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Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams takes a break in this training camp photo. The fourth-year defensive tackle was solid in Sunday’s loss.
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BILLS: Williams was solid in Sunday's loss
CROWDPLEASER: DT had 10 tackles and a sack
The Buffalo Bills’ fourth-year defensive tackle somehow tried to take some blame for a 6-3 loss to the previously winless Cleveland Browns.
“It’s frustrating to even give up the three (points),” said Williams, referencing the game-winning field goal with 23 seconds left.
“We knew they were going to come in here and run the ball 50 or so times after the trouble we had the past couple of weeks. We just didn’t make enough plays all the way around to win the football game.”
The Bills did allow 171 yards on the ground, but that was an improvement over the 236 yard-average the defense had been gashed for in the past two games. Take out a 31-yard end-around run by Josh Cribbs, and the Browns managed just 3.5 yards per carry against a team that was out of middle linebackers and had two outside linebackers who had never played defense in an NFL game before.
With starter Paul Posluszny already out with a broken arm, Kawika Mitchell was shifted inside to help shore up the Bills’ run defense woes. Mitchell wound up suffering a season-ending knee injury, and backup Marcus Buggs followed him on the golf car to injured reserve about an hour later.
So when the Browns got the ball at the Buffalo 16 with 2:59 left after Roscoe Parrish’s fumbled punt, the Bills had to rely on a linebacking group (Keith Ellison, Ashlee Palmer and Jon Corto) with an average weight of 228 pounds.
“Those guys have to come in and make plays for us when they are called,” Williams said. “It’s tough and there is nothing you can really say about it other than it’s hard as hell to win football games with your starters, much less when you get injuries all over the place.”
Williams did his best to prevent the youthful, undersized players behind him from getting exposed. On the Browns’ first rush up the middle, he and Ellison stopped Jamal Lewis for a 2-yard gain. On the next play, Williams and Marcus Stroud brought Lewis down for a loss. But on third down, Lewis ran outside and picked up 10 yards. The next play, Williams and Palmer combined for a tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
On the day, Williams was credited with 10 tackles (seven solo), including three for a loss. He knocked down Browns quarterback Derek Anderson twice, notably on a third-down sack at the end of the first half.
Williams might have been frustrated with the Browns’ running game production, but he had to have been pleased with how the Bills forced Anderson into a miserable 2-for-17, 23-yard performance.
But it all went for naught.
“That’s the most frustrating thing of all,” Williams said. “You feel like you played hard and played pretty well and you lose the football game.”
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