McKelvin's kickoff return touchdown helps Bills down Steelers 24-21

TORONTO - As debuts go, the Bills Toronto Series opened to mixed reviews Thursday night

Rookie Leodis McKelvin's kickoff return TD provided the fireworks and led the Buffalo Bills to an exciting 24-21 exhibition win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But it came before an announced Rogers Centre crowd of 48,434 - more than 5,000 short of capacity for football.

And both Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Buffalo receiver Lee Evans expressed concerns afterwards, although that didn't stop them from praising the fans.

Roethlisberger wasn't impressed with the stadium's artificial playing surface.

"The turf leaves a lot to be desired," the Steelers star said. "But to be up here with the fans has been awesome.

"The fans have been awesome."

Evans had a problem with the pre-game introductions.

"When they introduced me they said No. 83 from LSU," he said. "I need to set the record straight with that so that wasn't good, it's Wisconsin.

"Other than that, the atmosphere was great, I think they did a great job. The turf was OK, they certainly have some spots that you get clinked up a little bit but things were fine and it was a very good atmosphere and the fans were great."

However, the attendance has to be deemed a disappointment considering event organizers are paying the Bills an average of $9.75 million per game to showcase the NFL in Canada's largest city and prove it can be home to a full-time franchise. Steep ticket prices, ranging from $75 to $575, certainly didn't help as hours before the game scalpers were having trouble unloading high-end tickets for substantially less than half price.

One scalper, who would only give his first name as Fred, had 20 tickets fanned out like a deck of playing cards, including many of the high-end $575 tickets that he was willing to unload for $200. Trouble was, he wasn't finding many takers.

"Not so good," he said when asked how business was going. "It's an exhibition game and in Buffalo these are $60 tickets and they want $500 for them here.

"I'd definitely be selling more tickets if I was at a (hockey) arena."

And prior to the game, a small group of diehard Canadian football fans staged a quiet protest outside a tailgate party that was rocking down the street on Blue Jays Way.

Buffalo will play an exhibition game and regular-season contest in 2008, 2010 and 2012 as well as regular-season contests in 2009 and 2011 in Toronto. The Bills will "host" arch-rival Miami on Dec. 7 at Rogers Centre, making them the first NFL team to play annual regular-season games outside of the U.S.

Fans in attendance Thursday were certainly treated to an entertaining game, with the five-foot-10, 184-pound McKelvin - Buffalo's 2008 first-round pick - providing its biggest play. McKelvin returned a kickoff 95 yards for the touchdown at 13:22 of the third, just after rookie Rashard Mendenhall's six-yard run at 13:09 to cut Buffalo's lead to 17-14.

Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, a dismal 1-of-5 passing for 18 yards in last week's 17-14 exhibition loss to Washington, was a stellar 9-of-11 passing for 104 yards and two touchdowns in staking Buffalo to a 14-7 half-time lead.

Roethlisberger was also 9-of-11 passing for 142 yards with a touchdown and interception that set up Buffalo's opening touchdown. Backup Dennis Dixon nearly rallied the Steelers to the comeback win. His 47-yard at 10:29 of the fourth to cut Buffalo's lead to 24-21, then his Hail Mary pass on the game's final play went off the hands of Pittsburgh receiver Micah Rucker in the end zone.

Bills tight end Robert Royal, who had two touchdowns, said despite playing before less than a full house, he was pleased with the game's atmosphere.

"It (atmosphere) was a little different because it is kind of a home game for us but is so close to Pittsburgh that a lot of Pittsburgh fans drove to the game," he said. "Overall, I think it's a pretty good atmosphere.

"I think it's going to do well for the NFL."

Teammate Donte Whitner was more tempered with his comments.

"We have to get the crowd a little bit more into it and it happens with time," he said. "When the regular season comes it's going to be different because the first team will be out there for the whole game.

"We're looking forward to it."

Edwards admitted afterwards the game didn't have the feel of a Bills home contest.

"I was thinking about that when I was walking in," he said. "We took a three-hour bus ride to get up here so we're not usually used to that for a home game.

"We're in the home jerseys but you're not used to just the area of the stadium. It's not Ralph Wilson Stadium, it's not the same situation. But overall, I thought everything in terms of hospitality was well done and I look forward to coming back up here in December."

Buffalo's Rian Lindell added three converts and a field goal.

Santana Holmes had Pittsburgh's other touchdown. Jeff Reed booted the converts.

Unfortunately with the threat of rain in the forecast, the Rogers Centre roof was closed, creating very muggy conditions. There were no corporate logos on the artificial turf - just the Bills crest at centre field - but what was most noticeable was the 10-yard end zones on an NFL field compared to the 20-yard end zones in Canadian football.

There was also a lack of signs at Rogers Centre. At the Bills' home field in Orchard Park, N.Y., the stadium is plastered with posters and fan signage on game day. The only noticeable banners were those placed over the windows of the Renaissance hotel rooms that overlook the field as well as the windows of the Hard Rock Cafe. Patrons of both establishments are free to watch Toronto Argonauts games.

Predictably, there were many fans wearing Bills and Steelers jerseys, with many Pittsburgh fans at times wildly waving their traditional gold towels.

The Bills and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have continually maintained the Toronto series is part of Buffalo's regionalization strategy to help keep it in western New York and Buffalo. However, many football pundits on both sides of the border believe it's the first step in the Buffalo club relocating to Toronto, which many feel would not only kill the CFL's Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats but also deliver a crippling blow to the Canadian league.

There was definitely a buzz in the air during the opening introductions as the Steelers received a bigger ovation than the Bills, who received a smattering of boos. And fans could be heard singing O Canada prior to the kickoff, which was a source of pride for sophomore Buffalo defensive end Corey Mace, a native of Port Moody, B.C.

"It was definitely a great thing to see all the Canadians singing O Canada," he said. "Usually I sing to myself . . . but I got the chance to sing it proud and everyone joined in.

"They (Bills teammates) are definitely going to have to learn it."

Early on, the atmosphere wasn't much different than that of an Argonauts game when the CFL club draws over 30,000 fans. But in the fourth quarter, long after the starters had left, the fans seemed to get more boisterous and louder in their support for both teams.

Still, it definitely paled in comparison to the rabid support the Bills receive at Ralph Wilson Stadium. During the first half, Bills players were waving their arms asking the crowd to make noise, and the spectators were very slow to respond. That's definitely not the case at Ralph Wilson Stadium, where even during exhibition games fans don't have to be asked to come to their feet on third down.

"The fans were good," said Bills head coach Dick Jauron. "They got loud when we let them get loud and that's usually the way it works.

"You have to give them something to cheer about. Luckily we did that early."

Notes: There was Canadian content on both teams as the Steelers had punter Mitch Berger of Kamloops, B.C., a 12-year NFL veteran, on its roster after signing him earlier this week. He played with Arizona last year . . . The game was Pittsburgh's first in Ontario since beating the Toronto Argonauts 43-16 in an exhibition game Aug. 3, 1960.