ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Rex Ryan raised eyebrows across Buffalo when he boldly declared last week that the Super Bowl-contending Arizona Cardinals were "exactly" the team the reeling Bills needed to play after an 0-2 start.
Now Ryan will be opening eyes across the country.
The Bills' beleaguered coach and his team made a statement Sunday by defeating the Cardinals, 33-18, in a mostly-dominant defensive performance that cools down Ryan's blazing-hot seat and puts the Bills back on the map.
Was it perfect? No, but the Bills didn't need it to be. They were desperate for a win to help save a season that seemed destined for failure if Buffalo was to drop to 0-3, with a date with the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium next on its schedule.