A swift kick: Browns make one, Bills are wide right
Bills' Lynch piles up yardage in loss
The collapse continues for the Buffalo Bills.
The Cleveland Browns got a 56-yard field goal by Phil Dawson with 1:39 left to hand the Bills a heart-breaking, 29-27, defeat Monday night.
The Bills got in position for a 47-yard field goal try by Rian Lindell with 38 seconds left but the kick sailed just barely wide to the right.
"I just missed my line," Lindell said. "I hit a good ball. I had a good approach. It just kept going straight right. I've got to make that. It's ridiculous."
It was the fourth straight loss for the Bills (5-5) and left them in sole possession of last place in the AFC East. The New York Jets stand 7-3, while New England and Miami both are 6-4.
The Bills' playoff hopes now are hanging by a thread. They probably would have to win all of their remaining six games and get help from other teams to reach the postseason.
Cleveland (4-6) rebounded from fourth-quarter collapses in its previous two games.
The Bills almost overcame the shakiest performance of the young career of quarterback Trent Edwards. He threw three interceptions in his first seven attempts and looked shaky for much of the rest of the night. Edwards completed 16 of 26 passes for 148 yards with one touchdown.
The Bills almost were rescued by running back Marshawn Lynch, who produced 177 all-purpose yards. He got 119 rushing yards and caught 10 passes for 58 yards.
Lynch ripped off a great, 28-yard run that set up a 1-yard scoring plunge by Edwards that gave the Bills a 27-26 lead with 2:25 left. But the Browns marched from their own 33 to the Bills' 39 before Dawson made his career-long kick.
The Bills finished with four turnovers, while the Browns had none. In the last four games, the Bills have made 13 turnovers to just three for their foes.
"It is disappointing to us, sure," said Bills coach Dick Jauron. "They play so hard, your heart bleeds for them. .‚.‚. But we're just helping them [the opposition] a little too much."
Edwards could hardly have gotten off to a worse start.
His first pass was batted up in the air by Rogers, and it was intercepted in the secondary by linebacker Kamerion Wimbley. The Bills escaped from the turnover unscathed, as the Buffalo defense forced Cleveland to a three-and-out series.
Edwards made a poor pass for James Hardy on the Bills' second drive. It was behind the receiver on a turn-in route, and linebacker Andra Davis made the interception. Cleveland turned that turnover into a 40-yard field goal by Dawson with 9:29 left in the quarter.
The Bills survived their third possession without a turnover. But they were pinned back at their 1-yard line on their fourth drive after a 65-yard punt by the Browns' Dave Zastudil. On a third-and-1 play from the Bills 10, Edwards looked gun-shy. He double-pumped and stared down tight end Robert Royal, running a short route on the left. Browns cornerback Brandon McDonald had what seemed like all day to watch Edwards' eyes and step in front of Royal for a pickoff at the Bills' 12.
Again, the Bills' defense held firm. Cornerback Jabari Greer tackled Donte Stallworth in the backfield for a 4-yard loss on first down, and the Browns were forced to kick another field goal. Dawson converted from 33 yards to give Cleveland a 6-0 lead.
The Browns' offense finally got serious on its next drive. The Browns were backed up on their own 4 after a good punt by Brian Moorman. Quinn marched them 96 yards in 12 plays to a touchdown. Quinn hit big receiver Braylon Edwards on completions of 20, 18 and 10 yards to keep the first-down chains moving. A 5-yard illegal contact call on Bills safety Ko Simpson kept Cleveland's drive alive after an incompletion on a third-and-6 play. Josh Cribbs capped the march with a 3-yard run on an end around to give Cleveland a 13-0 lead with 9:52 left in the second quarter.
Finally, the Bills' offense came to life.
A short kickoff by the Browns set up the Bills with good field position at their own 41. Fred Jackson ripped off runs of 19 and 17 yards to move the ball to the Cleveland 17. Two plays later, Edwards threw a short pass in the left flat to Lynch. He made a nifty cut toward the middle of the field to elude two Browns defenders, then burst up the middle. He wasn't touched by a defender until he got to the 3, and Lynch bulled through Wimbley and into the end zone. The Bills were within 13-7 with 6:20 left in the quarter.
The Bills' defense came up with its fourth three-and-out series on the ensuing Browns possession to set up the offense for one last chance in the half.
Edwards moved the Bills 54 yards in 13 plays to a 26-yard Lindell field goal on the last play of the half to make the score 13-10. The Bills kept the turnover faucet flowing in the third quarter. On their first possession, they had a good march going, penetrating to the Cleveland 27 in five plays. But Jackson fumbled on a run off left tackle. He was almost down and was lunging for extra yards when the ball was ripped out of his hands. Cleveland recovered and turned the break into a field goal. Dawson converted from 43 yards to give Cleveland a 16-10 lead.
The Bills got a 31-yard Lindell field goal with 22 seconds left in the quarter to pull within 16-13.
Things got wild as soon as the fourth quarter began.
On the first play from scrimmage, Cleveland ran a simple toss sweep off left tackle to third-string running back Jerome Harrison. He got great blocking and bolted up the seam of the field for a 72-yard touchdown run. The Browns silenced the crowd and had a 23-13 lead. Cleveland decided to kick deep on the ensuing kickoff, and Bills return man Leodis McKelvin returned it 98 yards for a touchdown. McKelvin showed off his blazing speed, blowing through a small crease in the Cleveland coverage down the left numbers of the field. The Bills were within 23-20.
A bad kickoff by Lindell helped the Browns' next drive. Lindell mis-hit a pooch kick and it sailed out of bounds at the Cleveland 43. The Browns turned that good field position into a 22-yard Dawson field goal.
Reader Comments
Click To View and Add Comments