AFC East: Buffalo Bills Recap

Sep 29, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (99) celebrates a sack on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (not pictured) during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday morning saw the 1-2 Buffalo Bills take on the defending super Bowl champion, and 2-1 Baltimore Ravens in Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills took this game in rather dramatic fashion, which came down to a potential game winning drive, 23-20.

The first half saw the Bills dominate both on offense and on defense, led by EJ Manuel and the Bills surprisingly good secondary. The Bills started the scoring in the first quarter with two Dan Carpenter field goals. After a bad Manuel fumble, the Ravens capitalized big time, on a 10 yard touchdown from Flacco to rookie Marlon Brown. Manuel tossed a touchdown to Robert Woods on a beautiful deep ball over the middle for 42 yards. Fred Jackson also added a score the very next drive to put the Bills up 20-7, which was the score as we went to halftime. Flacco had major struggles, throwing two interceptions in the first half, and that was only the beginning.

The second half started slowly, with a few punts in a row, then things started to pick up. The defenses started making big plays, starting with the Ravens pick to put Flacco in scoring position, only for Flacco to throw it right back to the Bills on a pick in the endzone. After another Bills punt, Joe Flacco led the best drive of his day, which ended in a Torrey Smith touchdown to draw things closer at 20-14. Flacco got the ball back after a Bills punt only to give it right back again on his fourth interception of the day, which translated into another Dan Carpenter field goal to put the upstart Bills up 23-14.

Baltimore started the fourth quarter on a massive almost eight minute drive that only ended in a Justin Tucker field goal, pulling things closer at 23-17. The Bills offense once again stalled in the fourth quarter, so the Ravens got the ball back again, and proceeded to march downfield. The Bills defense stepped up big on their side of the field, which forced another Justin Tucker field goal, which he knocked through to make things a 23-20 game. EJ Manuel stopped all Bills fans hearts when he fumbled the ball on a botched read option play, but the Ravens couldn’t capitalize as it was recovered by Stevie Johnson, but the Bills were forced to punt anyway. With it all coming down to Joe Flacco on the final drive, a tipped pass turned into an interception by Kiko Alonso, for his second interception of the game to seal the deal, and Flacco’s fifth interception of the game, as the Bills won this contest, and improved to 2-2.

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