Game Preview
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars
sunday, september 14, 2008 - 1:00 pm
*Jaguars need to slow down Bills special teams*
BUFFALO (1-0) AT JACKSONVILLE (0-1), 1 pm, EDT
JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- Special teams had a huge impact in the Buffalo Bills' season-opening win.
The Bills likely will need more of the same when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon.
Getting a punt return for a touchdown and a scoring pass from punter Brian Moorman on a fake field goal, Buffalo (1-0) coasted to a 34-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Roscoe Parrish set a team record with 120 punt return yards, including a 63-yarder for a touchdown that gave the Bills an early 14-0 cushion.
"When he touches the ball, you can sense it in the stadium," Buffalo coach Dick Jauron said. "They start to buzz, they expect him to do it. I guess electrifying is the right word for him."
The superb special teams play overshadowed a magnificent defensive effort by the Bills, who bottled up Seattle's running game and held quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to 17-of-41 passing while sacking him five times. The Seahawks punted 11 times in the game.
The offense also did its job. Second-year running back Marshawn Lynch rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown while second-year quarterback Trent Edwards complete 19-of-30 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown.
"It went as well as could have expected in all phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams," Jauron said.
The Jaguars (0-1) cannot say the same. Quarterback David Garrard was sacked seven times and threw a pair of interceptions in a 17-10 loss to AFC South rival Tennessee.
More surprisingly, Jacksonville running backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew were shackled by the Titans' defense, combining for 31 yards on 14 carries.
"They did a better job controlling our run game than we did theirs and unfortunately they were able to win a hard-fought, close ballgame," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said.
Buffalo will be seeking to avenge a 36-14 loss here in November 2007, when Garrard passed for 296 yards and the Jaguars forced three turnovers.
