See what happens when you keep the hope alive and just Billieve? The Bills might have lost to the Patriots 38-30 on Sunday, but they won big in my eyes.
Let me ask you this: when is the last time the Bills put up points in a game that actually came from field goals AND touchdowns? Exactly. You can't remember and neither can I. Some Bills fans had just come to expect that that ish wasn't gonna happen but I knew better. I knew they'd find a way to pump some life back into our offense that has so much potential, and that's exactly what happened in this Week 3 victory. 30 points from any team is great and from the Bills, well it's quite simply, borderline amazing. And rookie C.J. Spiller deserves special congratulations for getting not only his first NFL touchdown, but his second as well. A tip of the pigskin to you, boys.
You probably know how the game went from the football side of the ball (and if you don't, here you go) so allow me to share how things went on my side.
When the Bills converted on third down in the first few minutes and I realized they hadn't went three-and-out, I allowed myself a small squeal of glee. When they continued to drive down the field and put some points on the board in their first possession, I was hoping for a touchdown but quite content to settle for a field goal and patiently wait for their next turn with the ball. How mature.
That's pretty much how the game went. I didn't swear, I didn't fight with any bar patrons, I didn't even have a beer. I just sat back and shot positive vibes at the television (all the while congratulating myself on my self control).
Sure, we made some mistakes. Like Lindell's missed 51-yard FG that soared wide left, Fitzpatrick's two interceptions that almost directly translated into New England touchdowns and failing to end red zone trips in TDs instead of FGs. But I can find some justification in those errors. Lindell is usually pretty dependable when it comes to FG attempts, but a 51-yarder is a toughy, even for him. Fitzpatrick's interceptions weren't great and may have come at inopportune times, but he threw for 247 yards and took chances. I mean, at least he tried and in every other way played very hard and well in his 2010 debut. Looks like he should have started before now like I "suggested" all along. Whoopsie. And settling for FGs instead of TDs--well, that's what the Bills have done game after game for awhile now, so to break that habit completely in one game isn't gonna happen. Even getting more than one touchdown is a vast improvement.
My relative calmness remained intact for the following reasons:
-Even on his "off" days, Brady is fierce and I expected nothing less than for him to come out fighting and swiftly answer each set of points we put up with his own.
-Our run game looked good. Marshawn Lynch switched into beast mode a few times, actually fighting for yards and C.J. Spiller's kickoff return for a touchdown=spectacular.
-Our receiving talent finally got to show some of what it's capable of since Fitz was down to launch the ball. Stevie Johnson, eager to solidify his spot as a viable WR after spending last season out with an injury, got a TD of his own, Roscoe pulled in 83 yards (I'm about to have to recant my criticism from last season) and my Lee finally got to feel the football in his hands with five receptions and 54 yards.
-Our defense might have let 38 points through, which is mostly due to struggling pass rush/pressure, but they got their first takeaway of the season which the Bills ACTUALLY capitalized on with a 5-yard Spiller touchdown.
This week was promising. It would have been nice to stop the Pats' winning streak against us at 13 games instead of bumping it up to 14, but I'll take any improvement--with a side of something that legit looks like an offense--any day.
GO BILLS!!!