Browns 29, Bills 27: When You Throw Three First Quarter Picks, Can't Really Expect a Win

The Bills, apparently, were in a "must-win" situation tonight (it's a somewhat fair assessment with a 6-4 knot at the top of the AFC East, but please, people, for the love of God can we stop using this phrase so much? It's not applicable until elimination actually applies.), but you wouldn't have known it from the first quarter that Trent Edwards put up.

Three interceptions is really the only thing I need to mention, right? It was that kind of night for two rookie quarterbacks in what started out as an incredibly ugly game -- and was that way through the first half -- but ended up being a pretty g-d exciting contest.

Both Cleveland and Buffalo, who suddenly account for two of the biggest 2008 flop-jobs (Cleveland has disappointed all season and the Bills are in a total free fall right now), looked like they had no interest in winning anything for the first 30 minutes, but ended up sparring off in a back-and-forth of last minute football that involved a few Brady Quinn strikes, more BEAST MODE than it was really fair to handle, and a pair of long, wind-affected field goals, only one of which spiked the uprights.

And it was a 56-yarder by Phil Dawson that ultimately sealed the game, even though Rian Lindell had a shot from 47 to put the Bills back ahead with just under a minute to play. In fact, I might argue that Dawson and Marshawn were the only people -- James Harrison too, actually -- that played a worthwhile game.

Lynch was absolutely dominant, recording over 30 touches and 177 total yards with a touchdown (and one more he should have been given but for an Edwards sneak). Dawson was five for five and helped salvage a Browns team that coiled up like Buster Bluth getting attacked by a seal every time they sniffed the red zone. (Yes, I am watching G4 right now, thanks for asking.)

The long and short of this game though, is that the Bills are collapsing ... and the Browns, under Quinn, despite choking away three straight double digit leads, are kind of - sort of making some kind of run to get back into "things" this season. And by "things", I don't necessarily mean "the playoffs", just "Romeo Crennel keeping his job."