The first half wasn't great but the second half was marginally better. The Buffalo Bills unveiled the brand new Ralph Wilson Stadium tonight but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-14. We won't do a full blow-by-blow recap but here are some important notes from Orchard Park.
- EJ Manuel was 9-of-18 for 67 yards, an interception that wasn't his fault, and a fumble at halftime after leading a sputtering offensive output. He went 10-for-10 for 131 yards with a touchdown after halftime against the Bucs' second teamers and threw his first touchdown of the preseason. Not exactly inspiring.
- Dennis Dixon was the second string quarterback tonight and had significant ball security problems, fumbling as he hit the ground on three of four plays.
- The Buffalo Bills starting offensive line was thrown around, specifically on the right side, by the Bucs starters. It's one of the things we were watching for with Gerald McCoy on the other side.
- After 7 penalties through the first three preseason games, the Bills exploded in the category tonight for twelve flags totaling 80 yards.
- The Bills offense outgained the Buccaneers 353 to 231. Three turnovers by Buffalo versus one for Tampa.
We'll have much more on this game Sunday. Until then, have at it in the comments section.