By Jay Skurski
Some observations from the Motor City.
Play of the game: Marcus Easley desperately needed to show some big-play ability in his fight to make the roster at receiver. He was able to do so with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Easley followed that up with a two-point conversion catch, fighting in with a Lion draped all over him. It was a great sequence for the third-year pro.
Best bubble player performance: H-back Dorin Dickerson had three catches for 23 yards, including one for a touchdown, and was open deep against a safety, but Tyler Thigpen missed the throw. Dickerson showed his potential.
Trouble spot: The starting defense allowed the Lions to drive 80 yards in seven plays over 3:19 for a tying touchdown. Included in that drive was a 15-yard facemask call against rookie cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The touchdown came on a 24-yard pass from Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson. Second-year cornerback Aaron Williams was beat on the play, which will happen against Megatron, but does illustrate some of the struggles the young Buffalo secondary is likely to face from time to time.
Stat line of the night: Bills starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was 5 of 5 for 39 yards and a touchdown in his only series of the night, for a passer rating of 138.8. "We wanted to start fast tonight and put some points on the board. It was good to get into the end zone tonight and spread the ball around a little bit and let everyone touch it," Fitzpatrick said.
Coming up: The Bills open the regular season at 1 p.m. Sept. 9 when they visit the New York Jets.
