| January 01, 2004 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 04:01 PM |
The Buffalo Bills entered the 2005 offseason loaded with optimism. The team finished 2004 winning 8 of 9 before a loss in the season finally knocked the team from playoff contention. The Bills were triding the NFL's top special teams uniot and second best defense. The offense was a different story, struggling to move the ball despite the Bills putting up a team record six consecutive wins with 33 or more points in each game. S Pierson Prioleau was a cap casualty.
GM Tom Donahoe had a fateful decision to make. Having invested 3 top picks in QB JP Losman in the 2004 draft, and a hefty cap number on starting QB Drew Bledsoe, Donahoe approached the veteran with a pay cut. He also stated Bledsoe was going to have to compete to keep his starting job. Balking at the prospect, he asked for and was granted his release. Bledsoe signed with the Dallas Cowboys shortly after.
Also departing the roster was unrestricted free agents CB Antoine Winfield and DT Pat Williams who signed deals with the Minnesota Vikings. LT Jonas Jennings signed a $38 million package with the San Francisco 49ers. The loss of both Williams and Jennings would have severe impact on the Bills ability to repeat their 2004 winning record.
Unhappy with losing his starting role to Willis McGahee, Travis Henry refused to report back to the Bills. The team's 4th all-time rusher was dealt to the Tennessee Titans for a 3rd round selection in the 2006 NFL draft.
The Bills added FB Damien Shelton, QB Kelly Holcomb, OT Mike Gandy, and Guard Bennie Anderson via free agency.
The 2005 draft was missing a 1st round pick, given to the Cowboys in the JP Losman trade a season before. In the second and third rounds, the Bills picked WR Roscoe Parrish and TE Kevin Everett of Miami respectively. In the 4th round the Bills selected Center Duke Preston of Illinois, In the 5th CB Eric King of Wake Forest, in the 6th OG Justin Geisinger of Vanderbilt, and in the 7th round, RB Lionel Gates of Louisville.
However, the Bills struck gold with undrafted free agents for the second year in a row. TE/OT Jason Peters of Arkansas made the roster, as well as Safety Jim Leonhard (Wisconsin), and DE Constantin Ritzmann (Tennesee).
Buffalo opened the preseason campaign with a pair of victories. The Bills travelled to Indianapolis for a 17-10 victory, then returned home for a 27-7 win over the Green Bay Packers. The Bills then dropped a sloppily played road game to the Chicago Bears 16-12. The Bills finished the season with a home loss to Detroit, 21-7.
Bills quarterback JP Losman showed poise and confidence as he engineered scoring drives on each of Buffalo's first five possessions. He finished 17-of-28 for 170 yards and 1 TD and an 89.9 passer rating. Losman hit 8 of his first 10 attempts, including a 42-yard completion to Lee Evans on the opening drive. The only knock was an inability to find the end zone. The Bills settled for field goals, including a 42-yarder, on their first four possessions.
Houston had seven possessions of three plays or less. The only score came on David Carr's 1-yard scamper on fourth down in the second quarter -- and he barely made it, diving for the pylon as he was being tripped by linebacker London Fletcher.
Losman, however, did respond after the Texans cut the lead to 12-7. Leaning on running back Willis McGahee, who accounted for 50 yards, Losman capped the 61-yard drive with a 1-yard pass to tackle-eligible Peters, who was wide open in the end zone. Losman got the Texans leaning the wrong way with a great fake handoff to McGahee.
Bills safety Troy Vincent had two interceptions. The Bills defense held the Texans to 120 total yards, and Texans QB David Carr to a mere 12.8 QB rating. Bills RB Willis McGahee finished with 117 yards rushing, the eighth career 100-yard performance for the second-year starter. Buffalo improved to 8-0 when McGahee had 100 yards rushing.
Bucs Rookie "Cadillac" Williams topped 100 yards rushing for the second straight week , helping the Bucs dominate J.P. Losman and the Buffalo Bills 19-3. Williams carried 24 times for 128 yards and one touchdown.
Tampa Bay's defense scored on a safety. The Bucs set the tone by nearly intercepting Losman three times in the first quarter, then positioned themselves to snap a scoreless tie when Juran Bolden downed Josh Bidwell's punt at the Buffalo 1 early in the second quarter. Losman was flushed out of the pocket on third-and-7, but couldn't get a pass away before stepping out of the back of the end zone with linebacker Shelton Quarles and safety Jermaine Phillips in close pursuit. Losman completed 12 of 29 passes for 113 yards in his first NFL road start. The second-year quarterback didn't have any turnovers for the second week in a row, but never came close to getting Buffalo's offense in synch.
Williams had runs of 31, 23 and 19 yards, the latter on his first carry after sitting two series with a sprained left foot. He finished that drive with a 3-yard TD run, then broke two tackles on the 31-yard burst that set up Matt Bryant's 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Willis McGahee was held to 34 yards rushing on 13 carries. Star receiver Eric Moulds had one catch for 8 yards as Tampa Bay's defense held the opposition without an offensive touchdown for the second game in a row. The closest Buffalo (1-1) came to getting into the end zone was in the closing minutes, when Losman led a drive to the Tampa Bay 4. A penalty for an illegal forward pass knocked the Bills back to the 9, and the march stalled when Derrick Brooks batted down a pass intended for Moulds on fourth down.
The Bills, who lost for only the third time in their last 12 games (etending into last season) , averted a shutout with Rian Lindell's 40-yard field goal in the second quarter. They finished with 145 yards, with much of it coming on their last drive. Buffalo had 77 yards total offense before gaining 68 on its last possession.
Falcons RBs Warrick Dunn, with 97 yards rushing, and T.J. Duckett, with 75 yards rushing and a touchdown, picked up the slack, while the Falcons banged up defense held the Bills in check, limiting them to 208 yards. Buffalo's defense uncharacteristically gave up 236 yards rushing -- the most since allowing 270 yards against Miami, Dec. 1, 2002. Dwayne Blakley had a 9-yard touchdown reception and Michael Jenkins a 15-yarder helping Atlanta (2-1) snap a four-game road losing streak dating to last season. It gave Atlanta a 7-3 lead after the Bills opened the game with a 14-play, 50 yard drive for a FG.
The Bills settled for two field goals and a touchdown in three trips inside Atlanta's 20. And they squandered another scoring opportunity in the final four minutes after Atlanta's DeAngelo Hall fumbled on a punt return near midfield. Buffalo, however, gave the ball back when Losman slipped and fell, failing to convert a fourth-and-inches at the Falcons' 29. The first-year starter finished 10-of-23 for 75 yards with an interception and lost a fumble.
Ahead 17-16 late in the third quarter, Vick marched Atlanta on a nine-play, 65-yard drive, capped by Duckett's 12-yard run. He converted a third-and-11 with a 17-yard pass over the middle to Brian Finneran. Six plays later, facing third-and-10 at the Bills' 39, Vick scampered for 27 yards to set up Duckett's touchdown.
Willis McGahee had a career-high 140 yards rushing and scored Buffalo's lone touchdown, an 8-yarder up the middle. Receiver Eric Moulds was unhappy the Bills didn't attempt to pass more against a defensive secondary that was down to three cornerbacks. "I don't want to second-guess what they wanted to do, but at some point, we have to be able to take shots down the field," Moulds said, referring to the game plan.
More devastating, was the loss of Pro Bowl LB Takeo Spikes for the season. He tore his Achilles tendon in the second quarter and did not return.
The wheels on the Buffalo Bills young season came off in a devastating loss in San Antonio to the homeless New Orleans Saints. Hurricane Katrina forced the Saints from their home at the Superdome in New Orleans and into a cross-country journey with three home games scheduled for the Alamo dome and four others closer to home in Baton Rouge, La.
The Bills, meanwhile, continue to struggle behind first-year starting quarterback J.P. Losman. Losman was 7-of-15 for 75 yards with an interception and three sacks before he was replaced by Kelly Holcomb at the start of the fourth quarter. The Bills have just two touchdowns in their last 14 quarters and managed just 208 total yards Sunday.
Losman looked sharp early, rushing for 23 yards and passing for 28 as the Bills drove 75 yards for a touchdown on their first possession. The quick 7-0 lead looked like it might take the crowd out of the game. But then Losman misfired badly with a throw into double coverage in the second quarter and Jason Craft returned the interception 39 yards. That set up Brooks' 4-yard touchdown run that gave the Saints a 10-7 lead. Brooks dropped back to pass before he spied an opening and slipped across the goal line in front of Troy Vincent and spiked the ball.
Carney's 40-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the half made it 13-7. The Bills nearly retook the lead in the final seconds of the half when Terrence McGee returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards, crisscrossing the field and ducking through defenders before he was finally tripped up inside the Saints 5 after time expired.
The turning point of the game happened at the start of the fourth quarter. Trailing 13-7, the Saints' defense stuffed Willis McGahee on fourth-and-inches at midfield. The Saints then drove 48 yards eating up over 6 minutes on an 11 play drive that would lead to Carney's third field goal, making it 16-7 with 5 minutes left.
John Carney kicked his fourth FG late in the game to seal the 19-7 win. The Saints Donte' Stallworth grabbed eight receptions for 129 yards and Deuce McAllister rushed for 130 yards for the Saints (2-2), who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Returning home, Head Coach Mike Mularkey benched starting QB JP Losman in favor of journeyman Kelly Holcomb. Holcomb completed 11 of his first 15 attempts and engineered scoring drives on Buffalo's first three possessions.
Holcomb finished 20-of-26 for 169 yards passing and a touchdown. Willis McGahee had 86 yards rushing and scored the team's first touchdown while Eric Moulds had 59 yards receiving and a TD. After scoring 17 points in the first half, the Bills were limited to Rian Lindell's 47-yard field goal. It was a big turnaround for a Buffalo offense that managed 29 points -- two touchdowns and five field goals -- in the last 14 quarters.
Miami committed a franchise-record 18 penalties for 108 yards. The costliest was a holding call against linebacker Donnie Spragan that negated Vonnie Holliday's 8-yard sack on third down. The penalty gave Buffalo a first-and-goal at the Dolphins' 3, setting up Moulds' 2-yard touchdown catch that put the Bills up 17-0. Limited to 106 yards in the first half, the Dolphins responded when Frerotte hit Will Heller for a 1-yard touchdown pass 10 minutes into the third quarter. Frerotte then found Randy McMichael for a 30-yard TD with eight minutes left, capitalizing on McGahee's fumble at the Buffalo 35.
The Dolphins reduced the lead to 20-14 and were threatening to pull ahead in the final 2 minutes. After marching the Dolphins 36 yards on seven plays, Gus Frerotte hit Brown with a short pass over the middle. Brown cut to his right and was caught from behind by London Fletcher. Clements ran up and stripped the ball before Brown was down, and Troy Vincent recovered on the Bills' 18. Clements' turnover was the fifth of the game for Buffalo (2-3) and helped snap the Bills' three-game losing streak. The Bills defense finally played to its preseason expectations. The Bills D overcame its suddenly maligned reputation after allowing 1,054 yards in its last three games.
Buffalo (3-3), in a tie with New England atop the AFC East standings, looked nothing like the sloppy team that combined for 26 points in three straight losses before Holcomb took over. By providing the Bills with an efficient passing attack, Holcomb opened running lanes for Willis McGahee. The third-year running back finished with a career-high 143 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Eric Moulds and Jonathan Smith also scored touchdowns for Buffalo. Rian Lindell hit two field goals, including a 50-yarder. The Jets had difficulty containing a Bills offense that finished with a season-high 341 yards.
Curtis Martin led New York with a season-high 148 yards rushing and caught two passes for 3 yards, becoming the seventh player to gain 17,000 yards from scrimmage with a 41-yard run in the third quarter. Martin, who was averaging 57 yards rushing a game, also had a 49-yard gain, his longest since Dec. 14, 2003. Vinny Testaverde was inconsistent making his second start since the quarterback-depleted Jets signed the 19-year veteran last month. He finished 12-of-26 for 161 yards and two interceptions and scored on a 1-yard plunge.
The Jets got back in the game when linebacker Mark Brown intercepted a pass and returned it 18 yards to the Buffalo 2. Testaverde scored two plays later to cut Buffalo's lead to 24-17 late in the third quarter.
Holcomb responded, marching Buffalo 56 yards on 10 plays -- eating up nearly six minutes of the clock -- to set up Lindell's 38-yard field goal with six minutes remaining. The best play was Holcomb hitting tight end Mark Campbell for a 24-yard reception to convert second-and-14. The defense then did the rest, forcing two turnovers on the Jets' final three possessions. The decisive one was Terrence McGee's interception at the goal line with three minutes remaining. Buffalo finished with three turnovers and five sacks while limiting New York to 275 yards of offense.
Oakland RB Lamont Jordan ran for 122 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, Moss added a 22-yard TD catch after being listed as doubtful to play, and the Raiders beat the Buffalo Bills 38-17 in Oakland.
Lee Evans caught a 5-yard TD pass as Buffalo used the first 8:23 of the game and scored on an opening drive for the sixth time in seven games this season. But the lead would not last.
Kerry Collins, sacked on Oakland's opening drive and booed afterward, completed nine of 10 passes on consecutive touchdown drives late in the second quarter and early in the third as the Raiders (2-4) took control. He finished 19-for-27 for 261 yards for Oakland, which scored more than 20 points for the first time all season. Doug Gabriel had five catches for a career-high 101 yards, and Moss had three receptions for 43 yards in a limited role after bruising his ribs, straining a groin and bruising his pelvic area last Sunday against San Diego. Moss even made a key block on Jordan's second TD, a 17-yard run in the third.
The Raider's Derrick Burgess sacked Kelly Holcomb twice, giving him seven sacks on the year -- three more than any Oakland defender had all last season. He anchored a defense that held Willis McGahee to 50 yards on 16 attempts a week after he ran for a career-high 143 yards in the Bills' 27-17 victory over the Jets.
Holcomb, also sacked by Sapp, lost for the first time in three games as Buffalo's starter after replacing J.P. Losman. Holcomb threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reed on the first play of the fourth quarter to pull the Bills (3-4) to 24-17.
Oakland then consumed almost the entire 4th quarter with back to back touchdown scoring drives totaling 25 plays and nearly 13 minutes. Lamont Jordan ended a 10-play 77-yard drive with his third TD of the game (a 7 yard run). After the Bills went 3 and out, Zack Crockett capped a 15 –play 69-yard drive with a 2 yard TD run of his own with 14 seconds left in the game.
The Bills played a close-to-the-vest style of football for most of the game. Buffalo held the ball for 22:07 of the first half. Behind a conservative game plan the vast underdog Bills went into the half nursing a 3 point lead on the road. The offense, behind a 136 yard performance from Willis McGahee, kept their injury riddled defense off the field most of the game. The Patriots held the ball for just 7:53 in the first half and trailed 3-0 on Lindell's 23-yard field goal. They appeared to tie the game on Adam Vinatieri's 39-yard field goal with seven seconds left. But it was nullified by a delay-of-game penalty and his 44-yarder hooked to the left.
The Patriots came out firing to open the third quarter. Tom Brady capped a 5-play 70 yard drive with a 33 yard strike to Deion Branch. The lead did not last for the Patriots. Holcomb capitalized on the Patriots' vulnerability to big plays with a 55-yard touchdown pass to Moulds for a 10-7 lead just three plays later.
Buffalo extended the lead to 13-7 with a 13 play drive to set up a Rian Lindell FG with 13 minutes left in the game. On the Patriot's next play Tom Brady was stripped of the ball by Bills DE Aaron Schobel, with DT Lavale Sape recovering at the NE 29 yard line. Mike Vrabel's sack on Kelly Holcomb six plays later forced the Bills to kick another Lindell FG for a 16-7 lead with 10:07 remaining in the game.
Patriots star RB Corey Dillon, who had been questionable on the injury report, scored on a 1-yard run with 7:06 left, cutting the lead to 16-14 against the team that started the weekend with the NFL's second-worst rush defense. He finished with 77 yards on 18 carries. Rosevelt Colvin made the big play that led to Dillon's second touchdown with 5:32 left. Colvin stripped the ball from quarterback Kelly Holcomb and recovered at the Bills' 23. Tom Brady then hit Deion Branch with a 22-yard completion, and Dillon, who missed the previous game with an ankle injury, scored the winning touchdown.
Buffalo's last hope ended on a fourth-and-7 at the Patriots' 40 when Holcomb completed a pass to Eric Moulds, who was stopped for no gain by Hank Poteat.
Stepping in after Holcomb sustained a concussion in the second quarter, Losman engineered scoring drives on two of his first four possessions, showing he's ready to reclaim his old job.
"I like playing mad. I like playing upset," Losman said. "I feel like it was a comeback for me. Whether I played good or bad, I loved the way I focused. I loved the way I was concentrating. I loved that anger."
Losman finished 9-of-16 for 137 yards, hitting Lee Evans for both touchdowns. Losman was focused and efficient, looking nothing like the hesitant first-year starter who went 1-3 before being replaced by Holcomb following a 19-7 loss to New Orleans on Oct. 2.
The Bills generated three interceptions, a fumble and six sacks. Kansas City's three points were the fewest Buffalo has allowed since beating New England 31-0 in the 2003 season opener. Kansas City (5-4) lost its fifth straight game at Buffalo.
Trent Green was uncharacteristically sloppy, going 23-of-40 for 220 yards and three interceptions -- after throwing three in his previous eight games. His 41.7 passer rating was his worst since a 35.5 against the New York Jets in 2001. Larry Johnson had 132 yards rushing in his first start since the Chiefs placed Priest Holmes on injured reserve because of head and neck injuries earlier this week. Kansas City lost despite generating more yards (316 to Buffalo's 209), more first downs (22-9) and controlling the ball for nearly 35 minutes.
The problem was how the Chiefs persistently squandered opportunities. Of seven drives into Buffalo territory, Kansas City could only produce a Lawrence Tynes 35-yard field goal that opened the scoring. The other six drives ended with two punts, two missed field goals, a fumble and giving the ball up on downs.
The Bills offense received a spark in the second quarter. Kelly Holcomb was knocked from the game with a concussion, giving way to JP Losman. Losman's first touchdown pass -- a 33-yarder to Evans -- came on his first series.
His second touchdown pass, coming midway through the third quarter, was his best throw. He hit Evans with a perfectly placed pass over the receiver's right shoulder, in stride and a step ahead of Eric Warfield. It was set up by Rashad Baker's interception of Trent Green and returning it to the KC 27 yard line. On the second play of the drive, Losman hit Evans for the second time in the game.
The fourth quarter saw the Chiefs move the ball effectively, but a turnover, a Missed FG, and losing the ball on downs twice squashed any chance at victory.
Chargers QB Drew Brees connected on his first nine passes of the day. The Chargers scored TDs on five of their first seven possessions and the Bills never got in the game. Brees was nearly perfect in passing for 339 yards and a season-high four touchdowns, including one to Gates, as the San Diego Chargers routed the Buffalo Bills 48-10 on Sunday for their third straight win.
Brees completed 17 of his first 18 passes and was 28-of-33 overall, hitting eight different receivers. He said the only time he's had a better game was when he threw for five touchdown passes against Oakland last year.
Keenan McCardell had 88 yards on six catches. Brees completed his first nine throws before Gates dropped a pass on third-and-2 early in the second quarter, and threw for 265 yards in helping the Chargers take a 35-10 halftime lead. Gates caught five passes for 77 yards and one touchdown before being hurt. The Chargers had TDs on five of their seven first-half possessions. The loss dropped the Bills to 4-6 with losses in all 5 of their road games.
The Bills (4-7) squandered two three-point leads and settled for Rian Lindell's three fields goals despite three trips inside the Panthers' 20. Making his second straight start, Losman finished 16-of-29 for a career-high 197 yards passing and an interception.
Trailing 9-6 after Lindell hit a 33-yarder with 10:04 remaining, Panther QB Jake Delhomme started on his 32, heading for the ninth fourth-quarter comeback of his career. With Pro Bowl WR Steve Smith blanketed all game, Delhomme hit third-string tight end Michael Gaines for a 3-yard touchdown, lifting Carolina to a 13-9 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Facing third-and-goal, Delhomme twice faked a handoff, set up in the pocket and threw over the middle to Gaines, who had a step on backup safety Coy Wire. Wire was in the game after starter Lawyer Milloy limped off and didn't return after hurting his right foot earlier in the drive. The score came with 2:16 left and capped a 14-play, 68-yard drive in which Smith was a non-factor. Smith, the NFL's leading receiver, finished with three catches for 55 yards.
Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble intercepted Bills QB J.P. Losman with 47 seconds remaining, sealing the win for Carolina. Buffalo has lost four of its last five. The Bills' red zone troubles continued to plague them. To date the team has 11 touchdowns in 32 trips inside an opponent's 20 this season. In their three red zone drives, Losman went 0-for-3, while Willis McGahee managed only 7 yards on six rushes -- and the running back was also penalized 15 yards for a chop block.
Delhomme was both patient and smart. He finished 20-of-27 for 191 yards passing. The Panthers limited Buffalo to 216 yards of offense, the sixth straight opponent they've held under 300 yards. They also have 23 sacks in their last six games.
Losman hit Evans for touchdown passes of 46, 56 and 4 yards but missed chances to close out the victory, losing a fumble on a sack and throwing an interception to end scoring threats. The Bills failed to score on their final 10 possessions.
Chris Chambers caught a 4-yard pass from Sage Rosenfels on fourth down with six seconds left for the winning score. Miami rallied from deficits of 21-0 and 23-3 to win its second straight.
TRosenfels gave Miami an immediate spark, coming on after Frerotte was hurt when sacked by London Fletcher for a safety early in the third quarter. Struggling Miami quarterback Gus Frerotte was forced to the bench with a concussion with Rosenfels directing fourth-quarter touchdown drives of 70, 49 and 73 yards.
Ricky Williams' 5-yard run made the score 23-10, and after the Dolphins forced a punt, they quickly struck again on the first touchdown reception of rookie running back Ronnie Brown's career. He caught a swing pass from Rosenfels, hurdled a defender and dived across the pylon for a 23-yard score, making it 23-17 with 7:35 to go.
Alas, only 25,000 fans remained from the announced crowd of 72,051 when the Dolphins began their final march with 1:51 left trailing 23-17. A catch by Chambers gave Miami a first down at the 1 with 50 seconds to go, but two incomplete passes, a penalty and a scramble by Rosenfels made it fourth down with the clock running and less than 30 seconds left.
Chambers caught a lobbed 4-yard pass from Sage Rosenfels on fourth down with six seconds left, the last of three touchdowns Miami scored in the final 11:35 Sunday to beat the Buffalo Bills 24-23. With the game up for grabs, Chambers curled into the end zone and outmaneuvered cornerback Jabari Greer for his 15th reception of the game. The taller Chambers won a duel for the ball even though Greer was flagged for interference. Saban hollered and punched the air while teammates mobbed Chambers, who set Miami records for catches and yards receiving with 238. Both totals were the highest in the NFL since 2002. The Dolphins threw a team-record 65 passes.
The stunned Bills (4-8) were all but eliminated from the postseason race. They fell to 0-6 on the road, and the latest loss hurt the worst.
Despite a noticeable limp and playing on a slick, snowy field, Brady kept his feet and his poise in leading New England to a 35-7 victory over the Bills. Brady wasn't going to come out after getting hurt when he was tackled in the end zone following a 3-yard scamper that opened the scoring. Finishing 29-of-38 for 329 yards passing, Brady did it all. He ran for a touchdown, threw for two more and even set a block to open the way for Deion Branch on a reverse.
The game turned in the first quarter when Losman -- facing third-and-goal from the 22 -- ignored a wide-open receiver and threw a pass into the end zone that was easily intercepted by Asante Samuel. Brady took over and went 5-of-6 for 73 yards passing, capping the eight-play drive himself by taking the ball up the middle. Brady came up limping after he was hit diving into the end zone by linebacker Jeff Posey.
Dillon made it 14-0 in the second quarter, and Brady then made it 21-0 late in the third quarter by completing a 5-yard swing pass to Brown. The Patriots' defense did the rest. New England forced seven three-and-outs and intercepted Losman three times, the capper coming when safety James Sanders scored on a 39-yard return after Tedy Bruschi tipped the pass at the line of scrimmage.
Corey Dillon had 102 yards rushing and a touchdown, with WR Troy Brown and Christian Fauria caught touchdown passes and New England piled up a franchise-record 32 first downs.
Brady's performance, combined with a stingy outing by the Patriots' defense, put New England (8-5) on the verge of clinching its third consecutive AFC East title and fourth in five seasons.
The Bills (4-9) were headeing in an entirely different direction, having lost six of their last seven. Willis McGahee described the Bills as a team in "chaos" earlier this week, and they looked it. Buffalo failed to overcome the distraction of missing star receiver Eric Moulds, who was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.
The margin of defeat was the worst for Buffalo at home since a 38-7 loss to New England on Nov. 3, 2002. And it would have been worse had J.P. Losman not hit Josh Reed for a 51-yard touchdown catch in the final two minutes, averting the Bills' first shutout loss at home since 1983. The Bills managed eight first downs and limited to 183 yards offense, including 14 yards rushing -- the fourth fewest in team history.
It was so bad that a fan, wearing a brown bag over his head, yelled to Patriots owner Robert Kraft following the game, saying: "Bob, buy our team."
Holcomb made his first start in five games in place of J.P. Losman, who hurt his throwing shoulder and left leg in last weekend's 35-7 loss to New England.After Willis McGahee opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run on Buffalo's opening drive, the Bills settled for three points on their next three drives inside the Broncos' 35. Didn't help that Buffalo was penalized 12 times for 82 yards.
Smith emerged as the Broncos' most consistent threat, his 119 yards receiving making up more than half of Denver's 210 yards offense in the first half. Smith finally got the Broncos on the board with a 3-yard reception that came on a busted play, tying it at 7 at the end of the second quarter. Smith scored when he out-jumped safety Troy Vincent, coming down with the ball just inside the end line after Plummer's pass was tipped by linebacker London Fletcher.
Denver then took control in the second half, pulling ahead for good on Wesley Duke's 1-yard touchdown reception -- the first catch of the rookie tight end's career. After the Broncos took the lead, their defense came up big in holding the Bills to Rian Lindell's 31-yard field goal on Buffalo's next drive. Linebacker Wilson made a key play, batting down Holcomb's pass intended for Josh Reed over the middle when Buffalo faced third-and-5 at the Denver 13. Mike Anderson put the Broncos ahead 21-10 on their next possession, capping a nine-play, 70-yard drive. Anderson sealed the win a 6-yard touchdown run in the final quarter and finished with 97 yards rushing. Plummer went 20-of-37 for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
Bills running back Joe Burns scored his first career TD with a 19-yard reception in the final minutes.
Holcomb finished 22-of-35 for 202 yards. Eric Moulds led Buffalo with nine catches for 110 yards, returning to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension last weekend for conduct detrimental to the team. The 10-year veteran played his final home game in a Bills uniform. The Bills (4-10) closed their home schedule with their fifth straight loss.
The Bills opened the game with a 65-yard pass to Lee Evans to the Bengal 2. Unable to punch it in, the Bills settled for Lindell FG and a 3-0 lead. On the Following Bengal drive Troy Vincent picked off carson Palmer setting up a second Lindell FG and a 6-0 lead.
RB Chris Perry capped a 13 play drive to put the Bengals on top 31 seconds into the 2nd quarter with a 2-yard TD run. Lee Evans got the lead back for the Bills on the ensuing 9 play 69-yard drive with a 3-yard TD grab of his own. Bengal WR Chad Johnson provided the only satisfying moment for the home crowd, emptying a bag of gifts after his 41-yard touchdown catch put Cincinnati ahead 14-13 shortly before halftime. He had a red bag of gifts hidden on the sideline and tossed autographed AFC North championship shirts, caps and footballs into the crowd.
The Bills continued their offensive pressure on the Bengals, but came away without any points as Lindell missed a 48-yard FG attempt. After The Bengals answered with a FG of their own to extend their lead to 17-13, Terrance McGee blew the game open with his 99-yard kickoff return.
Not to be outdone, Palmer again answered for the Bengals. Following a 15-yard facemask penalty on London Fletcher, Palmer found rookie WR Chris Henry for a 27-yard scoring strike as the Bengals claimed their last lead of the day at 24-20 with a little more than 16 minutes left in the game.
Kelly Holcomb answered right back, hooking up with Roscoe Parrish for 28 yards followed up with a strike to Lee Evans for 21. Holcomb capped the drive with a 1-yard plunge and the Bills took the lead 27-24. Palmer again answered with a 9 play drive that stalled at the Buffalo 9 yard line, resulting in Shane Graham tying the score at 27-27 with 7:27 left in the game.
Holcomb then engineered the winning drive, pushing the Bills 66 yards to the Bengal 4 yard line in 13 plays. Lindell hit a chip shot 22-yard FG with 58 seconds left on the clock. McGee's 46-yard interception return with 35 seconds left sent 65,485 fans filing glumly out of the stadium. McGee clinched it by picking off Carson Palmer's sideline pass under pressure and returning it untouched for the final score.
McGee had five kickoff returns for 220 yards, including his 99-yard sprint down the left sideline that sparked the comeback late in the third quarter. He set a club record with three kickoff touchdowns last season and now owns the Bills' career mark.
The Bills won their eighth in a row over Cincinnati, which hasn't beaten them since the 1988 AFC title game.
Miller scooted past every Bills player, speeding for a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 5:58 remaining to lift the Jets to a 30-26 victory Sunday. Ty Law sealed the win with his third interception of the game, helping New York (4-12) end the season with some dignity. The loss, however, was most undignified for the Bills (5-11), who came into the game yielding 18.6 yards per kickoff return -- tops in the NFL. It was the first time they gave up a kickoff return for a score since allowing two in an overtime loss to the Jets to open the 2002 season.
Most of the first-half highlights came from the Jets defense, which got three interceptions. Law had two, and Mark Brown had the other, when the football landed into his arms after it bounced off fullback Daimon Shelton's shoes. Brown raced 33 yards for a touchdown to put the Jets ahead 17-6 early in the second quarter. The Bills responded with a Kelly Holcomb to Eric Moulds 22-yard score to bring the teams to the half with the jets leading 17-13.
Lindell had four field goals in all (21, 24, 52, 36), and Holcomb was 23-of-37 for 184 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
After Buffalo went ahead 26-23 on Rian Lindell's 36-yard field goal, Miller took the ensuing kickoff and tiptoed down the sideline, finally providing the special teams score the Jets lacked all season. Buffalo had one final shot with 47 seconds left, but Law intercepted Kelly Holcomb's deep heave. Though Buffalo came back, the Jets were able to hold on to end the season on a positive note.
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The season didn't end very well for Bills GM Tom Donahoe. On January 4th, Tom Donahoe was fired as Buffalo Bills president and general manager. The move was announced by Bills owner Ralph Wilson a few days after he promised changes for an underachieving team that finished 5-11 and missed the playoffs for a sixth straight season. Donahoe, the only executive to hold the president's title in the franchise's 46-year history, was dismissed after five seasons. Despite increasing the team's ticket base, Donahoe's ultimate failure was the team's inability to win.
The Bills went 31-49 during Donahoe's tenure -- the 31 wins tied with Cleveland for the third fewest in the NFL during that span. Besides Houston, which joined the league in 2002, the Bills are the only AFC team since 2001 that has failed to make the playoffs. Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs since 1999.
The Bills defense fell off dramatically, finishing 28th overall following back-to-back 2nd ranked units in 2003 and 2004.
Replacing Donahoe was 82 –year old former Bills Hall of Fame Coach Marv Levy. Levy's first order of business was retaining Mike Mularkey as head coach. . But the 2nd year coach unexpectedly resigned one week later. Levy responded with hiring former Bills assistant and 1999 NFL coach of the year Dick Jauron. Only Special teams coach Bobby April and Offensive Line coach Jim McNally were retained.
Only punter Brian Moorman and long snapper Mike Schneck were invited to the Pro Bowl from the Bills roster.
2005 Draft - 2005 Team Stats - 2005 Results -
