honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 10:52 a.m., Sunday, November 23, 2008

NFL: Edwards, Bills give KC historic 54-31 whipping

By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — So what happened to those stumblebum Buffalo Bills and their slump-ridden quarterback?

The historically awful Kansas City Chiefs, that's what.

Trent Edwards threw for two touchdowns, ran for two and the Bills scored more points today than had ever been scored against Kansas City, swamping the Chiefs 54-31.

The Bills pounced on five Kansas City turnovers and came within four points of matching their 42-year-old record for most points in a game. The previous high against the Chiefs was 51 in an overtime loss at Seattle in 1983.

Rian Lindell kicked four field goals and Leodis McKelvin returned an interception 64 yards for a score for the Bills (6-5), who had lost four in a row after starting 4-0.

The Chiefs (1-10) lost three fumbles and Tyler Thigpen threw two interceptions. It's the 19th loss in 20 games for the Chiefs, who had hoped they were starting to turn the corner after coming close in their last four losses.

Rian Lindell kicked four field goals and Leodis McKelvin returned an interception 64 yards for a score for the Bills (6-5), who had lost four in a row after starting 4-0.

The Chiefs (1-10) lost three fumbles and Tyler Thigpen threw two interceptions. It's the 19th loss in 20 games for the Chiefs, who had hoped they were starting to turn the corner after coming close in their last four losses.

The Buffalo offense had scored only five touchdowns in its last four games and Edwards had thrown eight interceptions in 13 quarters while losing two fumbles and managing only three touchdown passes.

But against a Kansas City defense which had just gotten three injured starters back, the entire team was turnover-free while Edwards hit 24 of 32 for 273 yards and two touchdowns. The second-year pro also scored on runs of 5 and 15 yards.

Edwards connected with Josh Reed on an 8-yard TD pass in the third quarter and hit Derek Schouman with a 17-yard strike in the fourth.

Buffalo scored 10 points in 42 seconds of the first half on a field goal and McKelvin's 64-yard interception return.

Lee Evans, held without a catch in the Bills' loss on Monday night to Cleveland, caught a 51-yard pass that led to Lindell's 34-yarder and a 23-17 lead with 1:33 left in the half, and then McKelvin's interception a moment later gave the Bills the ball on their own 47.

The Bills were out of time outs with 26 seconds left in the half when Tamba Hali flushed Edwards out of the pocket. All the Chiefs had to do was tackle him, and Buffalo could not have stopped the clock for a fourth-down play. But the second-year pro scrambled away and dived across the line for a 15-yard TD run and a 30-17 halftime lead.

After Edwards scored on a 5-yard run to make it 37-17, Thigpen fumbled without being hit and Marcus Stroud picked it up, leading to a 38-yard field goal by Lindell and a 40-17 lead.

Thigpen, the third-teamer who took over after the first two quarterbacks were lost to season-ending injuries, was 17-for-31 for 240 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions.

His 36-yard scoring pass to Jamaal Charles on their first possession gave the Chiefs a brief lead before Marshawn Lynch's 1-yard TD run tied it a few minutes later. He also had TD passes of 2 yards to Tony Gonzalez and 45 yards to Mark Bradley. Quinn Gray threw 3 yards to Dwayne Bowe for a meaningless touchdown at the end.