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Monday, November 2, 2009 6:14 PM EST
Offensive woes continue for Bills in 31-10 loss
By Chuck Pollock
Olean Times Herald
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| Houston Texans' Steve Slaton (20) fumbles the ball as Texans' Antoine Caldwell attempts to recover during the first half of the NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, Nov. 1. The Bills recovered the fumble. (AP Photo/David Duprey) |
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ORCHARD PARK - Talk about suing for non-support.
The Bills’ defense should consider it.
For the third straight home game, an inspired defensive effort has been wasted by Buffalo’s inept offense.
Not coincidentally, the Bills lost all three, the latest coming before 69,790 witnesses on Sunday afternoon at “The Ralph” as Buffalo turned a 10-9 lead over the Houston Texans (5-3) into a 31-10 blowout in the span of just under 11 minutes of the fourth quarter.
After two straight road victories, the Bills squandered a winnable game to head into the bye week at 3-5 and pretty much trample the modest optimism the previous two games had generated.
The latest loss was eerily similar to the 27-7 defeat the Saints hung on Buffalo five weeks ago.
In that game, New Orleans led only 10-7 with under 10 minutes to play, before 17 points in 7 1/2 minutes gave the Saints a 27-7 victory.
Buffalo held Drew Brees, one of the NFL’s most prolific passers, without a touchdown. But at game’s end, New Orleans held a seven-minute edge in time of possession and the Bills’ exhausted defense, in the fourth quarter, surrendered 78 yards on eight rushing plays including two Pierre Thomas touchdowns.
Yesterday was much the same.
The Bills’ D throttled Texans QB Matt Schaub, the NFL leader in touchdown passes (16) and passing yards (2,074), holding Houston’s offense, averaging 24 points a game, to three field goals.
But, as the fourth quarter started, there was a nearly 15-minute edge in time of possession and Buffalo’s defense was gassed. As a result, reserve running back Ryan Moats became the first Texan to score three touchdowns in a game, cashing in runs of 11, 1 and 3 yards.
Playing in place of fumble-prone Steve Slaton, Moats finished with 23 carries for 126 yards, including 12-for-61 and those three TDs in the fourth quarter.
Two of those scores were the result of a failed fake punt (related story this page) and the second of two interceptions of Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Buffalo finished with a mere 204 yards total offense, only 11 more than it had in that galling 6-3 loss to the previously winless Browns, that wasted the Bills’ other inspired home defensive effort.
AFTERWARD, Fitzpatrick almost seemed embarrassed by his unit’s impotence.
“There’s just no spark out there,” he maintained. “It’s hard to get momentum when you can’t stay on the field (the average Buffalo possession was four plays, none with more than eight). And we’re not converting third downs (2-of-10).
“The defense just wore down. We weren’t running the ball (19 carries for 68 yards, not including Terrell Owens’ gimmicky 29-yard score on an end-around) or converting third downs to allow them to catch their breath. When you leave your defense on the field for that long (a collapse) is bound to happen.”
Coach Dick Jauron doesn’t know why his attack is struggling.
“It’s not consistently one thing,” he said. “Clearly, if you’re going to be successful, you have to play at a high level at the quarterback position (Fitzpatrick was 15-of-23 for 117 yards with two interceptions), and to do that, you’ve got to protect him consistently.”
Fitzpatrick was sacked only twice, but was pressured often.
“Obviously that’s one of our many problems,” he admitted, “we’re not getting protection.”
BUT THE defense, which before the fourth period Sunday had surrendered only two touchdowns in the previous 15 quarters, blamed itself.
Cornerback Terrence McGee admitted, “In the second half we needed to get the stops and we just didn’t do it.”
And tackle Marcus Stroud added, “Toward the end of the game we let them run the ball right down our throats ... we’re much better than that ... we fight much harder than that.
“Whenever we go out there, we’re going to fight to the end. I’m a competitor (and) I never want to walk off the field and feel like somebody imposed their will on us and that’s what I felt they did (today).”
Still it was hard to blame the defense, especially after Buffalo turned the Texans over twice in the first quarter as rookie free safety tied an NFL record by picking off two Schaub passes, notching a third straight multiple-interception game, giving him six in the previous four games.
The second hijack set up Owens’ touchdown and gave Buffalo the lead it nursed until the second play of the final quarter.
When asked if the loss felt like a missed opportunity, Fitzpatrick admitted, “Yes, you could feel it in the lockerroom. There were a lot of disappointed faces in there. To come all the way back (from 1-4) and have the opportunity to get to 4-4 going into the bye ... that’s what we wanted to do.”
But the Texans had other ideas.
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