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With extra time to prepare and new offensive coordinator, Bills surprise Cardinals

If a Thursday Night game ends badly for a team, as their Week 2 loss to the New York Jets did for the Buffalo Bills, the 10-day layoff can provide both a welcome little break and some frustration – when you’ve been stung, it stinks to wait so long for the chance to get back out there and redeem yourself.

Since that loss to the Jets, the Buffalo Bills fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and head coach Rex Ryan, after cutting ties with Roman, said the blame for the Bills’ 0-2 start lay solely with him, and that the Arizona Cardinals were “the exact team we needed to play.”

Bills coach Rex Ryan and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians (AP)
Bills coach Rex Ryan and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians (AP)

What seemed like the usual Ryan braggadocio ended up being prescient.

Behind the running of LeSean McCoy (110 yards) and quarterback Tyrod Taylor (76 yards) and four interceptions from the Buffalo defense, the Bills stunned the Cardinals, 33-18, at New Era Field.

Though this is just Ryan’s second year in Buffalo, the fan base has been restless, particularly after such a disappointing start, and Ryan said during the week there was a “sick feeling” around the team.

Ryan acknowledged how badly the Bills needed the win in his post-game press conference:

The Bills defense started the game by forcing Arizona into five three-and-outs – as Palmer completed just 2-of-10 passes – and the Cardinals didn’t get a first down until six minutes had passed in the second quarter and they were already down 17-0.

And Arizona’s issues weren’t just on offense: a bad snap on a third-quarter field goal attempt was scooped up by Buffalo’s Aaron Williams, and Williams returned it for a score, giving his team a 30-7 cushion.

The loss drops the Cardinals, who were in the NFC title game last year and came into this season as one of the favorites in the conference, to 1-2.

Buffalo got its first win, but travels to New England for Week 4. The Patriots’ starting quarterback is a question mark right now – Jimmy Garoppolo is rehabbing a sprained AC joint he suffered in Week 2, while Thursday night’s starter, rookie Jacoby Brissett, hurt the thumb on his throwing hand – but a Ryan-coached team hasn’t won a game in Foxborough since January 2016, when the Jets knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs.