Buffalo Rumblings
The Bills are halfway there to claiming a West Coast win
The Buffalo Bills lead the Seattle Seahawks 14-3 at the half. Beginning the game on defense, the Bills got things going on offense once they hit the field and proceeded to drive 85 yards down the field for an opening-possession touchdown.
Perhaps the biggest foe for either team this afternoon has been the weather, and it’s typically, miserably Seattle. The rain and cold has wreaked havoc on ball security in the first half, most notably by quarterbacks Josh Allen and Gino Smith. The rain and cold has also kept the Seahawks out of the end zone, first due to a Concord-esque snap that sailed to the moon after launching from the two-yard line, then later when Smith became entangled with his center and slipped harmfully to the ground from just outside the end zone. That’s minimally six points lost, if not 14 or potentially 16.
The inclement weather hasn’t put a lid on Allen, who finished the half 16-of-22 for 152 yards with a pair of touchdowns. And yes, an interception.
Just after play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and analyst Tom Brady discussed Allen’s lack of turnovers this season (and just two total fumbles by the team this season), You just knew what was coming. And almost immediately after that, Allen tossed his first interception of the season.
Plenty will be quick to point fingers one way or the other, but that weather once again is the true culprit. The choice to target wide receiver Amari Cooper out wide after only a handful of game snaps together is debatable. However, Cooper slipped due to the weather conditions so Allen’s pass never had a chance. The turnover immediately felt like really bad news, until none other than Josh Allen made a touchdown-saving tackle — which the defense made good on in a goal-to-go stand.
Not to be overlooked are the efforts made by wide receivers Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman.
Just before halftime and with the Bills driving, a pair of flags were thrown with penalties on both teams. In one of the truly rare penalty moments, Buffalo was charged with a five-yard penalty, while Seattle was given a 15-yard penalty for a hit on Josh Allen. Typically, viewers expect the call to be offsetting penalties and a retry of the down. However, a five-yard penalty (Bills) does not offset a 15-yard penalty (Seahawks). It became a huge moment for Buffalo, which went on to score another touchdown just before heading to the locker room.
Will the Bills go Seinfeld on Seattle and take full advantage of their double-dip opportunity? Here’s your open thread for the remainder of today’s game. As always, be kind to one another and in all things... Go Bills!
