The Seattle Seahawks win over the Buffalo Bills ran the emotional roller coaster for the 69,084 fans in attendance during the Monday Night Football showcase. The game started with the unexpected, got ridiculous, went to the bizarre and finished with a heart-stopping defensive stand by the home side.
I mean why would anyone expect anything else but drama when you put that many cast of characters on the NFL’s biggest regular-season stage. Richard Sherman, Rex Ryan, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham, Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy were all in attendance poised and ready to impress.
The unexpected occurred on the fourth play of the game when Buffalo linebacker Jerry Hughes blocked John Ryan’s punt after the Seattle offense was done after three plays. Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor scampered from three yards out to give the visitors the 7-0 lead. Russell Wilson capped a 3 play 58-yard drive with his own 3 yard run to the endzone to tie the game. The Bills regained the lead on their next offensive possession when Taylor hit Justin Hunter on a 17-yard pass play to make 14-7.
THE RIDICULOUS
Tight End Jimmy Graham made a ridiculous one-handed catch on a Russell Wilson’s 17 yard pass to give tie the game at 14 all on the first play of the second quarter. Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander had a hold of Graham’s left arm which the Seattle tight apparently did not need in making the catch.
Needless to say, Seattle declined the Pass Interference penalty and took the points. After a Buffalos 31-yard field goal and a Christian Michael three-yard run Graham went back to his Houdini act when he caught his second one-handed touchdown catch of the night from 18 yards out with one minute left in the first half.
THE BIZARRE
The Bills took the ball from their 25-yard line and drove it to the Seattle 48 yard line with 27 seconds left in half. That is when the proverbial wheels fell off the bus. Buffalo wide receiver Walter Powell was penalized for tripping Earl Thomas on the ensuing play.
Tyrod Taylor completed a 10 yard pass to Robert Woods and Buffalo decided to attempt a 53-yard field goal with three seconds left in the half. Richard Sherman jumped offside attempted to block the FG attempt and ran into Buffalo kicker Dan Carpenter.
Sherman was penalized five yards and the Bills training staff attended to Carpenter. The Bills were charged a timeout because their training staff stepped onto the field and attended to Carpenter who according to NFL rules has to leave the playing field for one play. The Bills spiked the ball on the next play but were charged a delay of game penalty because the play clock ran out before Carpenter left the field.
The Five-yard penalty was enforced against the Bills and Carpenter returned to the field to attempt the 54-yard field goal with one second left and promptly hit it wide right! The half ended with the Seahawks holding a 28 to 17 lead.
DEFENSIVE STAND
After a scoreless third quarter, Buffalo narrowed the gap to just three points after Mike Gillislee scored on a one-yard run and Taylor converted the two-point try with a five-yard run up the middle. The Seahawks answered with a 49-yard goal by Steven Hauschka. After trading offensive possessions the Bills drove to the Seattle 10 yard line with just over one minute left in the game.
It was there that Seattle had its best defensive stand of the season. Linebacker K.J Wright and Bobby Wagner and Defensive end Cliff Avril all sacked Taylor on three consecutive plays and the fourth down pass attempt was incomplete as the Bills turned the ball over on downs with 20 seconds left to give the Seahawks the emotionally draining victory.
The Seahawks ( 5-2-1) will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots ( 7-1) as part of Sundays Nationally televised game. The Bills (4-5) will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Cleveland Browns (0-9)
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