Bills Offense Just Couldn't Get It Going Eduardo Encina, The Tampa Tribune, published 19 September 2005 In the words of Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman, his offense came to Raymond James Stadium "high as a kite" after last week's season-opening victory over Houston. That kite took a nosedive in the Tampa humidity Sunday afternoon. In Tampa Bay's 19-3 victory, the Bucs defense exposed Buffalo, limiting the Bills to 147 yards of total offense for the game and just 33 yards in the first half. Nothing was easy for the Bills on offense. At times they were inept, other times just overmatched. "I think it was a lesson learned," Buffalo coach Mike Mularkey said. "They were more physical and they executed better than we did. This is what can happen when you play a good football team. It's a wake-up call." Only two of Buffalo's 10 offensive drives lasted more than two minutes. And the Bills went three-and-out on four of their six first-half drives. "It just seemed like we could never get into the tempo that we wanted to," said receiver Josh Reed, who was by far Buffalo's most effective offensive weapon, with six catches for 71 yards. We had a few drives where we made some plays but against a defense like this in their home stadium, you've got to be able to do that play in and play out." Losman looked more like a quarterback making his second professional start than the Bills fan favorite (several of his No. 7 jerseys could be seen at RJS on Sunday). Losman, who completed 61 percent of his passes in last week, was 2-for-8 in the first half. He finished 12-for-29 for 113 yards, often missing his receivers badly. Early on, the Bucs blitzed Losman often, testing the young quarterback's mettle. Tampa Bay gave Losman little time -- as well as room -- to work. Trying to escape a Tampa Bay blitz, Losman stepped out of the back of his end zone, giving the Bucs a 2-0 second-quarter lead and setting the tone for a frustrating offensive performance. "They had a good scheme," Losman said. "They knew where we were going to be. They watched my eyes the whole game. They had a good plan and they executed it well by being physical as well as knowing where to be." Bills running back Willis McGahee had one of the worst games of his three-year pro career, managing just 34 yards on 13 carries. McGahee had just one run longer than 5 yards. Dating to last season, the Bills were 8-0 when McGahee has 20 or more carries. "Everyone was struggling. It was a team thing," McGahee said. "It was definitely a learning experience." Losman used a different adjective to describe the day. "It's a humbling experience," Losman said. "We were so successful the first game. But they matched us. They matched our intensity."