Playoff picture smeared for Bills
The Buffalo Bills can blame Mother Nature for throwing a wrench in their playoff hopes this past weekend.
It sounds harsh and maybe some children will be upset, but the weather played a huge role in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns. The playing field was covered in snow.
The 9-5 Browns are now pretty much locked in to a playoff spot, while Tennessee is a game behind in the race for the AFC's final wild card berth at 8-6.
The Bills were riding a two-game winning streak and hopes were high for a shot at the postseason. Unfortunately the offense wasn't able to get going on Sunday and the run defense failed to shut down Browns running back Jamal Lewis, who had 163 yards on 33 touches.
"He likes to hit the ball downhill," Bills linebacker Angelo Crowell said of Lewis. "That's what the weather conditions called for, a lot of downhill running plays, and that's what he was able to do."
Lewis played a huge role in field positioning, while the Bills barely had the ball in Cleveland territory. In their 11 possessions of the game, the Bills managed to cross the 50-yard line only three times. With winds reaching 30 miles per hour, Buffalo rookie quarterback Trent Edwards finished 13-of-33 for 124 yards with no touchdown passes or interceptions.
Bills rookie running back Marshawn Lynch managed to rush for 82 yards on 21 carries and was playing in his second game since missing three because of injury. Marshawn Lynch is having a great first season as a pro and is one of the few bright spots for the Bills, having amassed 940 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 240 carries. He is definitely a vital cog in Buffalo's quest to return to greatness.
The play of Edwards, too, has given Buffalo some hope for the future. Edwards was a nice find in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft and has thrown for 1,336 yards and five touchdowns in 2007. He is also 5-2 as a starter.
Marshawn Lynch and the Bills have two games left on the schedule, against the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. The Bills will host the Giants in Buffalo, a place the team couldn't get to after Sunday's loss in Cleveland. The charter plane the Bills were supposed to fly home in apparently skidded off the runway and was stuck in mud. Luckily no members from the team were on the plane, but they were forced to stay another night in Ohio.
BILLS EXTEND PARRISH
Last week the Buffalo Bills signed wideout/return man Roscoe Parrish to a multi-year contract extension.
Parrish, 25, owns 33 receptions for 307 yards and a touchdown this season. He is the only player in the NFL this year to score a touchdown rushing, receiving and on a return.
"I've been playing football from when I was young," Parrish said. "All I worry about is playing and everything will take care of itself. My goal is to play every play like it's my last and do whatever I can to help in whatever situation I'm put in, whether it's special teams or offense."
Receiver Lee Evans should be next on the list for extensions. Buffalo's top wideout has 804 yards and four touchdowns on 51 catches in 2007.
PUNTER MOORMAN HAS ROUGH DAY
Bills punter Brian Moorman had an unproductive afternoon in the snow on Sunday, punting seven times for a net average of only 35.1 yards.
"You don't know what's going to happen when you let go of it," Moorman said. "There's no footing out there and anytime you push off, you slip. I was thrilled to get away a 30-yard punt a couple of times."
Moorman also had to kick a bad snap out of the end zone for a safety which gave the Browns a 5-0 lead in the second quarter. Long snapper Ryan Neill sent the football over Moorman's head early in the stanza, and the punter was forced to save his team from a Cleveland touchdown by kicking the ball out of harms way.
UP NEXT: BILLS WELCOME G-MEN TO ORCHARD PARK
The Bills can make life even tougher for the New York Giants this weekend at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
New York is in the top wild card spot in the NFC, but is coming off a tough loss to the Washington Redskins. The Giants are 9-5 this season and lost for the third time in six weeks last Sunday night.
Buffalo owns a 6-3 advantage in the all-time regular season series against the Giants, including a 24-7 victory at the Meadowlands when the teams last met during the 2003 season.
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