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Bills lose Edwards, 1st game of season to Cards
By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
Oct 5, 2008 - 7:56:57 PM

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GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Buffalo Bills lost their quarterback and, emphatically, their first game of the season. Rookie Tim Hightower had a pair of touchdown runs and Kurt Warner threw to Larry Fitzgerald twice for scores to lead the Arizona Cardinals to a 41-17 victory over the Bills on Sunday.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, right, is injured as he is hit by Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson (24) in the first quarter of a football game Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)


Second-year quarterback Trent Edwards, a major reason Buffalo was one of three unbeaten teams entering the day, went down with a concussion on a fierce hit from Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson on the third play of the game. It was the Bills' defense that collapsed after that.

The Cardinals (3-2), without standout receiver Anquan Boldin, amassed 373 yards against what had been one of the stingier defenses in the league. Buffalo's offense contributed, too, fumbling the ball away three times in Bills territory, resulting in 17 Arizona points.

Buffalo had rallied in the fourth quarter to win its last three. The Bills were down 31-17 after three in this one, and it only got worse from there.

J.P. Losman, who wanted an offseason trade after losing his job to Edwards, was 15-of-21 for 220 yards, most of them on an 87-yard touchdown pass to Lee Evans.

Warner, who committed six of Arizona's seven turnovers in last week's 56-35 loss at the New York Jets, bounced back to go 33-of-42 for 250 yards with no interceptions. The Cardinals did not have a turnover. With Boldin out as a result of the vicious helmet-to-helmet hit by the Jets' Eric Smith, his replacement Steve Breaston caught seven passes for 77 yards.

In its two home games, Arizona has outscored Miami and Buffalo by a combined 72-17.

After ringing up 35 points in a second-half rally against the Jets, Arizona scored on all four of its first-half possessions to go up 24-14 at the break. The first three went for touchdowns, giving the Cardinals eight TDs in nine possessions.

Very early, it looked to be a long day in the desert for the Bills (4-1).

Wilson blitzed untouched and leveled Edwards, slamming the second-year quarterback onto his back. Edwards lay on the ground for several minutes before being helped to the sidelines.

Two plays later, Losman and Marshawn Lynch botched a handoff and Antonio Smith recovered for Arizona at the Bills 38. Edgerrin James ran 13 yards to help set up Warner's 2-yard TD pass to a wide open Fitzgerald, and the Bills never pulled even again.

Two of the first-half touchdowns came on a 14-play, 80-yard drive and a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Together, the possessions consumed just under 13 minutes.

Losman ran 2 yards for a touchdown to slice Arizona's lead to 21-14 with 1:49 left in the half. Warner moved the Cardinals downfield, though, and Neil Rackers kicked a 47-yard field goal as the half ended to give Arizona a 24-14 advantage.

The Bills cut the lead to a touchdown again on 48-yard field goal with 5:25 left in the third quarter, and the Cardinals responded with another long drive, going 78 yards in 13 plays. James scored from 2 yards out to put Arizona ahead 31-17.

Buffalo turnovers set up the Cardinals' 10 fourth-quarter points, a 38-yard field goal by Rackers and a 2-yard run by Hightower.


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