Stoneludlow
07-18-2005, 12:00 PM
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width=470>VIRTUAL SEASON: 2005 BILLS SECOND-HALF REPORT
Fast start sets up a spectacular finish
By GREG CONNORS
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
7/18/2005 </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>http://www.buffalonews.com/images/space.gif</TD></TR><TR><TD width=2>http://www.buffalonews.com/images/space.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top width=499 bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=250 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718billspkg_a.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
J.P. Losman was on target for 364 yards and three touchdowns over the Chiefs.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718sportsp6_b.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>Associated Press
LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 83 yards, started and ended the scoring for the Chargers.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718sportsp6_c.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
Lee Evans gave the Broncos secondary fits with 85 receiving yards and a 39-yard touchdown.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718sportsp6_d.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>Willis McGahee averaged 7.8 yards per carry.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The Buffalo Bills started the 2005 season 5-3 in the NFL simulation done by WhatIfSports.com.
After a bye week in Week Nine, which the coaches will say comes at a good time, the team begins its push toward trying to make the playoffs. Other leading AFC teams after Week Eight are Indianapolis (6-1), New England (5-2), Cincinnati (5-3) and San Diego (5-3).
The Bills started 3-1 at home, which is where they open the second half, hosting Kansas City.
Week 10
J.P. Losman has his best game to date, connecting on 25 of 33 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-14 victory over the Chiefs.
"Big players make big plays, and that's what J.P. did today," said a locker room source.
Lee Evans catches two TDs and Eric Moulds the other one. Moulds has 157 receiving yards on six catches.
Game Nine notes: Willis McGahee runs for 99 yards and a touchdown, while K.C.'s Priest Holmes gets 117 yards and one score. . . . The Bills' leading tackler is London Fletcher, of course, with 10. . . . Chiefs QB Trent Green's stats: 31 of 47, 243 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
Bills 31, Chiefs 14
Kansas City 0 7 0 7-14
Bills 7 3 7 14-31
First Quarter
Buf 1:19 TD Lee Evans 2 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Second Quarter
KC 12:20 TD Tony Gonzalez 4 yd. pass from Green (Tynes kick).
Buf 0:48 FG Rian Lindell 25 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 11:08 TD Eric Moulds 74 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 10:06 TD Lee Evans 8 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
KC 7:14 TD Priest Holmes 20 yd. run (Tynes kick).
Buf 2:03 TD Willis McGahee 8 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Week 11
Let the second guessing begin!
The Bills trail the San Diego Chargers, 20-12, after three quarters in Qualcomm Stadium. Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, McGahee takes a pitch from Losman and pops into the end zone from 20 yards out. The Bills trail by two points, and coach Mike Mularkey elects to try for a two-point conversion. Daimon Shelton is stuffed at the line, and the Bills end up losing, 27-25.
Kicking a point-after would still have left the Bills (6-4) short, but who knows how much momentum the Chargers gained after stopping the Bills' PAT attempt? After all, the games aren't played on paper, they are played on computer software.
McGahee has a big day, with two touchdowns and 74 yards on the ground. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson does about the same, two TDs and 83 yards.
Losman has his second straight 300-yard passing week (310), with one INT and no TDs.
Game 10 notes: Rian Lindell boots four field goals for Buffalo, including a 48-yarder. Moulds racks up 120 receiving yards. . . . Tackle totals: Jeff Posey six, London Fletcher two, and the Bills lose. . . . San Diego's Drew Brees is very ordinary: 22 of 31 for 206 yards, no TDs or INTs.
Chargers 27, Bills 25
Bills 6 3 3 13-25
San Diego 7 6 7 7-27
First Quarter
Buf 8:22 FG Rian Lindell 39 yds.
SD 6:39 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 23 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
Buf 0:44 FG Rian Lindell 48 yds.
Second Quarter
SD 12:11 FG Nate Kaeding 38 yds.
SD 2:27 FG Nate Kaeding 20 yds.
Buf 0:00 FG Rian Lindell 45 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 11:38 FG Rian Lindell 29 yds.
SD 2:39 TD Jesse Chatman 5 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 13:35 TD Willis McGahee 20 yd. run (2-PT conversion failed). SD 1:52 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
Buf 0:29 TD Willis McGahee 6 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Week 12
On a blustery 17-degree afternoon in Ralph Wilson Stadium in late November, the Bills grind out a 20-17 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The McGahee juggernaut rolls on, as the Bills back scores twice, giving him 10 touchdowns in 11 games. (Last year's NFL touchdown leader, Seattle's Shaun Alexander, had 13 TDs through 11 games in 2004.)
McGahee carries 22 times for 94 yards, while a stout Bills defense holds Carolina's DeShaun Foster to 56 yards on the ground.
Fletcher is the Bills' leading tackler with eight.
"That guy is just a football player, period," one locker room source said of the Bills' linebacker.
Game 11 notes: Losman's stats are far superior to those of Jake Delhomme, his Panthers counterpart. Losman: 28-38 for 286 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Delhomme: 17-30 for 184, 1 TD, 1 INT. . . . The Panthers muster just 280 yards of total offense.
Bills 20, Panthers 17
Carolina 0 3 7 7-17
Bills 3 7 3 7-20
First Quarter
Buf 6:16 FG Rian Lindell 29 yds.
Second Quarter
Car 3:28 FG John Kasay 33 yds.
Buf 1:20 TD Willis McGahee 5 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Third Quarter
Car 10:14 TD Stephen Davis 5 yd. run (Kasay kick).
Buf 1:05 FG Rian Lindell 21 yds.
Fourth Quarter
Car 7:44 TD DeShaun Foster 28 yd. run (Kasay kick).
Buf 2:59 TD Willis McGahee 5 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Week 13
An 80-degree December day in Miami is Buffalo Bills weather, as the visiting Bills grind out a 22-10 win to move to 8-4.
A Losman-to-Evans touchdown pass of 3 yards, plus a 26-yard TD run by McGahee, are enough to even the season series with the Bills' arch enemies.
The Bills stick to their winning script: let McGahee run, let Fletcher stop the run. The Bills' bruising running back totals 141 yards on the ground, while Miami's talented rookie, Ronnie Brown, manages 93 rushing yards.
Fletcher leads the defense with 11 tackles, six more than any other Bill.
Game 11 notes: There's still no sign of Ricky Williams in Miami's stats. (WhatIfSports.com spokesman Paul Bessire says the company will plug Williams back in once he's actually playing for the Dolphins again.) . . . Losman throws for 157 yards with 1 TD, while Miami's A.J. Feeley is held to 115 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs. Feeley is also sacked twice by Aaron Schobel.
Bills 22, Dolphins 10
Bills 3 3 10 6-22
Miami 3 7 0 0-10
First Quarter
Buf 8:53 FG Rian Lindell 23 yds.
Mia 3:36 FG Olindo Mare 40 yds.
Second Quarter
Buf 6:53 FG Rian Lindell 49 yds.
Mia 0:40 TD Heath Evans 19 yd. pass from Feeley (Mare kick).
Third Quarter
Buf 9:32 FG Rian Lindell 34 yds.
Buf 0:00 TD Lee Evans 3 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 1:51 TD Willis McGahee 26 yd. run (2-PT conversion failed).
Week 14
If the Bills fail to make the playoffs, this 28-22 loss is the game that will really haunt them.
Buffalo takes a 10-0 lead over the New England Patriots in the first quarter, and is up 13-7 at halftime.
Corey Dillon's third-quarter touchdown run, his second of the game, gets the Pats' offense untracked.
In the fourth quarter, with just nine seconds left, Lindell boots a 29-field goal to tie the game, 22-22, and they go to overtime.
Two minutes into OT, Dillon scores his third TD of the game, and the Pats are victorious.
"I haven't seen the films yet, but this one obviously hurts a little bit," a locker room source said.
The Bills, after winning three of their past four games, fall to 8-5, a half-game behind the 9-5 Pats.
Game 13 notes: Dillon is sensational, with 156 running yards as well as his three scores. . . . McGahee runs for 111 yards, no touchdowns. . . . The Pats' Tom Brady has only a slight statistical edge over Losman, with 243 yards compared to Losman's 196. Each throws one touchdown pass.
Patriots 28, Bills 22
New England 0 7 7 8 6-28
Bills 10 3 3 6 0-22
First Quarter
Buf 11:08 TD Eric Moulds 34 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Buf 1:35 FG Rian Lindell 44 yds.
Second Quarter
NE 3:39 TD Corey Dillon 2 yd. run (Vinatieri kick).
Buf 0:59 FG Rian Lindell 33 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 8:45 FG Rian Lindell 21 yds.
NE 2:28 TD Corey Dillon 2 yd. run (Vinatieri kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 14:16 FG Rian Lindell 22 yds.
NE 8:04 TD Troy Brown 4 yd. pass from Brady (Dillon 2-PT conversion). 22-19
Buf 0:09 FG Rian Lindell 29 yds.
Overtime
NE 13:10 TD Corey Dillon 31 yd. run.
Week 15
The Bills' defense comes up with another solid effort in a 17-3 victory over the Denver Broncos in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Bills jump to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter - on Losman touchdown passes to Evans and Shelton - and the defense holds the Broncos to one field goal all game.
Fletcher is the Bills' co-leader in tackles. He and Takeo Spikes both have five.
Game 14 notes: Losman racks up 256 yards through the air, 85 of them to Evans. . . . Broncos QB Jake Plummer has just 150 passing yards, no touchdowns and 2 INTs. . . . It's a virtual dead heat between the two featured running backs. McGahee gets 113 yards, no TDs, and Quentin Griffin 114 yards, no TDs. . . . Didn't you used to be: Jerry Rice, 1 catch for 14 yards.
Bills 17, Broncos 3
Denver 0 0 3 0-3
Bills 14 0 0 3-17
First Quarter
Buf 12:44 TD Lee Evans 39 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Buf 2:14 TD Daimon Shelton 9 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Third Quarter
Den 7:09 FG Jason Elam 24 yds.
Fourth Quarter
Buf 4:13 FG Rian Lindell 40 yds.
Week 16
The Fletcher Factor finally lets down the Bills. The linebacker leads the team with five tackles, not enough to contain Chad Johnson and the Bengals, who earn a 17-10 victory in Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium.
Johnson catches two TD passes from Carson Palmer, and gets 106 receiving yards on the day.
Palmer makes the most of his 170 passing yards, while Losman connects on just one TD pass - to Evans - and throws for 201.
Game 15 notes: The Bills are unable to take advantage of Bills weather in Cincinnati, where it's 25 degrees with snow flurries. . . . McGahee manages 101 rushing yards, no TDs.
Bengals 17, Bills 10
Bills 0 3 7 0-10
Cincinnati 7 0 7 3-17
First Quarter
Cin 14:00 TD Chad Johnson 3 yd. pass from Palmer (Graham kick).
Second Quarter
Buf 4:26 FG Rian Lindell 33 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 9:20 TD Lee Evans 5 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Cin 4:09 TD Chad Johnson 10 yd. pass from Palmer (Graham kick).
Fourth Quarter
Cin 5:17 FG Shayne Graham 47 yds.
Week 17
With the Bills, at 9-6, fighting for their playoff lives, this game in the Meadowlands is crucial. Buffalo's defense comes up big in a 13-6 victory over the New York Jets.
The Bills again bottle up Jets QB Chad Pennington, who manages just 105 yards in the air. Curtis Martin gains 105 on the ground and a touchdown, but that's the only scoring the Jets' offense can muster.
Fletcher ends the regular season on a high note, racking up a team-high seven tackles.
McGahee scores the Bills' lone touchdown. And by the end of the day, the 10-6 Bills learn they are going to the playoffs as a wild card, on the road against San Diego.
"We played like there's no tomorrow, and that's why there is one," a locker room source quipped.
Game 16 notes: Losman is 23 of 32 for 211 yards, no TDs or interceptions. . . . Evans leads Bills receivers with 79 yards. . . . No Jets receiver totals 40 or more yards for the day.
Bills 13, New York Jets 6
Bills 0 10 0 3-13
NY Jets 0 0 0 6-6
Second Quarter
Buf 8:46 TD Willis McGahee 5 yd. run (Lindell kick)
Buf 0:11 FG Rian Lindell 18 yds.
Fourth Quarter
NYJ 13:40 TD Curtis Martin 36 yd. run (Nugent missed extra point).
Buf 2:46 FG Rian Lindell 41 yds.
Wild-card playoff
It takes the Bills a while to find their offensive rhythm, as the San Diego Chargers take a 20-6 lead at halftime, thanks to two LaDainian Tomlinson touchdowns.
The Bills chip away with a Lindell field goal in the third quarter, then turn up the heat in the fourth with two touchdowns, Losman passes to Tim Euhus and Lee Evans.
However, Drew Brees answers the Euhus TD with a scoring pass to Eric Parker, and the Chargers have enough to prevail, 27-24. McGahee has a monster game: 148 yards on 19 carries, but no touchdowns. The Chargers' Tomlinson racks up 132 yards. The season is over, the dream will never die.
Playoff notes: Brees (23 of 32, 267, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) has a slight statistical edge over Losman (24 of 33, 244, 2 TDs, 0 INTs). . . . Let's give it up for London Fletcher: a team-high nine tackles, once again.
Chargers 27, Bills 24
Bills 0 6 3 15-24
San Diego 10 10 0 7-27
First Quarter
SD 11:48 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 18 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
SD 3:51 FG Nate Kaeding 23 yds.
Second Quarter
Buf 14:20 FG Rian Lindell 26 yds.
SD 9:26 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 5 yd. pass from Brees (Kaeding kick).
Buf 5:18 FG Rian Lindell 47 yds.
SD 0:17 FG Nate Kaeding 28 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 7:34 FG Rian Lindell 19 yds.
Fourth Quarter
Buf 10:52 TD Tim Euhus 4 yd. pass from Losman (McGahee 2-PT conversion).
SD 6:10 TD Eric Parker 8 yd. pass from Brees (Kaeding kick).
Buf 4:05 TD Lee Evans 2 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
They make the playoffs, but lose to the "Bargers".
Training camp opens in 11 days and reality takes over!
Fast start sets up a spectacular finish
By GREG CONNORS
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
7/18/2005 </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>http://www.buffalonews.com/images/space.gif</TD></TR><TR><TD width=2>http://www.buffalonews.com/images/space.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top width=499 bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=250 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718billspkg_a.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
J.P. Losman was on target for 364 yards and three touchdowns over the Chiefs.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718sportsp6_b.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>Associated Press
LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 83 yards, started and ended the scoring for the Chargers.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718sportsp6_c.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
Lee Evans gave the Broncos secondary fits with 85 receiving yards and a 39-yard touchdown.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/07/18/0718sportsp6_d.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD>Willis McGahee averaged 7.8 yards per carry.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The Buffalo Bills started the 2005 season 5-3 in the NFL simulation done by WhatIfSports.com.
After a bye week in Week Nine, which the coaches will say comes at a good time, the team begins its push toward trying to make the playoffs. Other leading AFC teams after Week Eight are Indianapolis (6-1), New England (5-2), Cincinnati (5-3) and San Diego (5-3).
The Bills started 3-1 at home, which is where they open the second half, hosting Kansas City.
Week 10
J.P. Losman has his best game to date, connecting on 25 of 33 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-14 victory over the Chiefs.
"Big players make big plays, and that's what J.P. did today," said a locker room source.
Lee Evans catches two TDs and Eric Moulds the other one. Moulds has 157 receiving yards on six catches.
Game Nine notes: Willis McGahee runs for 99 yards and a touchdown, while K.C.'s Priest Holmes gets 117 yards and one score. . . . The Bills' leading tackler is London Fletcher, of course, with 10. . . . Chiefs QB Trent Green's stats: 31 of 47, 243 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
Bills 31, Chiefs 14
Kansas City 0 7 0 7-14
Bills 7 3 7 14-31
First Quarter
Buf 1:19 TD Lee Evans 2 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Second Quarter
KC 12:20 TD Tony Gonzalez 4 yd. pass from Green (Tynes kick).
Buf 0:48 FG Rian Lindell 25 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 11:08 TD Eric Moulds 74 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 10:06 TD Lee Evans 8 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
KC 7:14 TD Priest Holmes 20 yd. run (Tynes kick).
Buf 2:03 TD Willis McGahee 8 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Week 11
Let the second guessing begin!
The Bills trail the San Diego Chargers, 20-12, after three quarters in Qualcomm Stadium. Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, McGahee takes a pitch from Losman and pops into the end zone from 20 yards out. The Bills trail by two points, and coach Mike Mularkey elects to try for a two-point conversion. Daimon Shelton is stuffed at the line, and the Bills end up losing, 27-25.
Kicking a point-after would still have left the Bills (6-4) short, but who knows how much momentum the Chargers gained after stopping the Bills' PAT attempt? After all, the games aren't played on paper, they are played on computer software.
McGahee has a big day, with two touchdowns and 74 yards on the ground. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson does about the same, two TDs and 83 yards.
Losman has his second straight 300-yard passing week (310), with one INT and no TDs.
Game 10 notes: Rian Lindell boots four field goals for Buffalo, including a 48-yarder. Moulds racks up 120 receiving yards. . . . Tackle totals: Jeff Posey six, London Fletcher two, and the Bills lose. . . . San Diego's Drew Brees is very ordinary: 22 of 31 for 206 yards, no TDs or INTs.
Chargers 27, Bills 25
Bills 6 3 3 13-25
San Diego 7 6 7 7-27
First Quarter
Buf 8:22 FG Rian Lindell 39 yds.
SD 6:39 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 23 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
Buf 0:44 FG Rian Lindell 48 yds.
Second Quarter
SD 12:11 FG Nate Kaeding 38 yds.
SD 2:27 FG Nate Kaeding 20 yds.
Buf 0:00 FG Rian Lindell 45 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 11:38 FG Rian Lindell 29 yds.
SD 2:39 TD Jesse Chatman 5 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 13:35 TD Willis McGahee 20 yd. run (2-PT conversion failed). SD 1:52 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
Buf 0:29 TD Willis McGahee 6 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Week 12
On a blustery 17-degree afternoon in Ralph Wilson Stadium in late November, the Bills grind out a 20-17 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The McGahee juggernaut rolls on, as the Bills back scores twice, giving him 10 touchdowns in 11 games. (Last year's NFL touchdown leader, Seattle's Shaun Alexander, had 13 TDs through 11 games in 2004.)
McGahee carries 22 times for 94 yards, while a stout Bills defense holds Carolina's DeShaun Foster to 56 yards on the ground.
Fletcher is the Bills' leading tackler with eight.
"That guy is just a football player, period," one locker room source said of the Bills' linebacker.
Game 11 notes: Losman's stats are far superior to those of Jake Delhomme, his Panthers counterpart. Losman: 28-38 for 286 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Delhomme: 17-30 for 184, 1 TD, 1 INT. . . . The Panthers muster just 280 yards of total offense.
Bills 20, Panthers 17
Carolina 0 3 7 7-17
Bills 3 7 3 7-20
First Quarter
Buf 6:16 FG Rian Lindell 29 yds.
Second Quarter
Car 3:28 FG John Kasay 33 yds.
Buf 1:20 TD Willis McGahee 5 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Third Quarter
Car 10:14 TD Stephen Davis 5 yd. run (Kasay kick).
Buf 1:05 FG Rian Lindell 21 yds.
Fourth Quarter
Car 7:44 TD DeShaun Foster 28 yd. run (Kasay kick).
Buf 2:59 TD Willis McGahee 5 yd. run (Lindell kick).
Week 13
An 80-degree December day in Miami is Buffalo Bills weather, as the visiting Bills grind out a 22-10 win to move to 8-4.
A Losman-to-Evans touchdown pass of 3 yards, plus a 26-yard TD run by McGahee, are enough to even the season series with the Bills' arch enemies.
The Bills stick to their winning script: let McGahee run, let Fletcher stop the run. The Bills' bruising running back totals 141 yards on the ground, while Miami's talented rookie, Ronnie Brown, manages 93 rushing yards.
Fletcher leads the defense with 11 tackles, six more than any other Bill.
Game 11 notes: There's still no sign of Ricky Williams in Miami's stats. (WhatIfSports.com spokesman Paul Bessire says the company will plug Williams back in once he's actually playing for the Dolphins again.) . . . Losman throws for 157 yards with 1 TD, while Miami's A.J. Feeley is held to 115 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs. Feeley is also sacked twice by Aaron Schobel.
Bills 22, Dolphins 10
Bills 3 3 10 6-22
Miami 3 7 0 0-10
First Quarter
Buf 8:53 FG Rian Lindell 23 yds.
Mia 3:36 FG Olindo Mare 40 yds.
Second Quarter
Buf 6:53 FG Rian Lindell 49 yds.
Mia 0:40 TD Heath Evans 19 yd. pass from Feeley (Mare kick).
Third Quarter
Buf 9:32 FG Rian Lindell 34 yds.
Buf 0:00 TD Lee Evans 3 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 1:51 TD Willis McGahee 26 yd. run (2-PT conversion failed).
Week 14
If the Bills fail to make the playoffs, this 28-22 loss is the game that will really haunt them.
Buffalo takes a 10-0 lead over the New England Patriots in the first quarter, and is up 13-7 at halftime.
Corey Dillon's third-quarter touchdown run, his second of the game, gets the Pats' offense untracked.
In the fourth quarter, with just nine seconds left, Lindell boots a 29-field goal to tie the game, 22-22, and they go to overtime.
Two minutes into OT, Dillon scores his third TD of the game, and the Pats are victorious.
"I haven't seen the films yet, but this one obviously hurts a little bit," a locker room source said.
The Bills, after winning three of their past four games, fall to 8-5, a half-game behind the 9-5 Pats.
Game 13 notes: Dillon is sensational, with 156 running yards as well as his three scores. . . . McGahee runs for 111 yards, no touchdowns. . . . The Pats' Tom Brady has only a slight statistical edge over Losman, with 243 yards compared to Losman's 196. Each throws one touchdown pass.
Patriots 28, Bills 22
New England 0 7 7 8 6-28
Bills 10 3 3 6 0-22
First Quarter
Buf 11:08 TD Eric Moulds 34 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Buf 1:35 FG Rian Lindell 44 yds.
Second Quarter
NE 3:39 TD Corey Dillon 2 yd. run (Vinatieri kick).
Buf 0:59 FG Rian Lindell 33 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 8:45 FG Rian Lindell 21 yds.
NE 2:28 TD Corey Dillon 2 yd. run (Vinatieri kick).
Fourth Quarter
Buf 14:16 FG Rian Lindell 22 yds.
NE 8:04 TD Troy Brown 4 yd. pass from Brady (Dillon 2-PT conversion). 22-19
Buf 0:09 FG Rian Lindell 29 yds.
Overtime
NE 13:10 TD Corey Dillon 31 yd. run.
Week 15
The Bills' defense comes up with another solid effort in a 17-3 victory over the Denver Broncos in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Bills jump to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter - on Losman touchdown passes to Evans and Shelton - and the defense holds the Broncos to one field goal all game.
Fletcher is the Bills' co-leader in tackles. He and Takeo Spikes both have five.
Game 14 notes: Losman racks up 256 yards through the air, 85 of them to Evans. . . . Broncos QB Jake Plummer has just 150 passing yards, no touchdowns and 2 INTs. . . . It's a virtual dead heat between the two featured running backs. McGahee gets 113 yards, no TDs, and Quentin Griffin 114 yards, no TDs. . . . Didn't you used to be: Jerry Rice, 1 catch for 14 yards.
Bills 17, Broncos 3
Denver 0 0 3 0-3
Bills 14 0 0 3-17
First Quarter
Buf 12:44 TD Lee Evans 39 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Buf 2:14 TD Daimon Shelton 9 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Third Quarter
Den 7:09 FG Jason Elam 24 yds.
Fourth Quarter
Buf 4:13 FG Rian Lindell 40 yds.
Week 16
The Fletcher Factor finally lets down the Bills. The linebacker leads the team with five tackles, not enough to contain Chad Johnson and the Bengals, who earn a 17-10 victory in Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium.
Johnson catches two TD passes from Carson Palmer, and gets 106 receiving yards on the day.
Palmer makes the most of his 170 passing yards, while Losman connects on just one TD pass - to Evans - and throws for 201.
Game 15 notes: The Bills are unable to take advantage of Bills weather in Cincinnati, where it's 25 degrees with snow flurries. . . . McGahee manages 101 rushing yards, no TDs.
Bengals 17, Bills 10
Bills 0 3 7 0-10
Cincinnati 7 0 7 3-17
First Quarter
Cin 14:00 TD Chad Johnson 3 yd. pass from Palmer (Graham kick).
Second Quarter
Buf 4:26 FG Rian Lindell 33 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 9:20 TD Lee Evans 5 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
Cin 4:09 TD Chad Johnson 10 yd. pass from Palmer (Graham kick).
Fourth Quarter
Cin 5:17 FG Shayne Graham 47 yds.
Week 17
With the Bills, at 9-6, fighting for their playoff lives, this game in the Meadowlands is crucial. Buffalo's defense comes up big in a 13-6 victory over the New York Jets.
The Bills again bottle up Jets QB Chad Pennington, who manages just 105 yards in the air. Curtis Martin gains 105 on the ground and a touchdown, but that's the only scoring the Jets' offense can muster.
Fletcher ends the regular season on a high note, racking up a team-high seven tackles.
McGahee scores the Bills' lone touchdown. And by the end of the day, the 10-6 Bills learn they are going to the playoffs as a wild card, on the road against San Diego.
"We played like there's no tomorrow, and that's why there is one," a locker room source quipped.
Game 16 notes: Losman is 23 of 32 for 211 yards, no TDs or interceptions. . . . Evans leads Bills receivers with 79 yards. . . . No Jets receiver totals 40 or more yards for the day.
Bills 13, New York Jets 6
Bills 0 10 0 3-13
NY Jets 0 0 0 6-6
Second Quarter
Buf 8:46 TD Willis McGahee 5 yd. run (Lindell kick)
Buf 0:11 FG Rian Lindell 18 yds.
Fourth Quarter
NYJ 13:40 TD Curtis Martin 36 yd. run (Nugent missed extra point).
Buf 2:46 FG Rian Lindell 41 yds.
Wild-card playoff
It takes the Bills a while to find their offensive rhythm, as the San Diego Chargers take a 20-6 lead at halftime, thanks to two LaDainian Tomlinson touchdowns.
The Bills chip away with a Lindell field goal in the third quarter, then turn up the heat in the fourth with two touchdowns, Losman passes to Tim Euhus and Lee Evans.
However, Drew Brees answers the Euhus TD with a scoring pass to Eric Parker, and the Chargers have enough to prevail, 27-24. McGahee has a monster game: 148 yards on 19 carries, but no touchdowns. The Chargers' Tomlinson racks up 132 yards. The season is over, the dream will never die.
Playoff notes: Brees (23 of 32, 267, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) has a slight statistical edge over Losman (24 of 33, 244, 2 TDs, 0 INTs). . . . Let's give it up for London Fletcher: a team-high nine tackles, once again.
Chargers 27, Bills 24
Bills 0 6 3 15-24
San Diego 10 10 0 7-27
First Quarter
SD 11:48 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 18 yd. run (Kaeding kick).
SD 3:51 FG Nate Kaeding 23 yds.
Second Quarter
Buf 14:20 FG Rian Lindell 26 yds.
SD 9:26 TD LaDainian Tomlinson 5 yd. pass from Brees (Kaeding kick).
Buf 5:18 FG Rian Lindell 47 yds.
SD 0:17 FG Nate Kaeding 28 yds.
Third Quarter
Buf 7:34 FG Rian Lindell 19 yds.
Fourth Quarter
Buf 10:52 TD Tim Euhus 4 yd. pass from Losman (McGahee 2-PT conversion).
SD 6:10 TD Eric Parker 8 yd. pass from Brees (Kaeding kick).
Buf 4:05 TD Lee Evans 2 yd. pass from Losman (Lindell kick).
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
They make the playoffs, but lose to the "Bargers".
Training camp opens in 11 days and reality takes over!