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

Thadisfied?

Bills QB Thad Lewis gives a thumbs up during his first start
with Buffalo in week six.
(Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Bills quarterback Thad Lewis has started in two games this season, winning his first as a starter last week at Miami. After being promoted from the practice squad, it's safe to say the majority of fans are satisfied with Thad's performance thus far.

Lewis has completed 40 of 64 passes for 418 yards, 2 touchdowns and only 1 interception. It seems as though Lewis is rather comfortable with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's system and is extremely wise in making quick decisions. Maybe this has something to do with Lewis' time spent at Duke University. Blue Devils head coach David Cutcliffe has a rich history of developing elite quarterback's. Cutcliffe coached both of the Manning brothers during both of their careers at Tennessee and Ole Miss. 

Number 9 has been a pleasant surprise for Bills fans, giving them some hope until first round pick, E.J. Manuel returns sometime next month. Lewis will have his first big test on the road this week as the Bills take on the Saints in the Superdome. 

With a win, Buffalo will be back in the playoff picture with a 4-4 record going into next weeks matchup against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in Orchard Park, NY.

Spiller Out, Mingo In

Bills RB C.J. Spiller will be inactive for Sunday's game
against the Saints.

The Buffalo Bills made some roster moves this morning after head coach Doug Marrone announced starting running back C.J. Spiller will not play this Sunday at the Saints (ankle). 

With running back Fred Jackson banged up and uncertainty with running back Tashard Choice, Buffalo was in search for a third back. The front office didn't look too far for a replacement, as they called up running back Ronnie Wingo from the practice squad. Mingo comes in as an underrated free agent who was released by the Atlanta Falcons early in the season. The former Arkansas Razorback will likely see some NFL action for the first time due to the health of Jackson. 

To make room for Mingo on the 53-man roster, the Bills released cornerback Brandon Burton.

On the other side, New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Grahm and defensive end Cameron Jordan practiced today with limited reps. Both were updated to questionable for Sunday's matchup.

Buffalo is looking to win back to back road games for the first time since the 2009 campaign (weeks 6 & 7). 

Mario on Track to Sack Strahan's Record

Bills DE Mario Williams recorded a video-game-like 4.5 sacks
against QB Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.
(Kevin Hoffman/USA Today Sports)

Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams has been an absolute sack machine this season, living up to his nickname, "Super Mario." Through the first seven games, Williams has recorded 10 quarterback takedowns, a Bills record through that stretch.

New York Giants great Michael Strahan broke the NFL single-season sack record in in 2001 with a whopping 22.5 sacks. If Williams continues his dominance, he'll surpass Strahan by a half sack.

Williams also earned his second Defensive Player of the Week award this season after his dominant performance against the Miami Dolphins. Number 94 took the game into his own hands with a late strip sack, which set up Carpenter with game winning field goal.

When the Bills Go Marching In

Bills P Brian Moorman finds DE Ryan Denny on a 25-yard TD
 pass against the New Orleans Saints in 2009.
 (Source: Rick Stewart/Getty Images North America)

The Buffalo Bills will hit the road yet again this week as they prepare to take on the Super Bowl XLIV champion New Orleans Saints. The game will be played at 1:00 PM ET at the hostile Mercedes-Benz Superdome. 

In the past three matchups, the Saints have completely owned the Bills. On those previous occasions, the Bills have put up a miserable 6.67 points per game, while the Saints produced 23.3 points per game. If that isn't gloomy enough, since 2001, the only Bills player to throw a touchdown pass against the Saints was punter Brian Moorman. Moorman threw a 25-yard pass to former Bills defensive end Ryan Denny on a fake field goal. 

But going into Sunday's game, the Bills have something to encourage fans. There has only been two teams in the NFL this season to score at least 20 points in each of their games, the Denver Broncs and the Buffalo Bills. We all know how effortlessly Saints quarterback Drew Brees can pick apart a defense and score points in bunches. If the Bills can continue to put at least 20 on the scoreboard, they'll be able to hang with any opponent, including the New Orleans Saints.

Scoop and Score Kyle

Bills DE Kyle Williams being mobbed by his teammates
after recovering a fumble late in the game.

After the Bills pulled out a dramatic 23-21 victory over the Dolphins Sunday, fans were treated with footage of the teams congratulatory locker room speech. Head Coach Doug Marrone addressed the team first.

Marrone credited his group on an all around team win, congratulating all three phases of the ball. Marrone was glad to see that the guys had some fun and worked together as a team. The most important thing was somehow, someway, finding a way to win.

The Game ball was given to Bills owner Ralph Wilson, who celebrated his 95th birthday last week.

But the top highlight came during defensive captain Kyle Williams' speech. As Williams began giving some strong and encouraging words to his teammates, emphasizing the amount of guts the team displayed, the squad gave Williams a new nickname, "Scoop and Score Kyle." Referring to the inability to scoop up Tannehill's fumble and get into the end zone late in the final quarter. The entire squad shared a laugh, including Williams who was a good sport throughout. 

When met by the press later on, Williams admitted that he purposely did not try to get up and run. The thought process was simply strategic. Luckily for Kyle, the Bills went on to sink the Dolphins with a last minute field goal.

You can check out the exclusive postgame speech in the video section at BuffaloBills.com

Miami Fumbles Chances, Bills Win

Bills DE Mario Williams was relentless all game long in
Buffalo's win over Miami.

Buffalo came into Miami sitting dead last in the AFC East. After a tough loss to the Bengals last week, the team was looking for redemption against divisional foe, Miami Dolphins.

The Bills defense started the game off hot with a pick-six from cornerback Nickell Robey. The strong play continued with two straight three-and-outs forced. Miami was forced to punt, bringing in quarterback Thad Lewis to lead the way. Lewis manipulated the Dolphins defense throughout the drive using his two big tight ends, Scott Chandler and Lee Smith. Spiller pitched in moving the chains deep in Dolphins territory. Eventually, the drive was capped off with a three-yard burst from running back Fred Jackson. The lead was stretched to 14 with time running down in the first quarter. On the ensuing drive, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill worked his way into Bills territory. On a third-and-five, Tannehill took a shot to the end zone. Tannehill's touch pass for wide receiver Brian Hartline was left short into double coverage, resulting in an interception by safety Aaron Williams. The Bills took over from the shadows of their own end zone.

After a Moorman punt, the Dolphins needed to find a way to put points on the board. A strong run from running back Lamar Miller gave Miami 30-yards and the ball on Buffalo's 32. Just five plays later, Tannehill found tight end Charles Clay for a touchdown.

The momentum suddenly started building in favor of Miami. 

Miami forced a three-and-out, only using 22 seconds of the game clock. The Dolphins surged back right before the half and cut the lead to three with an easy pitch and catch from Tannehill to wide receiver Brandon Gibson. Buffalo went into the locker room with a 17-14 lead. 

The second half saw more of how Miami ended the first. Buffalo struggled to move the ball and Miami played smart and turnover free. After another three-and-out, Miami took advantage. Converting three third-downs on their longest drive of the game, Tannehill capitalized yet again with Brand Gibson for their first lead of the afternoon.

Trailing 21-17, Buffalo later responded with a 20-yard chip shot from kicker Dan Carpenter.

The following dive was all about the Bills defense. Defensive end Mario Williams came up with a huge sack on second-down, beating the tackle and absolutely punishing Tannehill for it. On the following play, line backer Kiko Alonso sniffed out a Miami throw, dragging down running back Daniel Thomas for a loss. Forced to punt, Miami pinned Buffalo inside their own 20. The upcoming drive had a similar feel to the first drive in overtime last week against Cincinnati. Unfortunately it ended in a three-and-out, forcing another Moorman punt. 

Miami faced a long second down with 2:56 remaining in the fourth. Instead of running the clock, Tannehill dropped back and was quickly met by Mario Williams, resulting in a strip that was recovered by Bills defensive end Kyle Williams. Williams was unable to jump up to advance the ball after the recovery. Buffalo took over with 2:48 on Miami's 34. The smart running by running backs Tashard Choice and Fred Jackson moved the ball effectively down the field, setting up a chance for 31-yard field goal with under a minute to play. With no timeouts left, the Dolphins couldn't ice Bills kicker Dan Carpenter who nailed it right down the middle. 

The former Dolphin stole a win from his former team as Tannehill's hail marry was not answered with no time remaining. 

Bills 24 Dolphins 21 FINAL

The eight game winless road loss in AFC East has ended, head coach Doug Marrone picks up his first division win and Thad Lewis earns his first career win as a starter.

The Bills move to 3-4 on the season, while the Dolphins remain winless in the AFC East and drop to 3-3 overall.

Three stars for the Bills in week seven:

1. Mario Williams- 3 TKLS, 2 TFL, 2 SACK, 1 FF

2. Fred Jackson- 11 CAR, 36 YDS, TD, 4 REC, 49 YDS

3. Dan Carpenter- 3/3 FG, 2/2 XP