Bills rookie RB C.J. Spiller rushed for 52 yards on 12 carries, adding a 20-yard TD sprint in a 35-20 Buffalo win over Cincinnati on Saturday night.
Bills rookie RB continued to spark a greatly improved Bills offense with another electrifying performance in last night’s 35-20 win vs. Cincinnati.
Spiller tallied two more TDs in his second preseason start, a 1-yard power rush midway through the second quarter and nimble 20-yard scamper near the end of the half that was almost identical to his breakout 38-yard TD escape last week vs. Indianapolis. He finished with 52 yards on 12 carries and added 2 catches for 33 yards.
“You can see what he does,” Bills C Geoff Hangartner told the Associated Press. “All of a sudden, I see him break a run and I’ll be yelling, ‘Go to the house!’ He’s a dynamic player. He brings more of a home-run hitter element to our offense.”
While Spiller undoubtely brings added pop, he believes the entire offense is progressing into a dangerous unit. “”If we can stay healthy, we can be a very explosive team,” Spiller said, who has seen more time than expected this preseason after RBs Fred Jackson (broken hand) and Marshawn Lynch (high ankle sprian) went down with injuries. “We can be one of the best in the NFL if not the best.”
QB Trent Edwards made his own contribution to the Bills 349-yard output. He finished the game going 13-17 for 152 yards and a 12-yard TD strike to WR Roscoe Parrish (team-leading 4 catches for 56 yards), which should all but lock up the starting spot for the 3rd-year Stanford product.
“He made some very good decisions,” Buffalo coach Chan Gailey said after the game. “He made plays for us in crucial situations, which was very encouraging for me.” Gailey added that Edwards has “earned to be in the position he’s in,” but the coach still wants to “reserve the right to make an evaluation” of the depth chart order before Week 1.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who sat out last week’s 34-21 win, finished an efficient 6-9 for 77 yards and a TD. Rookie David Nelson also impressed, pulled in the 20-yard pass from Fitzpatrick in his first game back from a leg injury.
The Bills defensive unit, who told reporters all week they were ready to show off their might against a formidable Bengals offense, lived up to their hype. They stopped Cincinnati on 4th down twice and forced two turnovers, including a 20-yard INT return from CB Reggie Corner that sealed off the win for Buffalo.
WR Terrell Owens grabbed 3 passes for 35 yards for the Bengals in his first return to Ralph Wilson Stadium since leaving the Bills in July. WR Chad Ochocinco caught 2 balls for 23 yards and a TD.