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The Buffalo Bills committed a whopping nine penalties and threw a pick-six on offense, so it's frankly surprising that they only trail the Detroit Lions 14-3 at halftime.
They're still alive thanks to a strong effort from the team's defense, which allowed only 95 yards through two quarters to one of the more talented offenses in football. Buffalo's depleted defensive line has sacked Matthew Stafford four times, and a Stephon Gilmore interception on a tipped pass set up the Bills' lone field goal of the half.
Kyle Orton and the offense, however, have continued a recent stretch of brutal play on that side of the ball. (To compound issues, Buffalo's special teams have also been quite bad.) Orton's ugly interception was returned for a 41-yard touchdown by veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis, and he's also been sacked twice. Detroit's excellent defensive line has dominated at the point of attack, constantly harassing Orton while holding the Bills to 18 rushing yards on 11 carries.
The Bills aren't going to make a serious comeback attempt in this game unless the defense continues its stellar play, and the offense and special teams pick up their severely lacking production to this point. Let's see how this plays out; we're talking about the second half below.