Everyone talked about how this could be the coming out game for J.P. Losman. It turned out to be everything anyone could ever imagine for Losman but it also turned out to be the coming out of a bonafide all star in Lee Evans. Losman threw for a career high 340 yards and Evans caught 11 passes for a franchise record 265 yards including not one but two 83 yard touchdown receptions in the first quarter!
When Evans caught those two long balls that gave the Bills a 14-0 lead early everyone had to think about the Miami game last year when he caught three touchdown passes in the first quarter and the Bills lost. There was no way that could happen again, could it?
It sure seemed that way until Losman took the reigns on his first game winning scoring drive opportunity of his career and he came through. His 15 yard touchdown pass to Peerless Price with :09 left lifted the Bills to the victory. Price was very quiet in this game compared to Evans but he made a beautiful catch in the back of the end zone and dragged both feet. The team survived a replay review and then had a great come from behind victory.
They shouldn't have been behind but Losman's lone mistake in this game was picked off and returned 9 yards by Dunta Robinson for an easy score to give the Texans their only lead in the game midway through the third quarter. The Bills defense played horribly for most of the first half after getting the lead. Two takeaways by Nate Clements allowed the Bills to have a slim 17-14 lead at halftime. Clements had an interception on the Texans opening possession and picked up a fumble forced by Ko Simpson deep in Buffalo territory just before halftime.
The Texans mixed up the run and the pass very well and Carr threw 22 straight completions at one point which tied an NFL record. The ground game ran through gaping holes and averaged 7 yards on 27 carries for 188 yards while Carr threw 30 passes and completed 25 of them for 223 yards. His last incompletion was costly though as he tried to hit Andre Johnson to get a game clinching first down on third and two, but Clements knocked it away giving the Bills offense one final shot. Minutes earlier the offense went three and out as the defense tightened up in the 2nd half keeping the Texans offense off the scoreboard.
Everyone will be talking about the game as a possible stepping stone for the offense and the bottom line is Losman drove them down to the winning score in the final minutes for the first time in his career. The team found a way to win when trailing on the road late. It has no choice but give them confidence going into the rest of the season.
Here are our exclusive gameballs and goats from the Bills game against the Texans:
