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Bills special teams spark 34-10 win over Seahawks
By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
Sep 7, 2008 - 5:23:45 PM

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The Buffalo Bills' special teams led them to a 34-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Buffalo Bills' Roscoe Parrish, left, returns a punt for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL football game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/David Duprey)


Roscoe Parrish scored on a 63-yard punt return, and punter Brian Moorman completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to defensive end Ryan Denney on a fake field goal, sparking Buffalo to a stunning and dominating win. As if that wasn't enough, kicker Rian Lindell recovered a fumble on a kickoff, setting up Trent Edwards' 30-yard touchdown pass to Robert Royal.

Marshawn Lynch also scored on a 21-yard run in a game in which the Bills never trailed, blowing out the flat-footed and injury-depleted four-time defending NFC West champions. Buffalo opened a season with a win for only the fourth time in 12 years and began dashing concerns about its inability to both score and defend.

The 34 points came from a team that failed to score 20 a dozen times last season. They were also four more than Buffalo combined to score in its final three games of 2007.

Edwards, the second-year player opening his first season as starter, had a solid day, finishing 19-of-30 for 215 yards, while Lynch had 76 yards rushing.

The Bills defense did the rest, holding the Matt Hasselbeck-led offense to 252 yards. The Seahawks has only nine first downs through three quarters.

Hasselbeck finished 17-of-41 for 190 yards and an interception, looking very rusty after getting limited playing time in the preseason because of a back injury. He did hit Nate Burleson for a 20-yard touchdown pass, but that was one of the few highlights for Mike Holmgren, who opened his final season as the Seahawks coach.

Holmgren could only look on with a grimace on the sideline as the Seahawks unraveled in the third quarter. They gave up two touchdowns in a 20-second span when Denney and Royal scored. Moorman became the first NFL punter to throw a touchdown pass since Pittsburgh's Josh Miller did it against Baltimore on Dec. 28, 2003.

Parrish's touchdown proved to be an even bigger jaw-dropper, as he eluded nearly the entire Seahawks coverage unit while zigzagging his way up the field midway through the second quarter.

Catching the punt at the right hash, Parrish faked left and went the other way, zooming past a flat-footed Logan Payne. Parrish took it up the right sideline before cutting back up the middle, breaking through John Carlson's arms at the 25 and then capping the score by outrunning three defenders.

It was his third career touchdown return and first since he ran one back 74 yards in last year's opener against Denver.

The Seahawks had very little in response. It didn't help that Burleson left with a left knee injury in the third quarter, further depleting Seattle's receiving corps, which was already minus starters Deion Branch (knee) and Bobby Engram (shoulder).

Burleson was hurt when he tripped himself up while cutting back for a pass deep in Bills territory.

The Seahawks' first drive of the second half summed up their offensive troubles. After Hasselbeck marched them 50 yards to the Bills' 30, the Seahawks went backward on a 7-yard sack, two consecutive false start penalties and a 4-yard loss on a Julius Jones carry.

Among those on hand was former Bills tight end Kevin Everett, who received the Professional Football Writers of America Halas Award for overcoming adversity last season. Everett, who is now walking on his own, sustained a severe spinal cord injury while covering a kickoff in Buffalo's opener last year.


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