On Monday night in Detroit the Bills took care of business and won a “home game” to improve to 6-5 on the season and keep their playoff hopes alive. Most of the “experts” counted the Bills out in this one and thought that an inferior Jets team would have their way with a Bills team that was limited in it’s preparation due to their lack of practice and the games relocation due to the blizzard in Buffalo.
None of that mattered on Monday night. The Bills rolled into Detroit and rolled the New Jersey Jets by a score of 38-3. The game, believe it or not, was not even as close as the final score may indicate. The Bills dominated the Jets from start to finish and if not for Corey Graham dropped interception in the end zone the Bills would have shut the Jets out. Not bad for a team that many considered dead after they lost to the Dolphins on Thursday night football. Considering all of the obstacles the Bills had stacked against them on Monday, this win was about as dominating as it gets.
Everyone knows that the Bills have the odds stacked against them if they hope to make the playoffs this year. They did that to themselves with consecutive loses to the Chiefs and Dolphins. But on Monday night the Bills looked different. They looked hungry. They looked like they might just be ready to go on a little run that just might end up in a playoff berth. With all that aside, for one night the Bills looked dominant. Let’s hand out our game balls to the players who most directly led to the Bills blowout win on Monday Night Football.
1) Boobie Dixon – He not only ran the ball 12 times for 54 yards and a touchdown, he also blocked a punt that landed in the end zone that Manny Lawson fell on for a touchdown. An all around great game for Dixon. He showed why he just might be one of the most valuable players on the Bills.
2) Kyle Orton – Orton came back from his worst 2 games as a Bill and delivered a stellar performance. Orton was very accurate with his passes and his chemistry with Robert Woods was evident as Woods had his best game of the season and his career. If Orton can play like that down the stretch the Bills have a chance to turn some heads and maybe make the playoffs after all.
3) Mario Williams – Williams spent the majority of the game in the Jets backfield on Monday. Williams added 2 more sacks to his 2014 resume and was able to disrupt the Jets all night long. The most impressive part of Williams game Monday was that both of his sacks came despite uncalled holding penalties on the Jets.
4) Robert Woods – He delivered his best game of his career on Monday highlighted by an amazing sideline catch that brought back memories of the Giants David Tyree. Woods showed just why he is a legitimate number 2 receiver and if Kyle Orton and Woods can keep up this chemistry than the Bills might be able to make a playoff run after all.
5) Nathaniel Hackett – This is the first time that Hackett has landed on my game balls list and that is because usually I want to pull my hair out during the game while watching his play calls unfold. I do however, have to give Hackett credit, because he called his best game as a member of the Bills coaching staff on Monday. His mix of the run and pass was excellent and if he can continue this string of play calling than maybe the Bills can make a playoff push.
It will be nice to see the Bills return to Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday after the holiday break. Luckily I can count myself as those lucky enough the be in attendance. The Ralph will surely be rocking on Sunday as the Bills host the Browns in a huge AFC playoff positioning game. For this week, it is GREAT to be a Bills fan.