The Skinny:
Trent Edwards completed the long ball and that was the difference in the Bills 33-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Edwards completed 21 of 31 passes for 230 yards including touchdown passes of 32 yards to Lee Evans and 43 yards to Terrell Owens. Rian Lindell hit all four field goal attempts in the win. The biggest play of the game was Donte Whitner's 76 yard interception return for a touchdown.
The Turning Point:
Midway through the first quarter the Bills were leading 7-0 but the Buccaneers were driving. Donte Whitner picked off an errant throw by Byron Leftwich and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown to give the Bills a 14-0 lead.
The Big Drive:
The opening drive for the Bills set the tone for this game. The Bills won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Tampa went three and out and the Bills went right down the field as they went 54 yards in just four plays as the drive ended with a 32 yard sideline pass from Edwards to Evans for the first score of the game.
Stat of the Game:
The Bills ran off 438 yards of total offense. It was balanced as they had 218 on the ground and 220 through the air.
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What You Don't See On The Stat Sheet:
The pass protection from the Bills offensive line was very good. They gave up two sacks but for the most part Edwards had all day to throw.
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Quick Slants:
- The Bills seem to always beat NFC teams early in the season at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
- The team has now won three straight games after losing on Monday night.
- Defense forces two turnovers to lead them to win.
My Take:
The Bills came out determined to get the bad taste out of their mouth from last week's devastating Monday night loss. They played hard throughout and pulled out a victory. This win hopefully gives them more confidence going into a meaty portion of the schedule. The win is a good start but a shocking upset this week would really put the loss to the Patriots in the rear view mirror.
What's Ahead:
The Bills remain at home for a second straight week to take on the high flying New Orleans Saints. It will be a tough matchup as the Saints have one of the top offenses in the league scoring 93 points in two games. It will be a stiff test for the Bills defense. We will have our complete preview by Thursday.
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