Monday Night Lights: Raiders, Bills Gain from Loss

General Peppers

Scribe Written on September 16, 2009

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OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: LaDainian Tomlinson #21 of the San Diego Chargers is tackled by Richard Seymour #92 of the Oakland Raiders during their game on September 14, 2009 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Buffalo fans and Oakland fans don't have much in common.

One's East Coast, the other West Coast.

Buffalo fans carry an innocuous blue collar sentimentality to them, while the Oakland fan base is concocted of a more dubious dichotomy: The wild and clinically insane.

But outside of Lambeau Field, no fans in the NFL care more, and thus, seeing both teams put on stellar efforts on Monday Night Football's opening slate was a refreshing sight to behold.

Buffalo, fresh from firing offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, were facing heated AFC East rival, the New England Patriots. Tom Brady was returning to captain the same offense that shattered offensive records just two seasons ago.

The Oakland Raiders, fresh from having assistant Randy Hanson put in a hospital by their head coach Tom Cable, were up against AFC West rivals, the San Diego Chargers.

The Patriots and Chargers are the consensus pick for this year's AFC Championship.

The Patriots and Chargers have two of the NFL's most potent offenses.

The Patriots and Chargers came into the game with 11 straight wins over their respective opponents.

To say that Buffalo and Oakland were underdogs would be a gross understatement to say the least; Vegas had both teams scheduled to lose by double digit margins.

Monday Night proved the old axiom, "that's why the game's played on the field and not paper", still holds true.

With the aid of an Aaron Schobel interception for a touchdown, the Buffalo Bills stifled the high powered Patriots offense and took a 14-10 lead into half time.

With the aid of a stifling defense, headed by the league's best defensive player Nnamde Asomugha, and a powerful 105 yards rushing, the Oakland Raiders had confidence heading into halftime with a 10-10 tie.

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written on September 16, 2009 Opinion