A recap of Buffalo’s Week 9 matchup at Seattle.
From buffalobills.com:
Regular season records: Buffalo (4-5), Seattle (5-2-1)
In a nutshell:
The Bills offense got off to the fast start they needed to keep a hostile road crowd from being a factor, but every time Buffalo built a lead it was quickly wiped out by a Seattle scoring drive on an ensuing possession. Then a controversial delay of game call at the end of the half cost Buffalo a field goal sending them to the locker room down 11 (28-17).
In the second half both defenses stiffened. Buffalo was able to pull within a field goal early in the fourth quarter (28-25), but it would be as close as they’d get as the Seahawks got an insurance field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
Buffalo’s offense with two minutes left had a first and goal situation, but after Taylor got sacked on back-to-back plays a last ditch fourth down pass to the end zone fell incomplete in the end zone preventing the Bills from stealing a victory in a 31-25 Seahawks victory.
For the Bills it was their third straight loss dropping them to 4-5 on the season as they head to the bye.
The officiating crew led by Walt Anderson made an initial mistake after Dan Carpenterwas hit by an offsides Richard Sherman and was tended to by athletic trainers. Instead of being flagged for unnecessary roughness, Sherman was only flagged for offsides. The officials ruled that with the athletic trainers on the field Carpenter had to leave the game for a play.
The Bills spiked the ball on the next down to get Carpenter back on the field. His 49-yard attempt was good, but nullified on a delay of game call, but the officials didn’t spot the ball until four seconds remaining. They never re-set the play clock for the Bills.
Carpenter then had to attempt a 54-yard yarder and it was wide right as the half expired.
How it went down:
-The Bills got on the scoreboard first thanks to a blocked punt by Jerry Hughes giving Buffalo a 1st-and-goal situation at the Seattle three-yard line. Tyrod Taylor took a read option keeper into the left side of the end zone for an early 7-0 advantage just a minute and a half into the game.
-Seattle answered right back on their first possession as a 50-yard bomb by Russell Wilson to Doug Baldwin set up a first-and-goal situation. Wilson took a read option keeper in from three yards out to tie the game at seven just a minute later.
-Buffalo staged its longest drive of the season marching 75 yards on 10 plays in a drive that took 10 minutes off the clock. Taylor found Justin Hunter for a five-yard touchdown reception with two minutes left in the opening quarter (14-7).
-Again the Seahawks had an answer as Russell Wilson capped a five-play 65-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown toss to Jimmy Graham, who pulled it in one-handed to tie the game just six seconds into the second quarter (14-14).
-The Bills regained the lead when Dan Carpenter put a 31-yard attempt up and through to finish off a 12-play 62-yard drive (17-14) with 9:35 left in the half.
-Seattle took their first lead of the game with 4:29 left in the half when Christine Michael got to the outside and went in untouched for a three-yard touchdown run (21-17). The drive was set up by a 22-yard punt return by Tyler Lockett.
-The Seahawks widened their lead when Wilson found Graham in the back of the end zone for their second touchdown hook-up of the game from 18 yards out to make it 28-17 Seattle with a minute left in the half.
-After a scoreless third quarter the Bills staged a 13-play 82-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Mike Gillislee less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Tyrod Taylor then converted a two-point attempt on a quarterback draw to pull Buffalo to within a field goal (28-25).
-The Seahawks lead was widened to six when Steven Hauschka was true from 49 yards away to finish off an eight-play, 44-yard drive with 9:49 remaining (31-25).
Subplots:
-Tyrod Taylor was 27-38 passing for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He had a passer rating of 91.8 and rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown.
-Eric Wood left the game early in the fourth quarter with a right ankle injury and did not return as he was carted off the field.
-Robert Woods had 10 catches for a career-high 162 yards.
-Percy Harvin was rotated into the lineup here and there, but was never targeted in the team’s passing attack.
-Jerry Hughes recorded the first blocked punt of his career on the opening punt of the game giving Buffalo their first possession on the Seattle three-yard line. The Bills would score one play later.
-Tyrod Taylor with a three-yard touchdown run joined Jack Kemp as the only Bills quarterbacks to score a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games.
-Buffalo was perfect on their first six third down opportunities of the game.
-Jerry Hughes recorded his 30th sack with the Bills. He accomplished the feat in his 57th game – he is the sixth fastest Bill to reach 30.
-LeSean McCoy eclipsed 11,000 yards from scrimmage on Monday night before the first half was over. He finished the game with
-With Dan Carpenter’s 31-yard field goal in the second quarter, the Bills successfully scored in 18 consecutive quarters tying a team record set in games 1-5 of 1992.
-After his second extra point of the game Dan Carpenter (421) passed O.J. Simpson (420) for sixth on the team’s all-time scoring list.
-Ronald Darby appeared to get benched in the first half. He was replaced in the lineup by Corey White.
Inactives:
QB Cardale Jones, OL Patrick Lewis, WR Brandon Tate, DT Marcell Dareus, DT Corbin Bryant, OT Seantrel Henderson, TE Gerald Christian.
Up next:
The Bills have a bye in Week 10 before hitting the road again to face the Bengals in Cincinnati in Week 11 for a 1 pm kickoff.