Buffalo Bills season analysis till Week 15 – NFL Special Part 2
As we continue our season analysis of Buffalo Bills, we will now look into their performance from Week 5 to Week 8 of the 2012 season.
Bills got a 2-2 record in the first four games of the season. Bills got a tough schedule during the next few weeks as they faced teams like San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans before they headed into bye week.
It was that part of the season that could make or break their hopes for putting up a dominating performance.
The game against New England Patriots changed the whole atmosphere in the locker room and each member of the team realised that road to the postseason would not be an easy one.
The defensive line showed signs of brilliance, but lacked the consistency to provide the team with good results.
Still, the offence managed to give convincing output in the first four games of the season. However, turnovers continued to haunt quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the rest of the team.
Week 5: San Francisco 49ers
As if the performance against the Pats was not bad enough, things went from bad to worse as 49ers absolutely thumped Bills in Week 5 for a 35-3 victory.
The offence was completely dismantled as 49ers defence kept the Bills running game under control. The rushing game ended up with 19 carries for just 9 yards in the game.
On the other hand, Bills defensive line faltered again as they gave away far too many openings for 49ers passing game that covered 621 yards during the game to break the franchise record.
49ers quarterback Alex Smith showed his calibre against perforated Bills defence as he completed 18 out of 24 passes for 303 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Week 6: Arizona Cardinals
After losing two consecutive games, Bills finally got into winning ways as they beat Cardinals 19-16 in Week 6 after the game went into overtime.
Bills defence showed their worth after a stout performance which saw them getting five sacks during the game.
The final quarter ended with score tied at 16-16. However, Bills went on top after a field goal from kicker Rian Lindell.
A throw from the Cardinals quarterback was intercepted by one of the Bills players that led to the game-winning possession.
Running back C.J. Spiller returned to the field and resumed the normal service as he finished the game with 12 carries for 88 yards.
Running back Fred Jackson also got a good number of snaps during the game and scored a rushing touchdown.
Week 7: Tennessee Titans
It was another turnover-prone performance by Bills offence that became the basis for the team’s 34-35 defeat against Titans in Week 7.
Fitzpatrick turned the ball over on two occasions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. The quarterback finished the game with 27 of 35 for 225 yards and scored three touchdowns.
The passing game looked dispersed in absence of wide receiver Stevie Johnson. At that point, the offence was ranked 30th in the National Football League (NFL) for passing yards covered.
Bills running defence was nowhere to be seen as Titans running back Chris Johnson covered 195 rushing yards and also got two scores. The running game failed to impress many with their performance in this game.
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