Sanders Falls Into Bills’ Safety Trap

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Barry Sanders went into the game looking to find the end zone on a running play. Unfortunately for Sanders, the Buffalo Bills found him in the wrong end zone.

Sanders, still without a rushing touchdown this season, was tripped up by Bruce Smith and tackled by Phil Hansen for a safety, breaking a 13-13 tie with 2:12 remaining and lifting the Bills to a 22-13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

“I bet that doesn’t happen very often,” Hansen said. “There was just no place to run in there. We had backside pressure, frontside pressure. It was just a great defensive effort.”

Two plays after Buffalo special-team player Eric Smedley downed Chris Mohr’s punt at the one, Sanders ran off right tackle before Smith grabbed his foot from behind and Hansen finished the play.

Sanders finished with 107 yards in 25 carries, marking his fourth consecutive 100-yard game. It was not enough for the Lions (3-3).

“We held him in check,” said linebacker Chris Spielman, who started his career with the Lions. “He’s going to make great runs. I’ve seen him for eight years, and I know what he can do. I think we did an admirable job.”

Rookie running back Antowain Smith clinched the victory with a 56-yard run after the Bills got the ball back following Detroit’s kickoff.

It marked the second consecutive game Antowain Smith had a big run and Buffalo’s defense came up with a big play in the closing minutes.

Two weeks ago, Smith had a 54-yard run that made the difference in the Bills’ 37-35 victory over Indianapolis in the third-greatest comeback in NFL history.

The Bills (3-2) had a bye last week.