points were the Patriots leading by at halftime?
18