Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Bills come back for stunning win over Panthers

EJ Manuel

Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel passes against the Carolina Panthers in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

AP

The Panthers kept letting the Bills hang around.

So finally, the Bills decided to go ahead and win it since the Panthers refused to.

On a day of manic swings, mistakes by young quarterbacks, injury depleted secondaries and confusion, the Bills stole a 24-23 win on Stevie Johnson’s touchdown with two seconds left.

The Panthers appeared to have iced the game with an interception by reserve safety Colin Jones, but a pass interference call negated that turnover, and gave E.J. Manuel a chance to become a hero in Buffalo.

Manuel was 27-of-39 for 296 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, but made the play when one was begging to be made, hitting a wide-open Johnson in the corner of the end zone for the winning score. The Bills also got a franchise-record 4.5 sacks from Mario Williams.

Meanwhile in Charlotte, the search for scapegoats will begin anew.

The Panthers are now 2-14 in games decided by a touchdown or less under coach Ron Rivera, who fell to 13-21 overall.