Lynch explodes, leads Bills to victory

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, November 05, 2007  |  Comments( 62 )

Buffalo Bills
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Though J.P. Losman's stellar performance and the outstanding effort of Buffalo's stunningly effective defense were big reasons for the Bills' 33-21 over Cincinnati on Sunday, nobody had a greater impact on the outcome than rookie running back Marshawn Lynch. Put simply, the 21-year-old took the game over in the fourth quarter and seemingly willed Buffalo to its fourth victory of the 2007 NFL season, improving the team to a respectable 4-4 at the year's halfway point.

Entering the game, Lynch hadn't accumulated any 100-yard efforts in a given week, but he was ultra consistent for the Bills. In the first seven contests of his career, the first-round pick from the University of California racked up a solid 537 yards and four touchdowns.

On Sunday, with the Bills trailing 21-16 going into the fourth quarter, Lynch took control of the game's final stanza and turned the afternoon into a nightmare of epic proportions for 2-6 Cincinnati's struggling defense.

Going into the final quarter, Lynch had a less-than-spectacular 62 yards on 18 carries against the league's 28th-ranked run 'D'. When all was said and done, after an 11-attempt, 91-yard last 15 minutes, Lynch finished the day with a workmanlike 29 carries for a career-best 153 yards. Further, he accounted for a pair of touchdowns.

With 9:52 remaining, Buffalo, down 21-19, got the ball at the Bengals' 32-yard line. Rather than put the ball in Losman's hands, offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild called Lynch's number on six consecutive runs. He bruised his way to 26 yards on those attempts, with the most important of which being a 2-yard gain on a third-and-2 play, giving the Bills a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, Fairchild's bunch was in a second-and-goal situation at Cincinnati's 8. Surprisingly, Fairchild called for trickery instead of more defense-exhausting runs or a straightforward pass. Losman got the snap from center Melvin Fowler, then pitched out to Lynch, who looked as if he was going to run into a crowded group of defenders for what would have likely been an insignificant gain. Instead, Lynch, doing his best LaDainian Tomlinson impression inside the red zone, threw a perfect spiral to wide-open tight end Robert Royal, who hauled in the pass for an 8-yard touchdown. The call and execution left the Bengals shocked and gave the Bills a 26-21 lead.

"Aw, man, it was high school. Pitch and catch with Robert Royal," Lynch said in his post-game press conference.

Though Lynch's scoring pass was ultimately the game-winning touchdown for Buffalo, it was his run on the next possession that truly kayoed the Bengals and gave the Bills their third win in four games. After yet another three-and-out forced by their valiant defense, the Bills, with 4:32 to play, got the ball at their own 28 with a chance to put the game on ice. Given that Buffalo was unable to close out games earlier in the season against Denver and Dallas, many understandably had their doubts. Lynch put them to rest, though, and officially left his mark on the ground.

The Bills called consecutive handoffs to the 5-foot-11, 215-pounder, but he gained only 3 yards on those two attempts. Therefore, in order to move the chains and keep Cincinnati's Carson Palmer-led offense away from the field, Buffalo's sideline ordered a pass, and Losman threw a perfect slant pattern to wide receiver Lee Evans (nine catches, 165 yards and a touchdown), who gained 13 yards when the Bills needed 7. On the next play, a first and 10, Lynch took a handoff, bounced off Bengals defensive lineman Rashad Jeanty -- who looked as if he had the ball carrier all but taken down -- and galloped 56 yards to the end zone for the best run of his young career, officially closing the door on Cincinnati's chances and giving the Bills a 33-21 advantage.

Buffalo's offense, which was ranked 31st in the league entering Week 9, exploded to the tune of 480 yards and put forth its best effort in a number of years. If the Bills are to keep winning, they'll need Lynch, as the weather gets colder and the conditions worsen, to continue the torrid pace he's already on. So far in his eight-game career, Lynch has 690 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Should he continue on that exact pace, he'll finish the campaign with 1,380 yards and 10 ground scores.

Lynch may not be Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, but he's already a much better fit in Buffalo than Willis McGahee ever was.

Follow the Buffalo Bills' second-half playoff push at RealFootball365.com
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