Buffalo Bills Winners and Losers: Bills/Cardinals Edition

I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm going to die at a young age.

Even in victory, the Bills made my heart beat through my chest and my blood pressure rise numerous times. Simply put, nothing comes easily to Buffalo.

With the 19-16 victory, the Bills' record is now 3-3, tied for best in the AFC East. The Bills return home to play Tennessee before their bye week and have a realistic shot to enter their break at 4-3.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at the winners and losers for the Bills!

Winners: Fred Jackson/C.J. Spiller

In a game where the Bills needed to establish the run in hopes of winning a game on the road, Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller came through.

It didn't start well for Jackson, who fumbled on his first carry of the game, but he rebounded nicely.

Jackson finished the game with 16 carries for 53 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Spiller was even better for Buffalo. The Bills' explosive back ran the ball 12 times for 88 yards, good for 7.3 yards per carry. Spiller also added a touchdown on the ground, where he avoided a few Cardinals tacklers.

The Bills' success on the ground helped keep the Bills defense fresh for the first time in three weeks. In the end, the run game is one of the biggest reasons why the Bills' record sits at 3-3.

Loser: Chan Gailey

How often does the winning coach get labelled a loser? Not often, but Chan Gailey deserves it this week.

Up three points late in the game, the Bills were moving the ball successfully down field. Four minutes remained in the game, and the Bills brought in Brad Smith to run the wildcat. Needing nine yards to keep the chains moving, Smith dropped back and threw a deep pass that was intercepted by Patrick Peterson.

The Bills had the ball on the Cardinals' 36-yard line when the interception occurred. Even if the Bills couldn't convert a first down, a field goal would have put them up six. The two runs would have also helped bring the clock down close to the two-minute warning or cause the Cardinals to burn a few timeouts.

The Cardinals were able to take the ball and tie the game with a 61-yard field goal. All momentum seemed lost, so credit the Bills for finding a way to win.

That said, I cannot credit Gailey. His play-call late in the game almost cost the Bills a victory.

Winner: Stevie Johnson

Stevie Johnson entered Sunday's game against Arizona struggling. It wasn't all his fault, as Ryan Fitzpatrick has struggled to find Johnson.

Buddy Nix, the Bills general manager, predicted that Johnson would have a breakout game for the Bills against the Cardinals. I'm not sure if breakout is the proper term, but it was Johnson's best game of the season.

Johnson finished the game with six receptions for 82 yards. While these numbers don't jump off the page, he was able to consistently beat Patrick Peterson. He was open a few other times where errant throws by Fitzpatrick cost the Bills wide receiver additional receptions and a chance at 100 yards receiving.

Slowly, the chemistry between Fitzpatrick and Johnson seems to be returning. The Bills will need it if they want any chance to make the playoffs this season.

Loser: Rian Lindell

Here is my controversial loser of the day.

Rian Lindell kicked the game-winning 25-yard field goal and was 2-for-2 in terms of extra points, so I'm sure you're asking, "How is Lindell a loser?"

Lindell did nothing wrong honestly, but simply put: Chan Gailey doesn't trust him.

The Bills received the ball first in overtime, and when the drive stalled out, they were in line to take the lead with a 53-yard field goal. Instead of sending out Lindell, Shawn Powell took the field.

The game took place in a dome, and Gailey didn't trust Lindell to take the lead.

Ultimately, Gailey's decision paid off for Buffalo. However, at the time, it was a very unpopular move.

Winner: Jairus Byrd

The Bills needed someone in the secondary to step up today against the Cardinals.

Jairus Byrd came to the rescue.

The "ball-hawking" safety read the eyes of both Kevin Kolb and John Skelton today. It led to two interceptions, the biggest of which came in overtime.

After the Bills punted the ball to Arizona, Byrd intercepted a third-down pass that was intended for tight-end Rob Housler.

He returned the ball to the Arizona six-yard line, all but sealing the win for the Bills.

Loser: Shawn Powell

The Bills were doing everything they possibly could to lose the game.

Inexplicable wildcat throw by Brad Smith? Check.

Fourth-down conversion for the Cardinals? Of course.

Giving up a 61-yard field goal? Absolutely.

A three-and-out with a minute left? What else could go wrong?

A 30-yard punt by Shawn Powell that gives the Cardinals the ball near midfield.

Luckily for Powell, the Cardinals missed a 38-yard field goal that would have won them the game.

Powell is replacing the beloved Brian Moorman. Needless to say, today's punt in a crucial situation did him no favors with Bills fans.

Winners: The Bills Defensive Line

The Arizona Cardinals offensive line couldn't have come at a better time for the Bills defensive line.

Mario Williams was once again receiving criticism from Bills fans and the mainstream media. Today, he finished the game with three solo tackles that resulted in two sacks. Williams also came close to a few other sacks and consistently beat Cardinals tackle Bobby Massie. Williams' performance should silence the critics for a few more weeks.

Marcell Dareus is coming off of a game against the 49ers in which Pro Football Focus had him ranked as the worst defensive tackle in the league.

Today, Dareus ended the game with one solo tackle and two assists. More importantly, he consistently pushed the pocket back in Kevin Kolb's face.

Chris Kelsay may have been the biggest winner. Getting his first start of the season, Kelsay ended the game with six solo tackles and one assist. He had one sack and a safety. He also did a good job against the run, his biggest strength.

One player who you will not see on the stat-sheet is Kyle Moore. That said, he too deserves praise. He applied constant pressure to Kevin Kolb and came close to having two to three sacks.

Overall, the Bills defensive line has a lot to smile about returning home to play the Tennessee Titans.

Loser: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Another game, another erratic performance.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has been inaccurate much of the season and against the Cardinals this continued.

Fitzpatrick's final stat-line was clean. He completed 18 of 32 passes for 153 yards and three rushes for five yards.

These numbers, however, are not quality stats for an NFL starter, and eventually, these stat-lines will catch up with Buffalo.

On Fitzpatrick's 14 incomplete passes, he often throw the ball short at his receiver's feet or well over his head.

His play is putting his teammates at risk. Today's prime example was a delayed screen-pass to Fred Jackson, where he was instantly hit by Adrian Wilson.

Fitzpatrick deserves credit for not turning the ball over today, but overall, his play was lacking.

The Bills need to see Fitzpatrick play a better game so they can enter the bye week with a 4-3 record.

Winner: Dave Wannstedt

His seat couldn't have been hotter entering this week, and Dave Wannstedt delivered.

To his credit, Wannstedt has been calm and stated that the Bills defense would bounce back against the Cardinals.

True to his word, the Bills may have had their best performance of the season. The defense recorded five sacks and had two interceptions.

Most importantly, the defense showed up in the second half after having back-to-back collapses against the Patriots and 49ers.

The Bills defense held the Cardinals to six points in the second half and deserve most of the praise and credit for the win.

Wannstedt will expect a similar performance against Tennessee next week at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

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