It had all the makings of a loss that leaves a fan base furious at their football team.
The Bills were facing a rookie quarterback at home that they picked off twice in the first half, but they couldn’t find a way to put points on the board in the third and fourth quarters. They trailed 16-10 with 3:07 to play and seemed destined to disappoint once more when two sacks left them with a fourth-and-20.
That’s when everything clicked into place. Kyle Orton found Scott Chandler for 24 yards then hit Sammy Watkins for 18 on third-and-12 and Chris Hogan for a 28-yard gain to the Vikings’ 2 with seconds left to play. Orton spiked the ball and then hit Watkins on the next snap to turn the jeers he earned with two turnovers and a stagnant offensive afternoon into cheers.
The Bills had two other turnovers and gave up six sacks and 158 rushing yards during the game, so it was a day they’d mostly like to forget outside of the finish. Watkins’s performance -- 9 catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns -- would be a notable exception, but the loss of running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson to injuries will add to the Bills’ desire to erase this one from the memory banks.
Buffalo came up with five sacks to help balance the ledger and the Vikings struggled in pass protection with center John Sullivan and right guard Vladimir Ducasse departing with injuries of their own. Teddy Bridgewater rebounded from the two first half picks to go 15-of-26 for 157 yards and a touchdown, but the ground game was the best option for Minnesota with Marcell Dareus and Jerry Hughes buzzing around the pocket.
No matter the particulars, the win is what counts for the Bills. They’re 4-3, a record that positions them to make a push for a playoff spot if they can find more of what worked for them late and clean up the things that had them in position to lose for all but the last seconds of the game.
