‘130: The number of rushing yards gained by Buffalo running back Shawn Bryson. Indianapolis’ Dominic Rhodes gained 177 yards last week against the Falcons.’
BillsBeat - December 24, 2001
Bucs, Ravens, Eagles on track; Falcons need help
‘The Falcons almost certainly need to win their final games against Miami and St. Louis, and for the Bucs to lose to Baltimore Saturday and Philadelphia next week. Even then, what the Saints and Giants do might still keep them home for the postseason.’
McCord records hit of the game
‘The officiating crew of referee Larry Nemmers had a bad day. They failed to nullify Buffalo’s game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter, when the Bills were in an illegal formation and appeared to snap the ball after the play clock had run out.’
No place like home
‘"I just wanted a chance, just an opportunity," said Feely, who was a perfect 4-for-4 in field goal opportunities Sunday. "There’s nothing else going through your mind when you’re out there. You just want to be fundamentally sound."’
Chandler sparks victory
‘He completed 28 of 40 passes for a franchise-record 431 yards.’
Game Stats
Shawn Bryson: 16 attempts, 130 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Feely's field goal gives Atlanta 33-30 win over Buffalo
"I thought that today’s game had the potential to be a track-meet type game," Williams said of a game that ended up with 885 yards total offense. "I thought that the guys did a great job fighting all the way down to the end. We just didn’t make enough plays at the end and our penalties hurt us."
BillsBeat - December 23, 2001
Falcons 33, Bills 30
‘Before Sunday, Feely was 11-for-18 at the Georgia Dome and 12-for-12 on the road. The game-winner was his second-longest kick of the season; he had a 55-yarder at Arizona.’
Atlanta 33, Buffalo 30
‘Chris Chandler set a club record with a career-high 432 passing yards, and rookie Jay Feely made it an especially memorable day for the Atlanta Falcons.’
Third-down breakdowns painful for Bills, Falcons
‘In other words: Who is worse on third-down defense?’
Strong-willed
‘"I can be the best safety that I want to be because I’m around people who believe in me."’
Falcon revival rests on a healthy Chandler
‘Atlanta trails New Orleans and Tampa Bay by one game in the race for the final NFC wild-card spot.’
Taking another look at the merits of instant replay
‘"I’ve been against this from the beginning," the Buffalo Bills’ general manager said. "I don’t like it. I think it takes the human element out of the game, which I think is part of sports."’
Falcons walk the line today with Bills
‘Seven rookies routinely start for the Bills, and inexperience has been a dilemma all season.’
Vick accepts his role as backup quarterback
‘Vick, the first overall pick of last year’s draft and considered the team’s quarterback of the future, likely will spend most of today’s game against the Buffalo Bills watching from the sidelines as 14-year veteran Chris Chandler continues his role as quarterback of the present.’