Entering this Week 13 game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Buffalo Bills were coming off of their most demoralizing loss of the season - an overtime affair to Pittsburgh at Ralph Wilson Stadium. They'd played an overtime in half of their past six games. In Minnesota, the Bills played like a tired, beat up and demoralized team. Though they grabbed an early 7-0 lead, by halftime, the Bills were reeling on their offensive line and trailing 31-7. It was brutal.
Week 13, first half: Vikings storm out to 31-7 lead - NOTES
- Chris Kelsay tosses Visanthe Shiancoe aside and hits Adrian Peterson for a loss. Kyle Williams stood up two blockers on the play, closing the running lane.
- Arthur Moats lights up Brett Favre on a rollout from behind; the altered throw is picked off by Drayton Florence. This was Favre's last play of the game, and ended his NFL-record consecutive starts streak the following week.
Week 13, first half: Vikings storm out to 31-7 lead - NOTES (cont.)
- Kevin Williams blows up Geoff Hangartner, disrupting an end around with potential run by Donald Jones.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick has nowhere to go in a clean pocket, throws a low dump-off pass that falls incomplete.
- Fred Jackson trucks a Vikings blitzer - we're talking plants him into the turf - but Fitzpatrick rolls right into more pressure, and has to throw the ball away. Fourth down.
- Kelsay again handles Shiancoe with ease and stops Peterson for a loss.
- Sidney Rice beats Leodis McKelvin deep. Tarvaris Jackson underthrows him, and Rice makes a great catch. If McKelvin turns his head to locate the ball, he probably has a pass break-up, if not an interception. Marcus Stroud offside on the play.
- Paul Posluszny sacks Jackson for a loss of 10 yards. Totally untouched on a nice blitz call. Reserve left guard missed his assignment.
- Against a four-man rush in front of Cover 2 man, Jackson picks up nine yards on a scramble right up the middle.
- Kraig Urbik gets a nice push to spring Jackson for a moderate running gain.
- Antoine Winfield makes a pretty tackle on Jackson as the runner bounces it to the outside, nullifying a potentially big gain.
- Jared Allen cruises past Demetrius Bell with power inside. Fitzpatrick hit and fumbles, Vikings recover. Chan Gailey challenges and wins, and the play is ruled an incomplete pass.
- Urbik can't find a guy to hit pulling right, leading to a short Jackson gain.
- Stevie Johnson drops a third down conversion. Got open in a zone, and a terrific Fitzpatrick pass hit him in the hands.
- Spencer Johnson closes a running lane, allowing Kelsay to bring down Peterson from behind. It's still a five-yard gain.
- Jackson makes an awful throw on an out route. Florence jumps the route and returns the pick for a touchdown. Bills lead 7-0.
- Donte Whitner comes on a blitz, and is thrown completely off course when a lineman taps him. Rice beats McKelvin for 13 yards and a first down.
- Kelsay plays great contain defense on a rollout, but Akin Ayodele can't handle his man at the second level, and Jackson hits Jim Kleinsasser for a gain.
- Spencer Johnson is driven six yards backwards as Peterson picks up another first down.
- Bernard Berrian beats McKelvin for another conversion on a play that Jackson extended with his legs by stepping up into the pocket.
- McKelvin displays impeccable technique on a deep route, turns his head and makes a play on the ball. Rice jumps over (through?) him, gets equal possession, lands inbounds, and the refs correctly rule it a touchdown. On a bad day for McKelvin, this was just a tough break. Game tied at seven.
- McKelvin fumbles the ensuing kickoff. Awful, terrible ball handling. Vikings recover.
- McKelvin called for pass interference on a 3rd & 2 deep in Bills territory. Blatant call. McKelvin is pulled from the ballgame for a little bit.
- Posluszny shoots a gap and hits Peterson, stuffing him on 1st & Goal.
- Williams is flagged for an irrelevant hold as Peterson scores from short yardage. Vikings now lead 14-7.
- Allen torches Bell to the outside, crushes Fitzpatrick. Confirmed: 14 can take a hit. Fourth down, Bills punt.
- Naaman Roosevelt gets a big pop on a punt return. Still a 17-yard return thanks to a booming Brian Moorman punt that outdistanced his coverage.
- McKelvin displays nice run support, latching onto Peterson and dragging him down for a short gain.
- Moats beats Bryant McKinnie off the edge, but Jackson outruns him on a big nine-yard scramble. Whitner called for unnecessary roughness at the end of the run, adding 15 yards to the play.
- McKelvin is picked by Berrian, allowing Kleinsasser to catch a pass and turn it upfield for 12 yards.
- Peterson trucks Akin Ayodele into the end zone. Vikings lead is now 21-7.
- McKelvin muffs the ensuing kickoff, but recovers it himself. After the play, Bruce DeHaven is in his ear on the sidelines, though he's clearly being encouraging, as McKelvin is smiling.
- Johnson makes a nice downfield block on a 12-yard run by Jackson. David Martin had a nice pull on the play.
- Ray Edwards runs right past Mansfield Wrotto. Fitzpatrick makes a terrible decision to throw into double coverage as he's hit, and the ball travels directly to Winfield, who picks it off and returns it inside the Bills' five-yard line.
- Rice beats Florence (with perhaps a little push as he separates) for an easy touchdown. Zero Bills pressure on the play. Vikings now lead 28-7.
- Martin and Urbik whiff on pull blocks, and C.J. Spiller is bottled up for a loss.
- Urbik now playing center (Hangartner injured), Cordaro Howard at right guard. Howard ridden like Seattle Slew into the backfield by Williams right into Spiller's lap, so Fitzpatrick has to run the designed draw himself. Three-yard gain.
- Bell flagged for a false start. Really should've been his third, as he'd had two beforehand that mysteriously went uncalled. Allen is clearly in his head.
- Moorman rails off another huge punt (55 yards), and Jones makes a nice tackle on a very short return.
- Kyle whiffs on Peterson, who runs right through his arms. 13-yard gain.
- Jackson extends the play right, then throws the ball back across his body on a pretty touch pass to Greg Camarillo. 20-yard gain.
- Whitner takes down Peterson for a shortish gain. Grabbed onto his ankle and held on for dear life.
- Posluszny whiffs on Peterson as the runner picks up another first down.
- Williams trips up Peterson at the line of scrimmage. Peterson falls forward for five yards.
- Aaron Maybin stands up McKinnie, helping to bottle up Toby Gerhart for a short gain.
- Posluszny blows up a designed screen. Maybin runs a stunt on the play, displaying terrible change-of-direction ability. Strides are way too long and flashy.
- Vikings kick a field goal as time expires in the half, taking a 31-7 lead heading into the locker room.