Yesterday's game technically qualifies as a fourth quarter comeback because the Buffalo Bills trailed the St. Louis Rams 14-13 at the end of the third quarter. Jabari Greer intercepted Trent Green's pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to give the Bills a lead for good as they cruised to their first 4-0 record since 1992 when Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith were the core of that dominant team.
Give the Rams credit. Personal pride, professionalism - call it whatever you want - but it carried them through 3 quarters yesterday as they tried to avoid their fourth loss in as many games but, in the end, they just don't have enough talent. Running back Stephen Jackson is their best player and, while he still needs to get fully up to game speed after a long contract hold-out, he broke into the secondary several times on his way to a 110 yard day.
Buffalo looks like a team which now knows how to win. After taking the lead on the Greer interception, on their next possession, Trent Edwards went for the Rams jugular by finding Lee Evans on a 39 yard touchdown pass and then finding him again for a 2 point conversion to put them up 28-14. As coach Dick Jauron said afterwards, the Bills "ended up making more plays at the end and that's what the game's all about". Yes, that's what it's all about but it's also about having the confidence to make those plays and to know how to close out a game.
Up next: the Arizona Cardinals in the desert. The Cardinals allowed Brett Favre to throw no less than 6 touchdown passes against them yesterday as they gave up 56 points to the Jets. If the Bills can find a way to win this one, they have their bye week before hosting one of the AFC's top teams, the San Diego Chargers.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
2008 Season Week 3
When a quarterback is inducted into the pro football Hall of Fame, one of the most often mentioned statistical accomplishments of a typical Hall of Famer's career is his fourth quarter comeback wins. All of the great quarterbacks have the ability to lead their team to victory late in a game when everything is on the line. While it is absurd at this early stage to think that Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards could be Canton bound, he already has three of these comebacks under his belt, including one in each of the past two weeks. With only 14 NFL starts, if he can continue this ratio over, say, ten years, his place in the H of F should be a certainty.
For three quarters at a misty Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, the Bills seemed sluggish and looked like they might have under-estimated the Oakland Raiders who came into this contest with their head coach perhaps only hours away from being fired. The Raiders played well for him and the Bills found themselves down by nine points twice in the fourth quarter. Edwards engineered three drives, two for touchdowns and one for the winning field goal as time expired to eke out a 24-23 victory. After a Marshawn Lynch touchdown brought Buffalo to within two points, on the next possession, Raiders receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins caught a pass on a slant pattern, avoided Paul Pozluzny's tackle, broke free and then taunted Bills safety Donte Whitner by slowing down around the 25 yard line as he cruised toward the endzone. Whitner kept coming and then tackled Higgins hard at the back of the end zone, earning himself a personal foul but also demonstrating that the Bills have some pride as a team - something we may not have seen a few seasons ago.
The Bills would then score ten more points over the last five minutes of the game - lead by the surprisingly poised Edwards who distributed the ball, managed the clock and lead the team to within easy field goal range for Rian Lindell's winning kick on the game's final play. This was another close game which good teams win and bad teams lose. Wins like this build confidence for the winners and seem devastating for the losers. The 3-0 Bills travel next to St. Louis to face the 0-3 Rams who have just announced a quarterback change for this game.
For three quarters at a misty Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, the Bills seemed sluggish and looked like they might have under-estimated the Oakland Raiders who came into this contest with their head coach perhaps only hours away from being fired. The Raiders played well for him and the Bills found themselves down by nine points twice in the fourth quarter. Edwards engineered three drives, two for touchdowns and one for the winning field goal as time expired to eke out a 24-23 victory. After a Marshawn Lynch touchdown brought Buffalo to within two points, on the next possession, Raiders receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins caught a pass on a slant pattern, avoided Paul Pozluzny's tackle, broke free and then taunted Bills safety Donte Whitner by slowing down around the 25 yard line as he cruised toward the endzone. Whitner kept coming and then tackled Higgins hard at the back of the end zone, earning himself a personal foul but also demonstrating that the Bills have some pride as a team - something we may not have seen a few seasons ago.
The Bills would then score ten more points over the last five minutes of the game - lead by the surprisingly poised Edwards who distributed the ball, managed the clock and lead the team to within easy field goal range for Rian Lindell's winning kick on the game's final play. This was another close game which good teams win and bad teams lose. Wins like this build confidence for the winners and seem devastating for the losers. The 3-0 Bills travel next to St. Louis to face the 0-3 Rams who have just announced a quarterback change for this game.
Monday, September 15, 2008
2008 Season Week 1
With the Buffalo Bills leading the Seattle Seahawks by 10 points in the
third quarter of yesterday's NFL regular season kick-off at Ralph Wilson
Stadium, Bills defensive end Ryan Denney reported eligible on a fourth
down play with the Bills within easy field goal range for kicker Rian
Lindell. He then moved toward the sidelines but not off the field. The
ball was snapped to holder Brian Moorman who stood up and lofted an easy
pass to a wide open Denney who walked into the end zone to give Buffalo a
17 point lead on their way to a 34-10 rout of the 'hawks.
This dominating opening day performance was a welcome sight for Bills fans
who had seen their team lose two of its past three opening games at home
on the final play of the game. Does this bode well for the rest of the
season? Recent history indicates that it does not. The opening game of the
2003 season saw the Bills clobber the Patriots 31-0 but by January,
Buffalo had finished well out of the playoffs at 6-10 and the Patriots
were Super Bowl winners. The 2005 season began with an over-powering
defensive performance against the inept Houston Texans but Buffalo only
won 4 more times that season.
History, although interesting, is probably irrelevant - especially in
light of the team's performance in all three aspects of the game and
against a quality opponent like Seattle. The defence looked strong. The
offence, with Jason Peters out of the line-up but due to play next week,
ran and passed effectively and protected the ball. Buffalo's special teams
may be the best in the league with the electrifying Roscoe Parrish
returning punts and coach Bobby April devising trick plays which seem to
work much more often than not. All indications are that the 2008 Bills are
a talented, motivated and well coached team which should be able to make
it to the post-season for the first time since the Music City Miracle.
Weeks 3,4 and 5 of this season provide good opportunities for wins as the
Bills host Oakland before travelling to St. Louis and Arizona. Next week,
however, presents one of the toughest challenges on the schedule as
Buffalo visits steamy Jacksonville. The Jaguars, who lost yesterday at
Tennessee, will be motivated to win their home opener and avoid starting
0-2. If the Bills can get a win in this game, they will certainly be in
very good shape going into the bye week in week 6.
third quarter of yesterday's NFL regular season kick-off at Ralph Wilson
Stadium, Bills defensive end Ryan Denney reported eligible on a fourth
down play with the Bills within easy field goal range for kicker Rian
Lindell. He then moved toward the sidelines but not off the field. The
ball was snapped to holder Brian Moorman who stood up and lofted an easy
pass to a wide open Denney who walked into the end zone to give Buffalo a
17 point lead on their way to a 34-10 rout of the 'hawks.
This dominating opening day performance was a welcome sight for Bills fans
who had seen their team lose two of its past three opening games at home
on the final play of the game. Does this bode well for the rest of the
season? Recent history indicates that it does not. The opening game of the
2003 season saw the Bills clobber the Patriots 31-0 but by January,
Buffalo had finished well out of the playoffs at 6-10 and the Patriots
were Super Bowl winners. The 2005 season began with an over-powering
defensive performance against the inept Houston Texans but Buffalo only
won 4 more times that season.
History, although interesting, is probably irrelevant - especially in
light of the team's performance in all three aspects of the game and
against a quality opponent like Seattle. The defence looked strong. The
offence, with Jason Peters out of the line-up but due to play next week,
ran and passed effectively and protected the ball. Buffalo's special teams
may be the best in the league with the electrifying Roscoe Parrish
returning punts and coach Bobby April devising trick plays which seem to
work much more often than not. All indications are that the 2008 Bills are
a talented, motivated and well coached team which should be able to make
it to the post-season for the first time since the Music City Miracle.
Weeks 3,4 and 5 of this season provide good opportunities for wins as the
Bills host Oakland before travelling to St. Louis and Arizona. Next week,
however, presents one of the toughest challenges on the schedule as
Buffalo visits steamy Jacksonville. The Jaguars, who lost yesterday at
Tennessee, will be motivated to win their home opener and avoid starting
0-2. If the Bills can get a win in this game, they will certainly be in
very good shape going into the bye week in week 6.
2008 Season Week 2
James Hardy and Terrance McGee both caught balls on the right side of the
same end zone in sweltering Jacksonville, Florida and each catch
represented a critical moment in the Buffalo Bills victory yesterday over
the Jaguars. McGee's interception at the end of the first half stalled a
threatening Jacksonville drive and Hardy, the rookie second rounder from
Illinois who was drafted as a tall "possession" receiver, leapt high to
catch a Trent Edwards pass in the corner of the endzone and managed to
keep his toes just inside the white lines as the Bills took the lead for
good late in the game.
This was a hard fought game which ebbed and flowed with each team having
offensive success at different times. Buffalo did an excellent job of
dealing with the near 100 degree F heat by rotating their personnel,
particularly their big men and especially all-pro offensive tackle Jason
Peters, in and out to fend off cramping and exhaustion. Jacksonville
presents one of the league's best combinations of running backs in Fred
Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew and, although they were quite effective in
the second half, the Bills defence stepped up late in the game to shut
them down. Special teams were important again with Roscoe Parrish's last
punt return setting up the field goal which would give the Bills a 4 point
cushion. Trent Edwards was efficient once more, going 20 for 25 with no
interceptions and hitting Lee Evans with a 30+ yard pass on third down to
set up the winning touchdown.
This was a close game - the kind that good teams tend to win - and a
significant step toward the Bills becoming a decent and confident team
this season. Wins over two of last year's playoff teams now lead them to
two games which they should win. Oakland won yesterday in Kansas City but
will be at least 7 point underdogs in Buffalo next Sunday. Then the Bills
travel to St. Louis where they will also be favoured. The NFL season is a
marathon but after 2 weeks, the Bills are in a great position - relatively
injury free with upcoming opportunities to build their confidence and
establish themselves as one of the AFC's better teams.
same end zone in sweltering Jacksonville, Florida and each catch
represented a critical moment in the Buffalo Bills victory yesterday over
the Jaguars. McGee's interception at the end of the first half stalled a
threatening Jacksonville drive and Hardy, the rookie second rounder from
Illinois who was drafted as a tall "possession" receiver, leapt high to
catch a Trent Edwards pass in the corner of the endzone and managed to
keep his toes just inside the white lines as the Bills took the lead for
good late in the game.
This was a hard fought game which ebbed and flowed with each team having
offensive success at different times. Buffalo did an excellent job of
dealing with the near 100 degree F heat by rotating their personnel,
particularly their big men and especially all-pro offensive tackle Jason
Peters, in and out to fend off cramping and exhaustion. Jacksonville
presents one of the league's best combinations of running backs in Fred
Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew and, although they were quite effective in
the second half, the Bills defence stepped up late in the game to shut
them down. Special teams were important again with Roscoe Parrish's last
punt return setting up the field goal which would give the Bills a 4 point
cushion. Trent Edwards was efficient once more, going 20 for 25 with no
interceptions and hitting Lee Evans with a 30+ yard pass on third down to
set up the winning touchdown.
This was a close game - the kind that good teams tend to win - and a
significant step toward the Bills becoming a decent and confident team
this season. Wins over two of last year's playoff teams now lead them to
two games which they should win. Oakland won yesterday in Kansas City but
will be at least 7 point underdogs in Buffalo next Sunday. Then the Bills
travel to St. Louis where they will also be favoured. The NFL season is a
marathon but after 2 weeks, the Bills are in a great position - relatively
injury free with upcoming opportunities to build their confidence and
establish themselves as one of the AFC's better teams.
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