DETROIT -- A few thoughts on the Buffalo Bills' 17-14 win Sunday over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
What it means: Slow start and quite the finish from the Bills, who get back on track and improve their record to 3-2. Their quarterback switch -- benching EJ Manuel in favor of Kyle Orton -- didn't pay off early, with Orton throwing a pick-six to Rashean Mathis in the first half. But the Bills, powered by a strong defense and three missed field goals by Detroit, clawed their way back into the game. Dan Carpenter's 58-yard field goal with four seconds left gave the Bills their first lead. It was all they needed.
Stock watch: C.J. Spiller, down. He was ineffective Sunday, rushing nine times for 7 yards. The Bills turned away from Spiller in the middle of the game; he didn't record a touch from early in the second quarter until late in the third quarter. Fred Jackson, who rushed for 50 yards and added seven catches, was used more often. Spiller did, however, have three catches for 25 yards. Jackson limped off the field late in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury.
Watkins watch: The Bills' switch at quarterback didn't have a dramatic impact on the production of rookie Sammy Watkins -- until late in the game. He caught a 20-yard pass from Orton to spark the Bills' game-winning field goal. Watkins finished with seven catches for 87 yards. He was targeted 12 times by Orton, with one of the incompletions coming on a questionable non-call in the third quarter when the officials picked up a pass-interference flag against the Lions. The Bills were driving, and that penalty would have given them a fresh set of downs in the red zone.
Schwartz carried off: After the win, Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the Lions' former head coach, was carried off the field by his players. Schwartz put his fist in the air and smiled.
Brooks injured: Third-year cornerback Ron Brooks was upended by Lions safety Jerome Couplin while covering a punt in the first quarter, landing directly on his helmet. Brooks was immobilized and taken off the field on a cart. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation of a neck injury.
Game ball: DT Marcell Dareus. On a day when the Bills were without defensive captain Kyle Williams, another defensive tackle stepped up. Dareus set a career high with three sacks, including a strip-sack of Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter.
What's next: After playing three of their first five games away from Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Bills will make two only road trips in the next eight weeks. They begin a two-game homestand next Sunday against the New England Patriots, their second AFC East game of the season.
