Report Card, Bills v. Colts
- Monday, January 4, 2010 10:10 AM
- Written By: NFL Blog Blitz
The Buffalo Bills' 30-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday was one of the best games of the season. Sure, the Bills played against Indianapolis back-ups for the majority of the game, but even when points weren't being put on the board, the game was still worth watching. Fred Jackson and Terrell Owens were breaking records and hey, what about that snow? It's not a January football game in Buffalo without a little – okay, a LOT – of snow.
Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick took advantage of his opportunity Sunday to prove why he should remain in the Bills' offensive plans for next year. While he hasn't been the most consistent QB this season, Fitzpatrick showed what he's capable of, finishing the game 16-for-25 for 155 yards and no sacks or interceptions, even in the brutal conditions. In fact, Fitzpatrick seemed right at home in the snow on Sunday when he threw three touchdowns, his first multi-TD game all season. Grade: A
Running Backs: What a way to finish the season. Fred Jackson broke all sorts of records on Sunday against the Colts. First, Jackson reached 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his six-year career. In addition to that milestone, Jackson rushed for a career-best 212 yards, the first time a Bills RB went over 200 yards in a game since 1990. Jackson's performance was a testament to how the team came together to help him achieve it. For the first half, it seemed as if every play's purpose was to get Jackson the ball. Perhaps that should've been the goal all season, it worked out pretty well on Sunday. Grade: A+
Receivers: Jackson wasn't the only one breaking records on Sunday. Owens made a six-yard catch in the fourth quarter to reach third place on the NFL's career yards receiving list. Owens finished the game on Sunday with four catches for 65 yards total, including one touchdown. Lee Evans also caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter, and finished the game with four catches for 49 yards. Once the Bills find a consistent QB, the offense can work on getting into a passing rhythm. Grade: A
Defense: The worst rush defense in the NFL faced the worst rush offense in the NFL, but the Bills manage to come out on top. The Bills' rush defense gave up only 25 yards on Sunday. Granted, rushing threat Joseph Addai didn't play, but the Bills showed no mercy in the snow. The pass defense didn't have much time against Peyton Manning in the first quarter and intercepted him on his third pass attempt, but still gave up 95 yards. On the bright side, they faced back-up QB Curtis Painter for the rest of the game and only allowed 39 yards. Another interception in the middle of the second quarter brought the team's season total to 28, the highest in the AFC. Grade: A
Special Teams: Despite the wind and snow, Brian Moorman and Rian Lindell punted and kicked the football like it was a sunny fall afternoon. Moorman punted five times for a total of 204 yards with only one touchback. Lindell kicked three relatively short field goals (the longest being 36 yards) and passed 1,000 career points, bringing his total to 1,005. The only weak spot was Roscoe Parrish's punt returns, something he'll have to work on during the long off-season. Grade: A
Coaching: Interim coach Perry Fewell finished what could be his last game as head coach with the win. Whether he remains in the top spot is a decision up to the new GM, Buddy Nix. Fewell did a solid job coaching the Bills against the Colts' backups in the snow, and looking back on the season, he was able to keep the Bills (pass) defense somewhat competitive, even with all the injuries. But if the Bills want to rebuild successfully, they'll have to start with the coaching position and while Fewell was able to get some wins when the Bills desperately needed them, he couldn't jump-start the offense in must-win situations. Grade: B+
KATIE TANG



