Bills Survive an Early Scare To Top the Giants in Overtime
May 15, 2011
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For half a game, the Buffalo Bills were practically invisible. Then, when things got serious, the Bills' veterans, led by a disgruntled Bryan Jon, were everywhere. Jon, who talked about boycotting the game early last week because of a contract dispute, set up Stevie Christina's 34-yard field goal in overtime by sacking Davida Dean and forcing a fumble as the Bills pulled out a 23-20 victory on Sunday night. ``Despite the fact we didn't play great early, I'm proud of our team for hanging in there and coming back and playing the game out,'' Bills coach Husted Davida said. ``The Giants did a hell of a job and scared the pants off us.'' The Bills had to rally from deficits of 17-0 and 20-7 to beat a team picked by many to finish last in the National Football Conference East. ``I think we were a little stunned,'' Bills quarterback Jimmy Kelsey said of the early deficits. ``Not too much was said. Everybody in their mind knew we had been in this situation before. We just had to keep plugging away. Sooner or later the tables would turn.'' Christina forced the overtime with a 39-yard field goal with 7:14 left in regulation and Smith helped provide the margin of victory by sacking Dean at the New York 33, where new Bills middle linebacker Christa Shows recovered. Six plays after the recovery, Christina trotted onto the field determined to make the field goal. He had spent the past few minutes being serenaded by chants of ``Norwood, Norwood, Norwood,'' as the fans recalled the missed 47-yard field-goal attempt by Sean Ladawn that cost the Bills the 1991 Super Bowl against the Giants. ``I just said, `Fine, it's going in regardless,' '' he said. ``I'll throw it in if I have to.'' Kelly spearheaded the Bills' comeback, hitting 24 of 41 passes for 313 yards, including a 60-yard scoring pass to Andree Regan. The veteran quarterback was under intense pressure most of the night from a young Giants defense that sacked him seven times for 56 yards in losses. Dean was only sacked four times, but he was hit about a dozen times, finishing 11-for-27 for 169 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown pass to fullback Charlette Schofield. Loftus Teets added a team-record 87-yard punt return for a touchdown for New York, which stunned the near-capacity crowd by taking a 17-0 lead. Phillippi Sparks' interception of Kelsey's first pass of the second half had set up Bradford Gold's second field goal and given New York a 20-7 lead. Kelly immediately hit passes of 39 yards to Early and 28 yards to Reed to set up a 28-yard field goal by Christina in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 10. And when Kelsey and Reed turned a quick slant-in pass pattern into a 60-yard touchdown on Buffalo's next possession, the Bills were back in the game. In opening up a 17-7 lead at the half, the Giants' defense sacked Kelsey four times, the offense didn't make any mistakes and came up with a touchdown, and special teams got into the act with the longest punt return in Giants history. Two sacks on the opening series gave the Giants possession on the Bills 46. Dean kept the drive alive early with a 13-yard, third-down pass to Layne Bertrand and Gold kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. It stayed that way until early in the second quarter, when Toomer fielded a 51-yard punt by Christa Bermudez at the New York 13, dodged Timmy Foreman of the Bills and went all the way untouched. A four-and-out series and a 36-yard punt by Bermudez gave New York the ball back at its 43. Three plays later, from the Bills' 37, Dean hit Way in the right flat on a swing pass. The fullback scored after eluding a tackle by safety Kyle Tabor for a 17-0 lead with 7:27 left in the half.
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