|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sport Sections |
|
|
| |
Sunday, Sep. 10 1:00pm ET
Bills topple Packers behind Johnson | |||||
|
| ||||||
|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Rob Johnson showed his toughness against one of the toughest quarterbacks ever. Despite being sacked five times and hit on numerous other occasions, Johnson showed his resilience, completing 18 of 26 passes for 259 yards, leading the Buffalo Bills to a 27-18 win over the Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Asked about one vicious lick he took from Packers' Vonnie Holliday in the third quarter, Johnson said: "I was clear-headed. I just was seeing different colors." But he didn't raise a white flag, especially after he was knocked out of last Sunday's 16-13 win over Tennessee by a nerve "stinger" in his lower left leg. "I didn't want to go out again. It was going to take a lot more than that to get me out," he said. Favre, extending his NFL record with his 127th straight start, wasn't going anywhere, either. Favre had a tremendous game despite playing through tendinitis in his right elbow and a sprained right thumb. He completed his first 14 passes and finished 25-for-35 for 269 yards and two touchdowns. "I'm physically and emotionally exhausted," said Favre, whose Packers opened the season 0-2 for the first time since 1992. "If you win a game like this, the aches and pains are better. When you lose, they're twice as bad. "I felt I did everything I could do today. I left it all on the field." The difference was he couldn't do it alone. While the Bills defense held Favre in check, their offense finally warmed up. Tight end Jay Riemersma enjoyed his second career two-touchdown game, and Jeremy McDaniel scored his first career touchdown as the Bills opened the season 2-0 for the first time since 1996. Steve Christie hit 45- and 20-yard field goals, both set up by Green Bay fumbles. The Bills scored on three straight possessions, going ahead 17-0 on Riemersma's first touchdown -- a 6-yard reception -- three minutes into the third quarter. Key to the Bills was establishing wide receiver Eric Moulds, who had been frustrated by the offense's inconsistencies in their previous outing. Johnson went to Moulds early and often, as the two hooked up for seven completions and 103 yards. Although Moulds didn't figure into the scoring, he did open up room for Buffalo's other receivers. "A couple of times they tried to double me and left Jay wide open down the field. We'll take that matchup all day. If you're going to leave Jay Riemersma one-on-one with a linebacker, you're going to lose most of the time," Moulds said. The only thing that didn't click was the Bills' running game, which -- led by Shawn Bryson's 31 yards -- accounted for a mere 89 yards. Riemersma's 14-yard touchdown reception three minutes into the fourth quarter sealed the victory, giving the Bills a 27-10 lead. Johnson hit Riemersma at the 1, and he got the ball across the goal line before scampering out of bounds. The Packers offense, missing starting tailback Dorsey Levens and losing tackle Earl Dotson (back) on the second play from scrimmage, lacked cohesion. Antonio Freeman, who caught both of Favre's touchdown passes, finished with seven receptions for 80 yards -- all of them in the second half. Green Bay's running game was virtually nonexistent, managing just 40 yards. "We're not going to make excuses why we didn't bode well," Packers coach Mike Sherman said, referring to his offense. "I certainly don't think it was our quarterback, because our quarterback played a stellar first half. "We made plays today and we didn't make plays. We just didn't make them in a consistent fashion." Favre's streak of completions ended when Buffalo's John Holecek knocked down a 13-yard pass intended for Tyrone Davis in the end zone. The Packers' franchise record is 18, set twice by Lynn Dickey in 1983 and Don Majkowski in 1989. Favre's two touchdown completion gave him 238, taking over 13th place on the NFL career list, one ahead of Jim Kelly. Green Bay -- also missing linebacker Brian Williams (knee surgery) -- lost veteran right tackle Earl Dotson, who reaggravated a back injury on the second play from scrimmage. Dotson, who initially hurt his back lifting weights in the offseason, did not return. The Packers also lost cornerback Antuan Edwards, who strained his knee in the third quarter. Game notesFavre's two touchdown completions were the first passing scores the Bills gave up in five games, including last January's AFC wild card playoff. ... The Bills are now 4-0 when the Packers visit Buffalo and have outscored them by a combined total of 103-40. ... Freeman's two touchdown receptions gave him 44 for his career, moving him one ahead of Billy Howton for fifth in Packers history. | ALSO SEE NFL Scoreboard Green Bay Clubhouse Buffalo Clubhouse Week 2 wrap-ups
| |||||