Bills beat Eagles, pick Vick four times
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Turns out the Buffalo Bills didn't need to actually contain quarterback Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles.
All they had to do was wait for this so-called "Dream Team" to start unraveling on its own.
Running back Fred Jackson contributed 196 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown and linebacker Nick Barnett had two of Buffalo's four interceptions Sunday to secure a 31-24 victory over a slow-starting, underachieving, far-from-elite opponent.
"All week, we talked about getting after Vick," Barnett said. "Containing Vick is a hard job for anybody. We were trying to make him uneasy, make him think too fast."
Barnett returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and sealed the victory by picking off Vick with 1:49 left.
Facing third-and-3 at the Bills' 29, Vick attempted a swing pass to Jason Avant at the left sideline. Cornerback Drayton Florence got his hands on the ball, which tipped off Avant as he was falling backward. Barnett caught it before the ball hit the ground.
"The ball just popped right into my hands," Barnett said. "I tried to get me another touchdown, but I don't have that Deion Sanders speed."
Barnett and the Bills can laugh because they are showing no signs of playing the familiar role as the NFL's pushover. Bouncing back from a 23-20 loss at Cincinnati, Buffalo (4-1) already has matched last year's win total, is off to its best start since 2008 and looks nothing like the team that opened last season with eight straight losses en route to a 4-12 finish.
"I think what we went through last year, nobody wanted to go through again," coach Chan Gailey said. "I think we learned we could play in the big ballgames."
Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21-for-27 for 193 yards and a TD pass to David Nelson. Former Jet Brad Smith scored on a 5-yard run that gave the Bills a 28-7 lead in the third quarter.
The Eagles are proving to be dysfunctional, and not even Vick's suggestion of dropping their "Dream Team" label has put a stop to what's been an ongoing nightmare.
"Sitting at 1-4, there's really not too much you can say whether you're a good team or a bad team," Vick said. "I know I have a lot of confidence in these guys. We just have to keep fighting."
Vick went 26-for-40 for 315 yards and two touchdowns but was undone by a career-worst four interceptions, three coming on the Eagles' first four possessions.
He added 90 yards rushing to give him 4,948 for his career, passing Randall Cunningham for most yards by an NFL quarterback.
