C.J. Spiller ran wild against the Chiefs defense. (Kevin Hoffman-US PRESSWIRE)
ORCHARD PARK — The Buffalo Bills relied on the hot running and receiving of C.J. Spiller and a defense that finally lived up to the hype to rout the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-17, at soldout Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday.
Spiller rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and caught three passes for 47 yards as the Bills (1-1) rebounded from last week’s crushing loss to the New York Jets. The Chiefs (0-2) now have been outscored 75-41.
Spiller, who gained 169 yards in the season opener, was starting in place of injured running back Fred Jackson, who is out for at least a month with a knee injury. A first-round draft pick in 2010 out of Clemson, Spiller became just the fourth player in Bills history to open the season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was one of the few bright spots for Kansas City, catching eight passes for 102 yards and two fourth-quarter scores — one from 33 yards and the other from two. Matt Cassel completed 23-of-41 passes for 301 yards and two TDs, but much of his yardage came after the game was decided.
A week after being sliced and diced by Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, the Bills defense made five sacks and forced two fumbles and seven punts.
The Bills took a 7-0 lead on a Spiller’s 17-yard touchdown run with 2:01 remaining in the first quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed passes of 19 yards to Spiller and 16 yards to Brad Smith and also scrambled 20 yards during the 11-play, 84-yard drive.
Spiller was on the move again on the Bills next possession, capping a 67-yard march with a 3-yard touchdown run to put them up, 14-0, with 12:29 left in the half. Spiller helped set up his score with a 38-yard run to the Chiefs 12.
A Kansas City fumble — on a sack and strip of Cassel by Alex Carrington and a recovery by Mario Williams at the Chiefs 43 — set up Buffalo’s third score. It came on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to tight end Scott Chandler that put the Bills up 21-0 with 3:29 left in the half. Spiller had a role in setting up that touchdown, too, taking a screen pass from Fitzpatrick 27 yards to the Chiefs 2.
Kansas City finally got on the board on a 33-yard field goal by Ryan Succop midway through the third.
But the Bills responded with two more touchdowns — a 49-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Stevie Johnson and an 88-yard punt return by Leodis McKelvin — to go up by 32 points.
Kansas City scored its first touchdown with 6:26 left in the game on Bowe’s 33-yard reception.
The Chiefs closed out the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown toss from Cassel to Bowe with 1:10 left.
NOTES: Fred Jackson (2011), Thurman Thomas (1991) and O.J. Simpson (1973 and ’75) are the other Bills backs to begin a season with consecutive 100-yard rushing games. … Jamaal Charles, who rushed for 87 yards in the season opener vs. Atlanta, had just 3 yards on six carries. He had been a Bills killer with 398 yards in his previous four games against Buffalo. … Fitzpatrick bounced back from his three-interception performance against the Jets by completing 10-19 for 178 yards and two TDs. He didn’t throw any picks vs. Kansas City. … The Chiefs were without injured starters Anthony Torbio and free safety Kendrick Lewis. Dontari Poe and Abram Elam started in their place. … Kansas City Pro Bowl linebacker Tamba Hali had four tackles in his first game back from a one-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
