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Posted: Tuesday, 13 November 2012 12:54PM

Bills' Graham never ran final route before NE game



Orchard Park, NY (WGR 550)  -- The final offensive play of the Buffalo Bills' dramatic loss to the New England Patriots, marking the team's 12th straight loss on the road against their division rivals, has been one that has met a fair amount of criticism from multiple angles.

Most are wondering what exactly happened on that final throw, an interception from the arm of Ryan Fitzpatrick right at the welcoming grasp of Patriots' defensive back Devin McCourty.

Was it T.J. Graham's fault? Was it Ryan Fitzpatrick's fault for throwing it to a rookie? Was it Chan Gailey's fault for the play call?

Let's examine some of the quotes from those three men after the game:

“That was a rookie mistake,” said Graham. “I was supposed to cross his face in the front. It was a good pass. If I went across his face, I probably would have made a play, so I take the blame for that one. That was my mistake. It might be why I don’t get on the field much. I can’t make those mistakes.”

"The onus is on the quarterback there to make sure everybody is on the same page and to make sure he knows what I expect out of him in that situation," said Fitzpatrick. "It was a judgment call on his part on whether to go under or over the top. I was hoping he went under and he went over the top and that was the disconnect on that play.”

"It's one of those where it's a judgment call for the receiver to go deep or to go in front. It's a grey area and it's a rookie," said head coach Chan Gailey. "It was a grey area deal. The guy's standing there about two or three yards deep in the end zone...

"A veteran might go flatter and go in front of him, or if he saw it like T.J. did he might keep it up the seam and try to go behind him and try to get it over the top of him. Probably should have called a different play to be honest with you. Probably should have given him a different look, a different throw to try to make."

With the time to review the wounding Patriots loss becoming less and less, here's a new outlook on the play from Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson. Some of the information revealed could be perceived as rather alarming to fans.

"We know T.J. can make that play. We know he can," Johnson started out. "I don't think it was the wrong play. Just the whole thing leading up to it which is, you know, he didn't run that play in practice at all. So it's not his fault at all...

"I ran that play, or Scott [Chandler] ran it, or Donald [Jones]. But in that situation I guess things was hurried up and we had people in positions where maybe they shouldn't have been. Who knows what would have happened if it was Donald, me or Scott there. So there's no blame on T.J. at all because he's never ran that route in practice or in the game."

Johnson wrapped up that part of the conversation by saying he wished circumstances, with who lined up where and which route they were designated, were different.

"I'm more experienced with that route, Donald is and Scott is more experienced with that route. So I think in that situation we should of had some more experience there."

Whoever receives the blame in the end is widely debatable. However, there is little doubt that this will add new fuel to the fire.

Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia

All photos courtesy of AP
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