Happy Birthday Pops

EJ Manuel's game-winning fourth quarter touchdown drive marks special day for the Bills quarterback

By Kevin Reese

Erik Sr. celebrated his birthday this Sunday by doing the only thing feasible for any American to do on a Sunday: watch football. Except Erik Sr. was watching his son play on this Sunday. Erik Jr., better known as EJ, was able to give his father one hell of a birthday present.

 

Bill Wippert/Times Union

I also happened to be in attendance this Sunday in overcast Orchard Park, where the Buffalo Bills took on the Carolina Panthers. I watched on as EJ Manuel, playing in his second career game, led his team to a victory, Manuel’s first in his career.

I also happened to attend three Buffalo Bills games last season, and this game for 58 minutes felt like another one of those games. Missed open receivers, bonehead penalties, and of course, disgruntled Bills fans. It had all the typical ingredients of a letdown at Ralph Wilson Stadium. But we still haven’t accounted for those other two minutes of the 60-minute contest. The last two minutes in this game saw history being made, and one 80-yard touchdown drive.

EJ Manuel looked like a rookie for most of this game, often times looking timid, checking down to receivers while receivers ran open downfield. At one point, wide receiver Stevie Johnson, following a failed third down conversion in which he ran uncovered, returned to the sideline slamming his helmet to the turf in frustration. But by the end of the game the outspoken receiver was praising his young quarterback. “He earned a lot of our respect”, said Johnson following the win.

The Bills received the ball with 1:38 left in the game, down by six. Manuel took the field, and all I could think of was those 3 Bills games last season. A loss to the Rams where Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked to end all hopes, an incompletion by Fitzpatrick on a fourth down to end the game against the Titans, and a game which saw Fitzpatrick intercepted four times against the Patriots. However, today was different. The Bills had a new leader under center, and the end result showed. The Bills started the drive at their own 20, with no timeouts. Manuel marched his team down the field, in an all no-huddle drive. He finished 6-8 for 51 yards, with a crucial nine-yard scramble to set up the game-winning score. Manuel was able to find Johnson all alone in the back of the end zone with a blitzing Luke Kuechly in his face, putting the Bills ahead for good.

This is a new Bills team, specifically because they might’ve found their new face of the franchise. EJ Manuel made some history with his late game heroics. He became the first NFL quarterback since 1960 to post a QB rating of 89+ in his first two games, as well as becoming the fifth NFL rookie since 1960 to engineer a fourth quarter comeback in his first or second game. So how’s that for a birthday present for Dad?