Published: December 02, 2008 11:54 am         

BILLS: Evans seeing red over offense

ORCHARD PARK — Even after watching it unfold Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, it’s hard to believe the numbers the Buffalo Bills put up in the red zone against the San Francisco 49ers.

In four trips inside San Francisco’s 20-yard line, the Bills came away a field goal. They ran 14 plays and gained 29 yards. Eight run plays went for 13 yards and quarterbacks Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman combined to go 2-of-6 for 16 yards.

Three points. Believe it.

“It’s hard to even imagine being that bad down there,” wide receiver Lee Evans said in an interview. “Our defense played their (expletives) off and gave us every opportunity in the world and we couldn’t convert on any of them.”

To the surprise of nobody, Bills coach Dick Jauron said Monday his team’s red-zone performance was the difference in the game.

“We had our opportunities and didn’t take advantage of them,” he said. “You’re not going to win hardly any games ever in the National Football League with three points. We needed to get more.”

It’s not as if the opportunities weren’t there. Buffalo’s first trip inside the 49ers’ 20 came in the second quarter. The Bills rushed for 43 yards on a drive that reached the San Francisco 2-yard line on a first-and-goal play. Offensive coordinator Turk Schonert then called consecutive pass plays, both of which were incomplete. On fourth down, Rian Lindell’s streak of 53 consecutive field goals from inside 40 yards came to an end when his 20-yard attempt hit the left upright.

“When you get down there, you have to have a certain attitude,” Evans said. “You have to be able to get it into the end zone. You let your linemen be linemen and let Marshawn (Lynch) do his thing. We didn’t have a lot of balance down there and it cost us.”

In the fourth quarter, needing just a touchdown to tie the game, things went from bad to worse. Facing a third-and-1 at the 6, Fred Jackson was stuffed for a loss of 1, and going for it on fourth down, Losman was pressured into an incompletion.

The defense, however, held, giving the Bills another glorious opportunity. After a Roscoe Parrish punt return and a 15-yard San Francisco penalty, the Bills started at the 49ers’ 25. A first-down pass gained 7 yards to the 18, then Jackson lost a yard on second-and-3, Losman was sacked on third down, and Lindell missed a 40-yard field goal.

“We have to get the ball into the end zone somehow,” Jauron said. “It’s not an easy task, but we just have to find the guys that can score.”

Gannett News Service contributed to this report.