Bills Fall Flat, Saints Brees to Victory

The Buffalo Bills defense was exposed by Saints QB Drew Brees
 on this TD to WR Lance Moore.
(Source: Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports)

The 5-1 Saints came off their bye week to face the 3-4 Bills on familiar turf. Prior to kickoff, Buffalo announced running back C.J. Spiller and line backer Manny Lawson were officially ruled inactive, while New Orleans' star tight end Jimmy Graham was given the thumbs up.

Electing to receive, Buffalo took over from their own 20 after a touchback. The first play from scrimmage was an absolute nightmare for the Bills offense. Quarterback Thad Lewis lined up in the shotgun with running back Fred Jackson to his right, the ball was snapped and appeared to be running a read option. Lewis took off to his left, finding a small hole before being clobbered by Saints line backer David Hawthorne. Lewis taking a shot to the ribs and turned the ball over in the process. New orleans recovered while Lewis stayed on the ground. Lewis eventually walked off gingerly,  but returned on the next series.

The remainder of the game consisted of little Buffalo offense, penalties, and big plays from the Saints through the air.

New Orleans' quarterback Drew Brees started off the day rusty deep in Bills territory, unable to find a groove. Brees finally hit wide receiver Lance Moore on a slant to take the 7-0 lead. The Bills took advantage of only being down one touchdown after two Lewis fumbles with a strike from Lewis to wide receiver Stevie Johnson for a score, tying the game at 7-7. Things drastically changed right before the end of the half after a field goal from Bills kicker Dan Carpenter (10-7). Brees found wide receiver Kenny Stills on a busted coverage for a 69-yard throw and catch, giving New Orleans a 14-10 lead. After a Bills quick 3-and-out, punter Brian Moorman was forced to boot the ball back. After a few completions and some helpful flags from Buffalo, the Saints found themselves in the oppositions territory. Brees methodically worked his magic, finding his favorite red zone target, Graham, on a 15-yard touchdown with just under one minute remaining in the half.

After returning from the locker room, the game gradually turned into the Drew Brees show. The Super Bowl XLIV MVP added two more touchdowns on the day, finishing with a final stat line of 26 for 34, 332 yards and 5 touchdowns. While New Orleans thrived, Buffalo struggled consistently to get something going. Jackson rushed for a grand total of 5 yards and a touchdown in the second half and Lewis thew for 126 yards to go along with an interception in the second half. 

If it wasn't bad enough, Buffalo was yet again hit with the injury bug. Running back Tashard Choice left the game early and wide receiver Stevie Johnson limped the whole game dealing with an injured groin. 

Buffalo would eventually lose to New Orleans 35-17. The score doesn't show how close this game was and should have been. Buffalo did not take advantage of opportunities and kept multiple drives for the Saints alive with penalties. 

Buffalo falls to 3-5 as the Saints march to 6-1 on the season. Buffalo will be in action next week as they take on the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Even in a loss, there were some bright spots, including rookie wide receiver Marquise Goodwin making some spectacular fingertip grabs. Although his numbers weren't remarkable, Goodwin continued to impress.

Three stars for the Bills in week eight:

1. Stevie Johnson- 7 REC, 72 YDS, 1 TD 
2. Kyle Williams- 6 TKLS, 1.5 SACK
3. Brian Moorman- 3 P, 137 YDS, 45.7 AVG