Bills turn turnovers into points

Ralph Wilson Stadium - The Bills have been racking up the turnovers in their first five games of the season. That’s one of the big reasons why they’re 4-1 so far.

In their first five games, the Bills defense and special teams have taken the ball away 16-times, with 12 interceptions and four fumble recoveries. That’s a pace they’d like to keep going Sunday in the Meadowlands against the Giants.

But they haven't just taken the ball away. They've scored points after those turnovers. The Bills have 16-turnovers forced, and 13-times after those turnovers, they’ve scored a touchdown or a field goal. It's the recipe for a winning record in the NFL.

"When the ball gets change sides, you gotta make them pay for turning the ball over,” says Bills guard Andy Levitre. “The e biggest thing you can do is score a touchdown, obviously.”

With the NFL changing the kickoff line to the 35-yard line this year, it would seem the importance of takeaways on defense is magnified. Takeaways remain one of the best ways for an offense to start a drive with good field position.

"You have to take advantage of good field position, “ Head Coach Chan Gailey says. “And we've been fortunate to be able to do that. But if you don't take advantage of field position the way the new rules sit, you're in for a long day of driving the football, and trying to get eight, ten, twelve play drives down the field, and that's hard to do in this league.”

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick says the Buffalo offense takes the field with a determination to score after a takeaway by the defense.

“As an offense, you focus on that,” he says. “ When they give you the ball, whether you're on the opponents ten yard line or whether you're backed up on your own ten yard line, when you get a turnover your mentality's got to be to take advantage of it, and score."

"Those are such big plays in the game and they've been so good this year at doing that,” Fitzpatrick continued. “But those are momentum swings and it you get one of those then all of a sudden you don't score, it takes away from it a little bit."

Defensive Tackle Kyle Williams missed another day of practice Thursday with an injured foot. Gailey says Williams will be a game time decision Sunday.