Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter VI Mobile College Basketball March Mayhem Picks College Basketball March Mayhem Picks VegasInsider.com VegasInsider.com
Handicapper Bios Sports Picks Free Odds Contests Sportsbook
VI Home NFL NBANHLMLBNCAA FBNCAA BKGolfAutoHorsesBoxingVI More Sports
 
NFL Scores Matchups Teams Standings Schedules Injuries News
 
 · Latest News
 · Player Updates
 · Transactions
Buy Picks Vegas Odds
 
 · Vegas Odds
 · Offshore Odds
 · Future Odds
 
Recap: Jaguars , Bills
Line Movements
Date: August 27, 2011 7:00 PM EDT
  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - David Garrard thought there was some unwritten rule in which preseason games weren't supposed to go into overtime.

The Jaguars quarterback was wrong. He stood shivering on the sideline watching the Buffalo Bills force overtime in the final minute, then cap a 35-32 win on Rian Lindell's 40-yard field goal with 3:04 left Saturday night.

Advertisement

``I was shaking my head because I was cold out there,' Garrard said. ``I guess everybody doesn't abide by these rules.'

It was a game that was 7 minutes short of entering its fourth hour, and one only scrubs and NFL die-hards could love.

Lindell's kick came after Jacksonville's Josh Scobee missed a 53-yard attempt. It was a back-and-forth contest in which Buffalo squandered a 17-point first-half lead and had to overcome a 15-point second-half deficit.

With much of the crowd gone by halftime, Bills backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen forced overtime by hitting Paul Hubbard on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 38 seconds left, then hooking up again for a 2-point conversion.

``An overtime preseason game?' said Hubbard. ``For a minute, we were thinking it was kind of long and they were dragging it along. But we definitely did everything we could to come out and win it.'

Both teams' preseason records dropped to 1-2 after competing in the NFL's first preseason overtime game since Aug. 16, 2008, when Seattle beat Chicago 29-26. That one was at least decided early, when Brandon Coutu hit a field goal 3:28 into the extra frame.

This one looked like it was going to be decided early after the Bills appeared ready to blow the game open in the first half when their Ryan Fitzpatrick-led offense finally showed spark - and a quick-strike dimension - in building a 17-0 lead.

In completing his first 11 attempts, Fitzpatrick threw touchdowns passes on consecutive plays - an 11-yarder to Marcus Easley and a 52-yarder to Stevie Johnson - 65 seconds apart in the second quarter. He finished going 11 of 12 for 165 yards passing in four series through the first half.

That more than doubled the 88 yards Fitzpatrick had in six series through Buffalo's first two preseason games. The two touchdowns were the first scored by the Bills' starters this preseason, and the 17 points in the first half were four more than Buffalo managed in its first two weeks.

``We've said all along, we wanted to carry over what we've been doing in practice onto the game field, and I think we did a good job of that today,' Fitzpatrick said.

Garrard overcame a slow start by producing 17 points on his final three series. Playing mostly against the second-string defense, Garrard scored on a 4-yard run and then engineered a 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive capped by Brock Bolen's 2-yard run to open the third quarter.

Garrard finished 11 of 21 for 106 yards in his second start, while both touchdown drives where helped by lengthy pass-interference penalties: a 20-yarder against Drayton Florence and a 31-yarder against Reggie Corner.

``You have to be able to persevere and not let a slow start be a slow finish, too,' Garrard said. ``We didn't hang our heads and mope around. We kept fighting.'

The Jaguars took a 24-17 lead in the third quarter when linebacker Jacob Cutrera intercepted Thigpen's pass and returned it 16 yards for a score.

Rookie first-round pick Blaine Gabbert had an inconsistent outing for Jacksonville. He went 6 of 13 for 52 yards with an 11-yard touchdown pass to DuJuan Harris and an interception.

Bills running back Fred Jackson backed up his off-the-field comments with a strong showing. He finished with 33 yards rushing and a 30-yard catch to cap a week that began with Jackson questioning whether the Bills disrespected him by starting C.J. Spiller in a 24-10 loss at Denver last weekend.

Linebacker Paul Posluszny had six tackles in his first game against the Bills since signing with Jacksonville in free agency last month. Though Posluszny was beaten by Jackson on a 30-yard catch up the left sideline in the first quarter, he responded by stuffing Jackson for a 1-yard loss on third-and-goal from the 1 to force the Bills to settle for Lindell's opening 21-yard field goal.

Otherwise it was a comedy of errors.

The Jaguars twice turned over the ball in their territory in the final 7 minutes. There was Gabbert's interception, which led to Thigpen getting intercepted in the end zone.

The Jaguars then gave back the ball two plays later. Da'Norris Searcy forced Harris to fumble, and it was recovered by Buffalo's Michael Jasper at the Jacksonville 33 with 3:04 left.

It took the Bills nine plays to final score, and on fourth-and-goal from the 4, no less.

``It was a long second half,' Fitzpatrick said. ``You don't see too many preseason games go into overtime. But it was great for our guys to perform in that pressure situation. And obviously for Lindell to come through was great.'

Notes: Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio had no updates on three regulars who left the game with injuries. Backup RB Rashad Jennings didn't return after hurting his knee in the first quarter. DT D'Anthony Smith didn't return after hurting his foot in the first quarter. RB Montell Owens hurt his back. ... Scobee had gone 7-of-7 in field goal attempts this preseason before missing his last one wide left. ... Bills LB Shawne Merriman missed his second straight preseason game with a groin injury.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2012
The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved

 CLOSING LAS VEGAS LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 JAC  +120   +2.5   36.5 
 BUF  -140   -2.5   
LAS VEGAS LINE MOVEMENTS

 CLOSING SPORTSBOOK LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 JAC  +125   +2.5   36.5 
 BUF  -145   -2.5   
OFFSHORE LINE MOVEMENTS

 BETTING TRENDS
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 JAC  68%   49%   48% 
 BUF  32%   51%   52% 
BT MOVEMENTS

 NFL RECAPS
 Saturday, Aug 27
 
  •  Jaguars at Bills
7:00 PM EDT
  •  Falcons at Steelers
7:30 PM EDT
  •  Dolphins at Buccaneers
7:30 PM EDT
  •  Patriots at Lions
8:00 PM EDT
  •  Cowboys at Vikings
8:00 PM EDT
  •  Texans at 49ers
8:00 PM EDT
  •  Bears at Titans
8:00 PM EDT
  •  Seahawks at Broncos
9:00 PM EDT
  •  Chargers at Cardinals
10:00 PM EDT
 
 
 
  
GOLD Membership
Receive a 20% discount on all Daily Picks. Signup Today!
 
 
Las Vegas Travel
 
 

NFL
NFL Picks
NFL Odds
NFL Matchups
NFL Scores

NBA
NBA Picks
NBA Odds
NBA Matchups
NBA Scores

MLB
MLB Picks
MLB Odds
MLB Matchups
MLB Scores


NCAA FB
NCAA FB Picks
NCAA FB Odds
NCAA FB Matchups
NCAA FB Scores

NCAA BK
NCAA BK Picks
NCAA BK Odds
NCAA BK Matchups
NCAA BK Scores

NHL
NHL Picks
NHL Odds
NHL Matchups
NHL Scores


More Sports
Golf
Auto Racing
Horse Racing
Boxing
UFC
WNBA
Soccer

Features
Free Odds
Mobile Odds
Contests
Newsletters
VI Radio
Las Vegas Travel
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook


Sports Betting Tools
Live Odds
Parlay Calculator
Gaming Terms
TV Listings
Handicapping Records
Sportsbook Reviews

VegasInsider Info
About Us
Help Center
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
User Feedback

Sportsbooks
BetOnline.ag
Bodog.ca
Bookmaker
Bovada.lv
SBG Global.eu
Sportsbook
TopBet.com

Rotation Schedules
Baseball:

 
Mar 28 - June 5

Copyright © 1997-2012, VegasInsider.com Inc., The Global Leader In Sports Gaming Information. All rights reserved.
For questions or comments, please contact us at 1-800-211-4759.