Bills let Rams have their fun, remember to trounce in the end

By Anthony Bialy  |   Monday, September 29, 2008  |  Comments( 132 )

Buffalo Bills
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

Sunday's first half between Buffalo and St. Louis was the latter's Super Bowl, so hopefully the Rams' fans enjoyed Donnie Avery’s super-tricky score along with other gimmicks like Dante Hall’s reverse, his later passing attempt and a few plays without huddles. The hosts played well even when they weren’t fearful of running their regular offense, for a bit, but Buffalo checked the standings at halftime and remembered what to do. Good teams don’t have to fare well all the time, and the Bills avoided playing down to a doormat’s level as they came out focused and won the second half 25-0 en route to a 31-14 victory.

It didn’t begin that way. The 54 yards Buffalo’s offense cobbled on its opening drive was more than its other first-half efforts combined: The Bills managed a not-a-typo 17 yards on the other six possessions, including a pair that went for zero net yards each, a three-play, 1-yard struggle, and the particularly memorable final try of the second quarter which saw them move 9 yards backward. The first 30 minutes couldn’t have ended quickly enough for the Bills, especially because they obviously put the ensuing pause to good use.

That break was like a vacation, as they came out refreshed and glowing: Buffalo opened the new half with a 76-yard touchdown drive that it later topped on its first crack at the ball during the fourth quarter with an 81-yard cruise resulting in another end-zone excursion.

The ability to recover and rebound was best evidenced by the difference between Trent Edwards’ interception and touchdown. The pick embodied the Bills’ troubled first half, as he unsuccessfully communicated with Lee Evans regarding routes; the receiver turned out instead of in, which turned off any chance of minimizing or eliminating an 8-point deficit.

But they developed a stronger psychic bond during the break, as the 39-yard touchdown hit to Buffalo’s prize wideout was so perfectly timed that Evans basically merely had to upturn his hands to get the ball. The talents combine to be nearly unstoppable if they remember to flick on the telepathy switch.

With all the composure Edwards displayed as a passer in the second half, his most impressive play may have been when he called his own number. His 11-yard scramble on that notable first second-half drive was a moment where it looked as if he calmly willed the game to slow down after spotting a chasm. Instead of being a product of skittishness, it was a wise scramble that made Ram defenders miserable: A successful rush by a quarterback who doesn’t run demoralizes a team that’s losing horribly to the point where its coach is updating his résumé.

The restoration of NFL order came down to reversing the line of scrimmage tendencies on both ball sides. Rams rusher Steven Jackson devolved from midseason form in the first half to a corroded shell in the second; while it may have been partly thanks to fatigue from spending the summer negotiating instead of properly working on his endurance, the fact is that Bills tackles Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams finally controlled the battle as linebacker Paul Posluszny swarmed nearby on virtually every play.

It showed in St. Louis’ game after it generated false optimism in the first two periods. A missed field goal, the Jabari Greer interception that came from keeping the safeties luxuriously deep in zones instead of having to station them near the line, a punt, turnover on downs, fumble and downs again were what the Rams had to show for their depressing respective possessions from the third quarter forward.

At the same time, the Bills’ offensive line got rolling: Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson made great plays in the first despite the blocking, and they put forth some great rushes in the last 30 minutes in part because of it, as the guardians finally started heading downhill. It had to be nice to see for Bills fans, but as with several of this team’s other elements they need to start earlier.

The focus the rest of this season for the Bills should be ensuring they’re ready to prevent inferior teams from hanging around. While Dick Jauron isn’t the type who inspires players to smash heads into hard surfaces before heading out of the locker room, and while it’s great that they’ve been adjusting and finishing well, it would be nice to see more early urgency.

The first half was an act of charity for St. Louis fans who have 12 miserable outings left to endure, and it should be the last one. From now on, Buffalo should be ready to eviscerate the weak from the first play instead of when it gets around to it. Kill hope early.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (132)

About Anthony Bialy

I'm just here to submit ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report
CommentsComments: 132  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Diablo4372		09:11 AM
09/29/2008
Good no no no Great morning Everyone. What a great second half to watch. I think that this is becomming a habit of the Bills ...
No.2
Kegman		09:16 AM
09/29/2008
Good article, and on track with a great article about the game written by Jeffri Chadiha for ESPN this morning. Slow Starts. I'm ...
No.3
PimpDaddy		09:18 AM
09/29/2008
4 - 0 baby. What a great way to start the season. It was a sound but late developing victory. 31 - 14 is a good final score but ...
Team News  |  View All Bills Content
Edwards’ turnovers overturn ...
Restaurateur, car dealership owner, and former professional footballer ...
1 day, 7 hours ago   |   Edwards’ turnovers overturn Bills’ hopes ( 98 )
Third-rounder Edwards must o ...
On top of everything that’s gone wrong for the Buffalo Bills lately, t ...
2 days, 7 hours ago   |   Third-rounder Edwards must outperform first-rounder Quinn ( 164 )
Remaining games resemble pas ...
The Buffalo Bills have faced a few bad teams and some decent ones, and ...
5 days, 7 hours ago   |   Remaining games resemble past games for Bills ( 105 )
Not running Lynch enough kee ...
One of the big three for the Buffalo Bills sets up the other two, and ...
6 days, 7 hours ago   |   Not running Lynch enough keeps the Bills from running well ( 71 )
Bills’ Whitner missed by Poz ...
Whether it be Starsky and Hutch, Bill and Ted or the guy from Run-DMC ...
1 week ago   |   Bills’ Whitner missed by Poz, everyone else ( 98 )