By CHUCK POLLOCK, Sun Senior Sports Columnist
If you bet the Bills and gave those 16 1/2 points you won’t be cashing that ticket any time soon.
New Orleans, now 0-4, gave Buffalo all it wanted in a 31-19 loss Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.
“At the end of the day, the goal is to win the game,” said Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard, the defensive captain. “Obviously, we haven’t played to our standard, but it’s Week 4. … We did what we had to do to win the game.”
The Saints never did lead, but they were down only 14-10 at halftime, 21-16 at the end of the third quarter and 21-19 with nine minutes to play.
To be sure, New Orleans put a scare into coach Sean McDermott’s team and there was a scary reality hanging over the Bills.
Indeed, Buffalo could have been the first 3-0 team to be beaten by an 0-3 franchise in 17 years.
ONE REALITY is that New Orleans settled on attacking Buffalo on the ground.
At game’s end, the Saints had rushed for 189 yards on 34 carries … 5 1/2 per tote: Alvin Kamara 15 for 70, Kendre Miller 65 yards yards on 11 carries and quarterback Spencer Rattler six attempts for 49 yards.
AS McDERMOTT NOTED, It was good to get a win. The team really came together in the second half. We really came together (after halftime) with a little more energy and a (better) attitude.
“But we still have a lot to work on.”
NOTES FROM the Bills 31-19 decision over the Saints:
— With the victory, Buffalo, which has scored at least 30 points the past four games, has won 14 consecutive regular season games, one fewer than the franchise record set by the 1990-91 team.
— Buffalo split the giveaway/takeaway stat making it an NFL record 26 straight games where it hasn’t lost that statistic. The Bills have scored at least 30 points in this season’s first four games.and has tallied 30-or-more in 13 of the last 15 games.
— Coach Sean McDermott, who has a live streak of five straight 11-win seasons, in his nine years, has a 22-9 record in September. At 4-0 the Bills have started with that record for the first time since the 2021 season.
— The Bills committed their first turnover of the season — actually since last December by the Patriots — when a Josh Allen pass was intercepted by Saints rookie third-round draft choice safety Jonas Sanker.
— New Orleans’ only takeaway was on a gadget play as wide receiver Chris Olave took a toss from quarterback Spencer Rattler but his pass back to the QB was intercepted by Bills’ safety Cole Bishop just short of the end zone late in the first half. It was Bishop’s first pick of his career.
— In the first quarter, Bills running back James Cook scored his league-leading fifth rushing touchdown and exceeded 100 yards on the ground for the third straight game. He had 22 carries for 117 yards
–Tight end Dalton Kincaid’s fourth-quarter touchdown reception was his third of the season.
— Buffalo’s first sack of New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler was recorded by defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, his second of the season. Late in the fourth quarter edge rusher, A.J. Epenesa, playing with an injured pectoral muscle, got his first sack and later end Joey Bosa logged his second sack and was credited with a forced fumble.
— The first sack of Allen went to Cameron Jordan, giving him 1.5 on the season and the second was by the Bills’ QB’s former Wyoming teammate, Carl Granderson, who has a team-leading 3.5 for the campaign and the third was logged by tackle Bryan Bresee, his first.
— Allen had a 43-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kahlil Shakir and a 28-yarder to Kincaid marking the 45th game when he’s had a passing and rushing score in the same game, tying him with Cam Newton for the NFL record.
Bills cornerback Tre’ White and defensive back Kool-Aid McKistry led their respective teams in tackles, both had seven primary stops.
— Inactive for the Bills were three starters: defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle), outside linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral) and offensive tackle Spencer Brown (calf). Also inactive were cornerback/kick returner Brandon Codrington, cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram and edge rusher Landon Jackson.
The Bills also activated defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.
Ryan Van Dermark replaced Brown, Deone Walker took Brown’s spot and Dorian Williams inherited Milano’s position.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
