Team-wide implosion leads to another Buffalo loss

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, December 24, 2007  |  Comments( 27 )

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The Buffalo Bills' quest to knock off the New York Giants on Sunday started off well, but the team's first-quarter excellence was gradually erased by a better opponent and the miserable weather of Orchard Park, N.Y.

Buffalo, led by quarterback Trent Edwards, mustered two quick touchdowns against the Giants during the opening stanza, but then the conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium turned nightmarish and the Bills eventually dropped their second straight game and fell to 7-8.

After grabbing an early 14-point advantage over New York, the Bills were outscored 38-7 by the Giants during the final 45 minutes.

Momentum swung in the second quarter, with the Bills leading 14-0. Punter Brian Moorman was standing inside his own 30-yard line on a fourth-and-10 play, then Ryan Neill, for the second straight week, flung a horrid snap toward Moorman that landed at his feet. The Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw tackled Moorman at Buffalo's 23, and New York took over on downs; five plays later, running back Brandon Jacobs galloped 6 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Bills' lead to 14-7.

Later in the second quarter, the Giants' Jeff Feagles punted to Buffalo after its defense stymied New York's offense, but Bills safety Donte Whitner leveled Feagles late and was called for a personal foul penalty, giving Big Blue 15 yards and a new set of downs. On the next play Jacobs gashed the Bills' Whitner-led defense for a 43-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14.

Once the Giants evened the game, everything went downhill for Buffalo. The Bills were unable to achieve anything on offense, their special teams let them down (for the second consecutive week), and they couldn't stop the Giants' running game. Jacobs totaled 145 yards and two scores on 25 carries, while Bradshaw, a little-known backup, scampered for 151 yards -- including an 88-yard TD -- on 17 attempts.

To their credit, the Bills contained Giants QB Eli Manning (7 of 15 for 111 yards and two interceptions), but their 26th-ranked run defense offset any success the pass 'D' attained.

Offensively, Buffalo's Edwards found open targets on just 9 of 26 passes for 161 yards, two scores and three picks, but he didn't receive any help from his aerial targets (many of whom dropped key passes), and the line -- which was missing injured Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters for most of the afternoon -- failed to consistently open holes for Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for a modest 70 yards on 18 carries, or protect the QB. Entering Sunday, the Bills' O-line hadn't allowed a sack since Nov. 25, but it surrendered three to the Giants, whose 52 lead the NFL this year.

In the end, the Bills totally imploded as a team -- evidenced by the Giants' 21-0 advantage in the final quarter -- and that's why they were embarrassed by 17 points. Frankly, that's also why they're 7-8, out of the playoffs for the eighth straight year, and the 10-5 Giants are headed to the postseason yet again.

The Bills will close their rocky season next Sunday in Philadelphia, which is also 7-8 but has won two consecutive games and seems bent on closing the year on a positive note, unlike suddenly hapless Buffalo.

RealFootball365.com wishes its readers all the best this holiday season.
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CommentsComments: 27  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Nate		09:42 AM
12/24/2007
I think the most frustrating thing about yesterday's game (aside from the miserable weather)was just as against the Cowboys, the...
No.2
rich (the real one)		09:45 AM
12/24/2007
Merry Christmas everyone! I was pumped and thought we did well and started thinking we were going to wrap the game up early. Eli...
No.3
Terrible		10:19 AM
12/24/2007
Pitiful, just pitiful. You guys are terrible so just face facts. Most of the Bill's wins were just luck and your record is...
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