2003

Bills 5
Kansas City 38

Attendance:  n/a

Rick Anderson - Can it get any worse than this? The Buffalo Bills were scalped alive 38-5 in Kansas City in front of a prime time audience and lived to tell about it. Not that anyone participating in one of the worst defeats in Bills history would want to tell anyone about it. It was the most disconcerting performances in recent memory. 

"That's a damn shame," Sam Adams fumed. "That was embarrassing. If you don't execute, and you don't play your proper technique, you can get blown out like we did. We got blown out. Offensively, defensively and special teams, we got our butts whipped. I mean, it's plain and simple."

One of the most disturbing things about the loss to the Chiefs was that it could have been much different if the Bills had capitalized on great drive starts in the first half. Buffalo's average drive started at their 44 yard line. But they could only get a field goal from their drives into Chiefs territory.

The Bills actually had the lead early in the contest. Pierson Prioleau blocked a Jason Baker punt near the Chiefs endzone and if it hadn't trickled out of the endzone, the Bills would have had their only touchdown of the night. Instead, the Bills got the safety out of it and the Chiefs were forced to punt. The Bills could not muster anything resembling an offense when they got the ball in great field position as they couldn't all night long.


Drew's Blues

Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe is singing the blues this year. He was only able to have a couple of high octane games and has regressed back to his second half swoon of last season. Bledsoe's numbers were typical of recent games, especially the road games the last two years. Drew passed for only 153 yards, completing 23 of 34 and was sacked 3 times. He  was also picked off 3 times, one ending a drive that was mostly generated by the fine running of Travis Henry in the second half. The Bills got down to the Chief 2 and then decided to pass up a storm. On 4th and two, Bledsoe's pass was intercepted and that ended any chance the Bills had to even attempt to get back into the game. It was 28-5 at that time, but a touchdown here and another drive could have resulted in a 28-19 game.

The one thing that will be remembered for a long time by Bills fans about Bledsoe's shoddy performance was a sure touchdown that he overthrew. With tight end Dave Moore all alone in the right corner of the endzone, Bledsoe's pass was about 10 feet over his head. Sure, he was being pressured by a Chief coming in on him, but there was enough space and time for Bledsoe to complete this pass and maybe change the momentum of the game.

The Bills offense has gone three road games in a row without getting into the endzone. Once again, Bills offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride must get a lot of blame in this one. Proof in point is the long drive the offense made in the second half when they finally decided to run Henry more. Henry had runs of 9 and 10 yards along with a few other decent rambles. In all, Henry had 124 yards on 22 carries, a very respectable 5.6 yards per carry average. His longest gain was 23 yards. Gilbride refused to use the system the Bills had employed so effectively against the Redskins the week before, a balanced attack. During the great first half drive starts, the Bills were pass happy and it resulted in way too many 3-and-outs.

The offense also turned the ball over 7 times. No team is going to win in Kansas City giving the ball away 7 times.

Defense Left In Shambles

The Bills defense, which was 3rd in the NFL coming into the game, looked more like the University of Buffalo Bulls defense. It all started when Trent Green found Dante Hall for a 67-yard strike in the first quarter. Hall split the seam between Antoine Winfield and Lawyer Milloy and was on his way.

"It was a fire zone and I was supposed to carry the seam," described Winfield. "I played for a shorter route and he ran a go. He split me and Lawyer for the touchdown. We knew whenever Dante was in the game he was going to get the ball. He did a lot of the same things we saw on film. But he made the plays when the ball came his way."

After that, the Bills defense went into a shell and started feeling sorry for itself. One could tell that the game was literally over at that point and the score was only 7-2 Chiefs. With the Bills offense shooting blanks and itself in the foot, the Chiefs were successful in driving down the field at will. Priest Holmes, who actually was held under 100 yards (he gained 83 yards on 15 carries), scored two straight touchdowns from 4 and 13 yards out. He also rambled 15 yards in the fourth quarter for his third touchdown of the night.

In the first half alone, the Chiefs gulped up 277 yards, quickly putting the Bills in their graves they dug themselves. This was a game that, had the Bills taken advantage of that early safety, they would have taken the crowd out of the game and had the momentum. But the Bills, who have been abhorrent on the road since Bledsoe joined them, found new ways to squander golden opportunities.


Bills Talk

The Bills now have a bye next weekend. Maybe they can take the time an learn how to play football again. One thing is clear, they are not going to win many games playing the way they did Sunday night in KC. Buffalo must win 6 out of its next 8 games if it wants any chance of making the playoffs. Looking at the schedule, that is like hoping that the American troops can pull out of Iraq in a month. It just isn't going to happen.

This is gut-check time for the Bills. Can they get over this game and come into Dallas refreshed and ready to take it to the Cowboys?

"All I can say is, 'Thank God for the bye week,'" admitted Takeo Spikes.

It may not be a pleasant two weeks for the players on this team who have been manhandled in two straight prime time Sunday night games. It is possible for the Bills to get their heads out of the sand and use the bye week to get their acts together. The New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles used the bye week to study the Bills and then level them on the playing field. If the Bills can do the same thing, then maybe they have a chance of upsetting the Cowboys.

However, there are plenty of issues to deal with from this humbling experience in Kansas City.

"We didn't do anything to stop what they were doing to us," acknowledged Nate Clements. "We came out and we knew what they were going to do and we didn't stop it."

His sidekick in the secondary, Antoine Winfield was more graphic in describing the beating the Bills got.

"They kicked our butts," Winfield, providing the obvious answer. "They ran when they wanted to. They threw the ball when they wanted to. They outworked us, out executed us and out played us. To come out here with the national spotlight on us against a good football team and lay an egg, it's heart breaking."

Bledsoe naturally was distraught over his performance.

"I'm very disappointed, very frustrated right now," bemoaned Bledsoe. "I anticipated us playing a better game than we did. We moved the ball at times but we didn't finish our drives. I think we as a team have to do a better job of responding to adverse situations during a game. As a team it seems if we stumble a little bit early we don't rebound very well."

Spikes, who was so enthusiastic over the Bills defense at training camp, must be having second thoughts about it now.

"I don't know what to say," Spikes said. "I thought we had a good week of preparations. We started out pretty good. We made a play here and a play there. After that it seemed like the floodgates just came open. I don't know what happened."

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