Bills make yards count

By Anthony Bialy  |   Tuesday, December 23, 2008  |  Comments( 49 )

Buffalo Bills
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The Denver Broncos gained almost twice as many yards as the Buffalo Bills on Sunday on their way to scoring seven fewer points. Buffalo finally made another team miserable, and the most frustrating aspect on a frustrating day for the Broncos was how they moved the ball at will until it really counted. On the other side, the Bills’ offense got yards at the right time, resourcefully picking up seven more points in about half the distance.

The 532 yards piled up by Denver’s offense seems like the total picked up by a winning team, especially when held against the 275 Buffalo accumulated. The fact that the final score, 30-23, obviously indicated otherwise came down to the fact that Denver went far but not far enough, as the Broncos only got touchdowns on two of their six trips to the red zone.

Meanwhile, Buffalo had one fewer excursion inside the 20 than the Broncos but got into the end zone one more time than the host while there. Even more notably, two of the Bills’ three touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, as their effectiveness peaked while Denver faded. The latter came about because Buffalo’s own defense made sure that the Broncos were going to be sad with the results of several of their possessions.

Specifically, Denver acquired 85 of its yards on two drives that ended with no points for them and the ball in Buffalo’s hands: The Broncos' third-quarter fumble caused by safety and Human Voltron Donte Whitner led to a Bills field goal, while linebacker/American Godzilla Kawika Mitchell’s fourth-quarter interception with his back to the goal line helped ensure that the Broncos wouldn’t score again.

On top of that, the Broncos' final drive added 46 more yards to the pile but resulted in nothing: Their progress on those snaps got them over 500 yards for the afternoon, yet their inability to get five more with their final chance resulted in them turning over the ball on downs. It led to Buffalo’s offense losing a yard on the ensuing play, a regression which was fine because of the fact it was a kneel-down.

The host’s inability to cash in revenues started early. The Broncos got to Buffalo’s 5-yard line on their second drive and all the way to the 12 on their next possession, yet only managed a field goal after each. They positioned the Bills for a kill and yet only wounded their prey, which is why they have to wait another week to try to nab their division crown. Of course, Denver’s current situation is superior to the Bills having little to play for other than spoiling someone else’s dreams, but, if you’re stuck sailing on the Titanic, you may as well get loaded and have a blast as you’re sinking.

Buffalo accrued touchdowns at a high rate, which became particularly significant as the Broncos found themselves unable to consistently do the same despite getting more opportunities. The Bills’ red zone work combined with a favorable turnover balance meant they didn’t need a lot of ground to score enough as needed. Low yards per point is what it’s all about.
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About Anthony Bialy

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CommentsComments: 49  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
SLH		04:51 AM
12/23/2008
The Buffalo Wilts won a team that has not been playing very well. So what… the players say they played for the Dick this past...
No.2
Kegman		10:16 AM
12/23/2008
The Bills finally played to their potential, rising at last above the bottom-feeders, allowing 500+ yards of offense and yet...
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No.3
flda-dennis		10:20 AM
12/23/2008
I would be flabergasted if Ralph fires Dick. Ralph is not up to big changes at this point in his life. This hand wringing over...
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