| September 07, 2004 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 03:51 PM |
Midway through the first quarter Jacksonville’s Clyde Simmons intercepted a Kelly shovel pass and raced 20 yards to even the score at 7-7. The Bills reclaimed the lead on their next possession when they marched 68 yards in 10 plays, the score coming when Thomas went over the right side from two yards out. Thomas’ second score of the game made him the NFL’s leading scorer in postseason history with 120 points (a record Emmitt Smith tied later in the afternoon), eclipsing the old mark of 115 points held by George Blanda. Jacksonville closed the first quarter’s scoring at 14-10 when Mike Hollis connected from 27 yards out.
Neither team scored again until Natrone Means rumbled 30 yards for his lone score of the game with under 4:00 to play in the half. Buffalo answered once again to tie the score at 17 when Steve Christie kicked a 33-yarder at the two minute mark. Christie opened the third quarter scoring on the Bills’ initial drive with his second FG of the day, this one from 47 yards out. After the Jaguars knotted the score at 20 apiece on Hollis’ 24-yard FG, Jeff Burris intercepted a pass that was tipped by David White and went 38 yards for Buffalo’s final points of the game. Jacksonville evened the game on a Brunell-to-Jimmy Smith two-yard scoring pass and regained possession when they recovered a fumble at their own 42 yard line. Hollis’ 45-yard FG bounced off the right upright before going through, giving Jacksonville a 30-27 lead with just over 3:00 remaining. Todd Collins replaced a shaken up Jim Kelly, but was unable to muster a comeback for the Bills.
The Jaguars appeared to be in playoff form for the first three quarters before a near collapse in the fourth almost cost them the game. Jacksonville had a 17-3 lead before Buffalo closed to 17-14 when Alex Van Pelt led the Bills on an 80-yard touchdown drive. Antowain Smith ran in from the 1 with 8:03 remaining, and Van Pelt hit Eric Moulds with a conversion pass to make it interesting. After Jaguars kicker Mike Hollis answered with a 47-yard field goal, Buffalo drove to the Jaguars 21 on its final possession before Deon Figures intercepted for Jacksonville with 53 seconds left preserving the 20-14 win.
Flutie's 12-yard touchdown pass to Moulds tied the game early in the second quarter. Jacksonville led 10-7 on Mike Hollis' 35-yard field goal just before halftime. The Jaguars would sandwich 2 Mike Hollis FGs around Steve Christie's 24 yard FG in the third to give the Jaguars the 16-10 lead into the 4th quarter.
DT Pat Williams turned the game around late in the 4th quarter. The Jaguars had possession on 3rd and 2 just before the 2minute warning. A first down would have clinched it. But Williams sacked Brunell, forcing a punt and giving Flutie his last opportunity. Starting on the Bills 20 with 1:38 remaining, Flutie directed the 7 play drive. Flutie threw 38 yards to Eric Moulds down the left sideline to the Jaguars 1-yard line. Thurman Thomas ran the wrong way on fourth down in the final seconds, leaving Flutie to bootleg left and out-race the defense for the TD and the 17-16 win.
The Bills answered with a 63-yard, nine-play march and regained the lead on Johnson's 27-yard TD pass to Eric Mounds eight minutes into the third quarter. A 28-yard punt by Brian Morman from his own end zone gave Jacksonville a first down at the Buffalo 29 with 5:15 remaining. But the Jaguars could not pick up a first down and had to settle for Mike Hollis' 41-yard field goal with 3:54 remaining.
On the Bills' ensuing possession, Johnson converted a 3rd-and-3 with a four-yard completion to Larry Centers to the Buffalo 46 at the two-minute warning. Johnson and Centers connected again for an eight-yard completion that gave Buffalo a first down at the Jacksonville 33. The Bills failed to pick up another first down as Johnson's pass to Eric Moulds was one-yard short of the first down on 3rd-and-5. But Arians, who earlier missed field goals of 39 and 41 yards, calmly split the uprights. The Bills sealed the win when safety Travares Tillman intercepted Brunell on Jacksonville's final possession.
Buffalo's win might have been even more convincing were it not for Bills coach Gregg Williams' odd decision to line up his punt team in the Emory & Henry formation in the second quarter on fourth-and-2 near midfield. With three receivers lined up on each side of the field, and only three linemen near the ball, running back Sammy Morris took the snap and was tackled for a 1-yard loss. The Jaguars immediately moved 44 yards for their first touchdown -- a 1-yard run by Mark Brunell -- to cut their deficit to 14-7. Jacksonville's goal was to stop Buffalo's run, which it did, allowing only 43 yards on the ground. But tey were defenseless to Bledsoe's pass attack.
Just before halftime, Bledsoe hit a streaking for a 54-yard score and a 21-7 lead. In the third quarter, Bledsoe dumped off a little pass to Sam Gash for 3 yards -- a more traditional way of converting a fourth-and-short. Three plays later, Bledsoe hit Moulds for 36 yards and a 28-10 lead.
Rookie QB Byron Leftwich made his NFL debut with 5:06 left. Leftwich went 7-for-8 with a touchdown against a prevent defense. Newly signed linebacker Takeo Spikes had a sack. Henry finished with only 26 yards, but his three touchdowns -- from 1, 6 and 4 yards -- matched the career high.
