Bills fireworks fizzle in Denver

By Rick Anderson

Bringing it down. Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith hauls in a pass with Bills cornerback Chris Watson all over him in fourth quarter action.

[AP Photo/Jack Dempsey]

There weren't as many fireworks as the previous two weeks, but the Buffalo Bills kept their game with the Denver Broncos entertaining right up until the end. The Bills scored with around a minute left in the game and tried unsuccessfully to recover an onside kick. The Broncos ran the clock out and beat the never-say-die Bills 28-23.

The Bills had plenty of chances to gain the momentum of this game, but crucial mistakes cost them dearly. A fumble by Travis Henry at the Bills 24 yard line was recovered by Chester McGlockton and turned into the first Broncos touchdown. The defense had stood tall all day until the last two Denver drives resulted in 14 points. This was a case of a young upstart team taking on an NFL powerhouse. Goliath won over David on this day.

The biggest play of the game was when the Broncos were driving late in the 3rd quarter. The play calling of the Broncos had caught the Bills defense off guard on several plays and this one topped them all. From the Bills 47, Brian Griese faked a handoff and then gave it to wide receiver Scottie Montgomery running to the left. The Bills D bit on it and Montgomery ran all the way to the Bills 19. From there, it took Griese 4 plays to make it 21-10 and Denver coach Mike Shanahan knew that he could pull another trick play out of his hat if needed.

The Bills offense with Drew Bledsoe at the controls could not keep up the 30+ points a game pace they had the first two games. In order to beat the Broncos, they needed to establish a solid running game similar to the one they had against the Jets. That never materialized. Instead, Travis Henry not only gave up that horrendous fumble that resulted in the Broncos' first TD, but he never could get close to the form he displayed in the opening game against the Jets.

Bledsoe, who completed 27 out of 41 for 283 yards for two TDs, was hurried the entire game and got sacked 4 times. He also missed crucial passes that could have turned the tide. However, Bledsoe finally hit Eric Moulds for a 2-yard touchdown on the Bills last drive to give Buffalo a chance if they could convert the onside kick. That never happened.

"We come out of this game obviously as a team disappointed that we didn't win," admitted Bledsoe. "No one is satisfied. But at the same time the attitude on the team is pretty good. We realize it's on us to fix what's wrong, and if we do we can compete with anybody. The overall attitude of this team is as good as you can ask for after a tough loss like this." Moulds dropped several passes and Josh Reed wasn't even a Bledsoe target until his 4-yard TD reception in the 4th quarter. Moulds caught 9 passes for 96 yards and one touchdown. He had one catch for 44 yards. Peerless Price continued his good play with a 5 reception day for 87 yards, which included a 42 yard reception from Bledsoe.

The Bills defense played a respectable game until the last two Bronco scoring drives. They contained the powerful Bronco running attack the best they could and Griese had to go to the air to open the game up.

"Our offense put us in position to go out there and win the game," said Bills cornerback Antoine Winfield, who was burned by Rod Smith for a 26-yard touchdown. It was the Broncos final TD and sealed the victory. "They moved the ball well. They put up some points. Defensively we're not really playing that well. We're not really stopping anyone or holding them to three points when they get in our red area. I think we need to do that." This game came down to coaching and Shanahan made Gregg Williams look like sophomore coach. A high school sophomore football coach that is. Shanahan's superb play calling was the key factor in this game, giving the Broncos a 3-0 record.

The Bills showed plenty of heart against the superior Broncos, but they still have a long ways to go. The elements are starting to come into place, with the defense starting to show sings of jelling. The offense can make most games exciting if they keep their mistakes down. This is definitely a team on the rise, but Bills fans will have to have patience. Bledsoe has the heart and desire to lead the Bills to the Promised Land just like Jim Kelly did. But like Kelly, it will take a few years to get there.

Copyright © 2002 Bills Thunder & Rick Anderson, all rights reserved.