NFL Buffalo Bills

Fred Jackson Still the Buffalo Bills’ Most Reliable Offensive Weapon

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By @Langtron57

Fred Jackson Buffalo Bills

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In Sunday’s victory over the Detroit Lions, the Buffalo Bills‘ offense clicked at the end of the game but was very off and on through most of the contest. Unfortunately, the Bills only had one steady offensive weapon throughout the game. 33-year-old Fred Jackson achieved over 100 yards in both rushing and receiving. While some receivers did make good plays from time to time, the Bills could hardly get consistency out of anyone other than Jackson.

There are some notable exceptions, as Kyle Orton showed himself to still be a solid starting quarterback by leading a phenomenal game-winning drive in the last two minutes to a Dan Carpenter field goal. Orton threw 30 completions on 43 passes (completion rate of 69.7 percent) with a pick and a touchdown pass. Rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins looked great too, catching seven passes for 87 yards. Jackson led the team in rushing with 50 yards on 11 carries and had seven catches for 58 yards.

Jackson’s offensive production was the only thing that kept the Bills in the game, as other offensive weapons simply did not show up for the first half. Orton looked unsure of himself early in the game but came through for the team in the second half. Similarly, most of the receivers did not put up any significant numbers during the first half of play.

In terms of other offensive weapons, there were no consistent producers other than Jackson and Watkins. Marquise Goodwin and Chris Gragg both made clutch catches near the end of the game, a 42-yard completion to Goodwin and a two-yard touchdown grab to follow it up, but those were their only contributions on the afternoon. With regard to the Bills’ other running back, CJ Spiller contributed a total of seven yards on nine carries. He had three catches for 25 yards, but his rushing was just non-existent against the Lions.

While the Bills’ defense got six sacks on the day on top of an interception and several key stops, the offense looked much more functional around the end of the game. Watkins looked good, and Orton looked led the offense in fine form. Ultimately Jackson came through in this game once again, and he was the most useful offensive weapon for the Bills, further proving that age is just a number.

Chris Langton is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. He also contributes to the MMA page. Follow him on Twitter @Langtron57, “Like” him on Facebook, and add him to your network on Google.

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