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Bills Blow Past Raiders 34-14
Four takeaways lead to huge home win.
by Steve Saslow
The Skinny:
Tyrod Taylor ran for a touchdown and threw for one to Andre Holmes as the Bills took it to the Raiders in a 34-14 wipe out at New Era Field. Matt Milano recovered a fumble and returned it 40 yards for the go ahead touchdown just before halftime and the Bills kept rolling in the second half. The team forced two more turnovers in the third quarter that they turned into Stephen Hauschka field goals. LeSean McCoy put the icing on the cake with a 48 yard exclamation point touchdown as he finished the game with 151 yards rushing while Trae Elston put another exclamation point on this game with an interception.
The Turning Point:
Milano TD: Leonard Johnson put his helmet on the football after a catch by Deandre Washington and the ball popped up in the air and Milano caught it and rumbled 40 yards for a score to give the Bills the halftime lead at 14-7.
The Big Drive:
12 plays, 80 yards in 7:19 to give the Bills a 27-7 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. The drive ended with Taylor going over the top from inside the one on 4th and goal. The big plays on the drive was a 24 yard catch and run by Brandon Tate that Taylor kept alive with his legs and a 36 yard toe dragging catch by Holmes on 3rd and 13.
Stat I Did Like:
Takeaways: They took the ball away four more times it is definitely reminding me of the 2004 defense that almost led them into the playoffs.
Stat I Didn't Like:
Penalties: 11 for 95 yards but a lot of that was Ed Hoculi's crew that loves to throw the flag.
Scene Setters:
- The Bills wore their throwback white helmets with the standing red Buffalo and all white uniforms.
- The Bills honored late Buffalo police officer Craig Lehner before the game. Owners Terry and Kim Pegula met his family at midfield.
- Former Bills great Paul Maquire led the charge out on the field.
- Cookie Gilchrist was inducted on the Bills Wall of Fame at halftime post-humously.
- E.J. Gaines, Jordan Poyer, Charles Clay, and Ramon Humber led the inactive list with injuries. The three healthy scratches were all offensive linemen Conor McDermott, John Miller, and Seantrel Henderson.
Key Matchup Results:
The winners of the battles highlighted in our preview article:
CB Shareece Wright vs. WR Amari Cooper: Winner: Wright. He ended up being on Crabtree most of the game but did very well.
CB Tre'Davious White vs. WR Michael Crabtree: Winner: White. He shadowed Cooper most of the game and did a fantastic job.
RT Jordan Mills vs. DE Khalil Mack: Winner: Mills. The Bills had a nice game plan to keep Mack in check. Mills did have one holding penalty against Mack.
RB LeSean McCoy vs. SS Karl Joseph: Winner: McCoy. Joseph didn't play but Shady got 100 yards on the game.
Keys To The Game Results:
How the keys highlighted in our preview article turned out:
1. Pressure Carr: Failure! The Raiders are the best pass protecting OLine in the league and the Bills didn't even get near Carr.
2. Keep Offense Going: Success! The offense made plays when they had to and took it to the Raiders.
3. Need Someone To Step Up: Success! This week's newest member to step up was Andre Holmes but Shady had a big game as well.
My Take:
This was a game that I thought they would lose and you know that if you follow me on twitter or saw my preview article. I didn't think they matched up well. It looked like I was right after the first series but this isn't the same old Bills. They hunkered down and took control of the game. This team isn't the most talented team in the league that is for sure but they are a complete team and they have bought in to the process. That is saying a lot as they are now 5-2 for the first time since 2011 and it is their first 4-0 start in Buffalo for the first time since 1995.
What's Ahead:
It's a short week as the Bills travel to New Jersey to take on the Jets on Thursday Night Football.
Gameballs
Matt Milano - Had the fumble return for a touchdown and forced another fumble that led to a field goal.
LeSean McCoy - Had a big game on the ground and the game clinching touchdown.
Tyrod Taylor - He had great composure in this game and was in control completing 20 of 27 passes and throwing and running for a score.
Andre Holmes - Got some revenge against his former team with 3 catches for 51 yards and two of those catches were great toe dragging plays including one touchdown and the other one setup a touchdown.
Trae Elston - Had a game clinching interception and led the team with 11 tackles in his first career start.
Goats
None - Team effort victory.
Player Of The Week
Matt Milano - He gave the Bills 10 huge points when they game was up in the air.
 Positional Breakdown and Grades
NFL.com Gamebook
Raiders Game Preview
Gameday Homepage
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