Oct 9, 2007 - 2:20 AM
29 shoutsORCHARD PARK, New York (Ticker) -- The Buffalo Bills waited over 13 years to play on Monday Night Football. Their fans may need that long to recover from this game.
The Dallas Cowboys survived a club record-tying five interceptions from quarterback Tony Romo - and got a 53-yard field goal from rookie kicker Nick Folk as time expired, in an unbelievable 25-24 victory over the Bills on Monday.
Buffalo (1-4), which last played on Monday Night Football when current Cowboys coach Wade Phillips was leading the Denver Broncos in 1994, was able to collect six turnovers in all, including two of which were returned for touchdowns to help the Bills gain and sustain the lead throughout the game.
But Dallas (5-0), who ironically led the league with a plus-seven turnover margin entering the game, benefited from some opportunistic plays in their favor during the last half of the fourth quarter.
"I can't say enough about the character of our team," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "We made way too many mistakes, we almost gave it away but we took it (at the end). I want to enjoy this one. This was a great win. It put us at 5-0."
Trailing, 24-16, with 3:45 remaining, Romo directed a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a four-yard TD pass to Patrick Crayton with 24 seconds remaining. The ensuing two-point conversion failed when Romo's pass attempt towards receiver Terrell Owens was broken up in the end zone by cornerback Jabari Greer.
The Cowboys lined up for an onside kick and were able to recover on the next play, due in large part to the efforts of backup tight end Tony Curtis, who inadvertently knocked the ball ahead after it had traveled 10 yards. Curtis eventually was able to cover the ball at the Dallas 41.
After a booth review of the recovery, Romo hit Crayton and running back Marion Barber III to move the team into field goal range. Folk, whose previous career high was from 47 yards out, converted the 53-yard attempt to seemingly end the game.
However, just before the kick, Bills coach Dick Jauron called a timeout to ice Folk. The strategy did not save Buffalo, as the rookie from Arizona nailed his second attempt, sending the Cowboys sideline into joyous celebration.
"You can't call him a rookie anymore," Crayton said. "The stuff he has been doing - nerves of steel. He is just a calm kicker. And then you make him kick it twice. What is he, a hundred percent so far this season?"
"I said to Tony Romo on the sideline, wouldn't it be amazing if we won this game," Phillips said. "Then we didn't make the two-pointer, but our kicker just did a great job, hit two straight 53-yarders and an onside kick."
Conversely, it was the second heartbreaking home loss for the Bills, who loss in Week One to the Denver Broncos, when Jason Elam hit a 42-yard field goal as time expired.
"(It was) the second painful loss on the last play of a game (for us)," Jauron said. "They played their hearts out; we just didn't make enough plays. We needed one more play to win it and we didn't get the play...It hurts and that one hurt."
The comeback victory overshadowed what was a dreadful game for Romo, who tied Troy Aikman's club record for most interceptions in a single game.
After Julius Jones was stuffed on back-to-back downs on Dallas' first possession, Romo sailed his first pass of the game well over the head of Jason Witten into the waiting hands of defensive back George Wilson, who returned the errant throw 25 yards for the first touchdown of the game and a 7-0 lead.
Perhaps still stinging from Buffalo's quick strike, Romo's second throw - also intended for Witten - was intercepted on a spectacular diving catch by linebacker Angelo Crowell and returned five yards to the Cowboys 44.
In the second quarter, the Cowboys' quarterback was intercepted yet again, this time when Bills defensive end Chris Kelsay deflected Romo's pass attempt around the Dallas 4. The deflection went high into the air and straight back into the end zone, allowing Kelsay to run under the ball for Buffalo's second score, sending the Bills to a 17-7 advantage.
Romo's dreadful first half continued on the next possession when Greer leaped in front of a pass intended for receiver Sam Hurd at the Dallas 42. With his four interceptions in the first half, Romo became the first quarterback to throw four interceptions in a half since Chicago Bears quarterback Kyle Orton did so on September 25, 2005, against the Cincinnati Bengals.
For the second time in the first half, however, the Bills could not convert on Dallas' turnover, making the questionable decision to attempt a 54-yard field goal. Lindell's kick sailed wide right with 36 seconds remaining, leaving the ball at the Buffalo 44 for the potent Dallas offense, which entered the game as the league's best.
Romo, who finished 29-of-50 for 309 yards and two touchdowns, took advantage of Buffalo's prevent defense at the end of the half, leading Dallas down the field 25 yards to get in place for a 47-yard field goal by Folk as time expired in the first half to trim the deficit to 17-10.
After Folk's field goal on the opening drive of the second half cut the Bills lead to 17-13, starting cornerback Terrence McGee, who had returned four kickoffs for TDs in his career, went virtually untouched 103 yards for the Bills third non-offensive TD of the contest, extending their lead to 24-13.
"That really helped us out," McGee said. "I especially wanted to get something started on special teams because it's been awhile since I've gotten into the end zone so just helping the team out like that felt real good...I thought that really was the boost we needed to finish the game off."
Dallas answered with Folk's third field goal, a 37-yarder, to cap an 11-play, 73-yard march that helped the Cowboys' make it a one-possession game.
The Bills went three-and-out on their next possession, but benefited from Romo's fifth turnover of the night.
As Romo eluded the Buffalo pass rush and broke free up the middle, defensive end Aaron Schobel stripped the Cowboys' quarterback and defensive tackle Kyle Williams recovered the ball at the Dallas 48.
After Edwards, who finished 23-of-31 for 176 yards, threw his only interception of the evening as the Bills looked to close out the Cowboys midway through the final period, Romo tied a dubious club record with five interceptions in a single game with 6:05 remaining.
However, Buffalo was unable to run out the clock, setting the stage for the incredible comeback.
"Well, (Romo) didn't throw a sixth (interception)," Phillips said. "He had a rough night but he kept battling back. We still believe in Tony; he's our quarterback and he made a couple plays at the end."
The six turnovers the Bills collected in this contest were one more than the team had forced in their first four games combined. They also became the second team in league history to lose a game in which they returned two interceptions and a kickoff for touchdowns.
"A lot of guys in there (are) hurting," McGee said. "We made too many big plays to lose that game. It was a very exciting Monday Night game but, with all the big plays we made, it just seemed like we had it won but that's football. It's not over until it's over. We left everything out on the field. I think overall, we did a good job."
From the Bleachers
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wdwjdw14
This game was such a dissapointment in all areas especially coaching!! Why they were not covering receivers on the last drive,..what were they thinking? It was looking so good for the defensive, the int's, fumble recoveries...you had to go out of your way to loose that game!!! Jouron should have been fired!
Oct 11 11:01 AM -
ekabrazi
YEAH .. POOR ME ... IN 12TH PLACE!!! A s you can i i have the Bills listed as my bandwagon team .. i went with my heart instead of my "wife's" pick ... silly me huh .. too bad you are self admitted Yankees fan & all you can do is talk about how badly they are doing!?!?! A true fan would suck it up & root for their team .. thru thick & thin!! South Side .. of Plymouth ... Represent .. HOLLA!!!
Oct 9 6:31 PM -
GDawg
Oh Poor ekabrazi,...just realized you had the Bills to win !!!! Ooooops, I guess that's the one pick yout wife let you make on your own,...ans see what happens !!!! Posesssssah !!!!
(That's how we say it on the South Side of Chi Town !!! SOUTH SIDE,...REPRESENT !!!!)
Oct 9 5:26 PM -
ekabrazi
Ohh my god!! U were able to use the word correctly this time!!!??? Ohhhhh ... now we are going down that road!! I see ... I guess the 5 oz gloves are on!!!
Oct 9 2:27 PM -
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GDawg
Very entertaining game ! Up until this point many of the NFL match ups have been absolute blowouts and as such quite boring, but last night was awesome and great fun to watch.
5 picks and a fumble and you're still able to hold it togethe and lead your team back for the win. Nicely done !! And what's this crap that all the Coaches are pulling,..calling a "timeout" at the last second before a field goal in an attempt to "ice' the kicker?!?!!?! Man, that's lame !!!! That's almost as lame as ekabrazi trying to become MMA competitor. Now his WIFE can kick some serious butt !!! I would hate to get into a cage with her !!! Professional woman with two kids (three counting ekabrazi) who works her ass of with a two hour commute. Yeah, she's NOT someone you want to piss off,...and she apparently can make some kick ass MLB/NFL/NCAA picks. At least she's not a "Poser",....er,....excuse me "Poseur" !!!
Oct 9 12:43 PM -
BIGjet
whats up with all you people that are bills fans or that live in buffalo,picking the cowboys? HA HA HA
Oct 9 1:09 AM -
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hangtime79
The Cowboy D was SO HUGE TONIGHT. The Bills O only scored 3 points tonight. MY GOD WHAT A GAME! Two 53 Yarders, sign Folk to a long-term contract.
Oct 9 12:04 AM -
mark
i don't know. on the last drive i looked up and couldn't believe it was only an 8 point game. i'm hoping for a "they are who we thought they were"-level postgame press conference...
Oct 9 12:03 AM -
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DALLAS: 25
BUFFALO: 24
Final
Oct 8 11:59 PM -
DALLAS: 25
BUFFALO: 24
OT - 0:00
Oct 8 11:59 PM -
NFL
FG DAL
NICHOLAS FOLK 53 YD
DALLAS 25
BUFFALO 24 0:00 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Oct 8 11:59 PM -
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bones
this last-second timeout stuff is such BS... happened to the Raiders; then the Raiders got payback... just play the freakin' game
Oct 8 11:56 PM -
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NFL
TD DAL
PATRICK CRAYTON 4 YD PASS FROM TONY ROMO
(TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED)
DALLAS 22
BUFFALO 24 0:20 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Oct 8 11:45 PM -
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bones
if romo's having this much trouble with the bills D, what's going to happen when they play the pats?
Oct 8 11:30 PM -
NFL
FG DAL
NICHOLAS FOLK 37 YD
DALLAS 16
BUFFALO 24 14:47 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Oct 8 11:06 PM -
DALLAS: 13
BUFFALO: 24
End of 3rd
Oct 8 11:00 PM -
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NFL
TD BUF
TERRENCE MCGEE 103 YD KICKOFF RETURN
(RIAN LINDELL KICK)
DALLAS 13
BUFFALO 24 8:48 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Oct 8 10:35 PM -
NFL
FG DAL
NICHOLAS FOLK 29 YD
DALLAS 13
BUFFALO 17 9:02 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Oct 8 10:31 PM -
hangtime79
Feeling pretty good at this point. 4 INTs for Tony, 2 for TDs and we are only down by 7 pts. Ready for the 2nd half.
Oct 8 10:11 PM -
DALLAS: 10
BUFFALO: 17
Halftime
Oct 8 10:02 PM -
NFL
FG DAL
NICHOLAS FOLK 47 YD
DALLAS 10
BUFFALO 17 0:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Oct 8 10:02 PM -
NFL
TD BUF
CHRIS KELSAY 0 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN
(RIAN LINDELL KICK)
DALLAS 7
BUFFALO 17 3:15 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Oct 8 9:46 PM -
NFL
FG BUF
RIAN LINDELL 24 YD
DALLAS 7
BUFFALO 10 3:26 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Oct 8 9:41 PM -
NFL
TD DAL
JASON WITTEN 22 YD PASS FROM TONY ROMO
(NICHOLAS FOLK KICK)
DALLAS 7
BUFFALO 7 12:09 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Oct 8 9:25 PM -
DALLAS: 0
BUFFALO: 7
End of 1st
Oct 8 9:17 PM -
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NFL
TD BUF
GEORGE WILSON 25 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN
(RIAN LINDELL KICK)
DALLAS 0
BUFFALO 7 9:20 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Oct 8 8:52 PM -
bore
Good luck,Bills NEVER do well when in the spotlight!!
Let alone against the unbeaten Cowboys.
Oct 3 7:46 PM
