The Skinny:
Jairus Byrd picked off two passes that setup both of Buffalo's touchdowns as the Bills won back to back road games for the first time since 2004 with a 20-9 win in Carolina. Marshawn Lynch had a seven yard touchdown run and Lee Evans caught a 2 yard touchdown pass. Rian Lindell hit two fourth quarter field goals of 29 and 22 yards out to give the Bills a cushion. The Panthers scored on a safety when Fred Jackson was tackled in the end zone and they got a 15 yard TD run by D'Angelo Williams.
The Turning Point:
You could choose either of Byrd's interceptions but I'll take the muffed punt. The Bills have lost two games this year because of a muffed punt and muffed kickoff. It's nice to see the ball bounce there way on special teams. The Panthers had seized the momentum by pulling within eight and forcing the Bills to punt. Kenny Moore muffed it and Derek Fine recovered it. The Bills ran off another 3:19 to a Lindell field goal to put the game away.
The Big Drive:
Not a long drive but the 6 play, 27 yard touchdown drive after Byrd's second interception gave the Bills a 12 point lead early in the fourth quarter. Evans caught three passes on the drive for 19 yards and the score.
Stat of the Game:
+4: The Bills were on the plus side of the turnover battle for the second week in a row as they got three interceptions and the muffed fumble recovery.
What You Don't See On The Stat Sheet:
How the Bills won the game despite being out gained 425-167 yards.
Quick Slants:
- Jairus Byrd now has five interceptions in three games.
- Marshawn Lynch's seven yard TD run was the first on the ground in over 200 carries this year.
- The Bills had 39 yards, two first downs, and only 7:40 time of possession in the first half but were leading 7-2.
- Josh Reed always seems to have a nose for the first down marker. His 8 yard reception on 3rd and 7 late in the game allowed the team to run down more precious clock.
My Take:
After losing ugly two weeks in a row and winning ugly last week the Bills beat a bad Panthers team but they really played much better in the second half and found a way to put it away as they have become road warriors of sorts. The bottom line is the world was caving in two weeks ago when the walked off the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium the last time. They will now be returning with a chance of getting back in the playoff race. What a roller coaster ride the NFL is.
What's Ahead:
The Bills come back home after back to back road games to take on the Houston Texans. This is now going to be a good battle of two teams in the middle of the pack. The Texans are a solid team that is now 4-3 on the season so it should be a good, tough matchup.
