Ex-Raiders WR Andre Holmes breaks out in Bills’ victory

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andre Holmes didn’t share a whole lot with his teammates about how important Sunday’s game against his former team was to him.

He didn’t have to say a word.

Holmes played a major role in Buffalo’s 34-14 victory at New Era Field over a Raiders team that allowed him to be signed away as a free agent in January after four seasons in Oakland.

“You could look into his eyes and see it during the pregame that Andre was definitely pumped for this one,” Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor said after connecting with Holmes on three passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. “Of course he wants to go out and show those coaches and also the players he played with last year and the previous years that he can come out and continue to keep competing at such a high level.”

Holmes acknowledged the game meant a little more to him after spending so much time with the Raiders. He had just eight catches for 46 yards and two touchdowns despite playing in all six games, including two starts, entering Sunday.

“When the schedule came out and I saw we were playing Oakland, I had it circled on my calendar,” Holmes said. “I was excited to compete against them because so many of them are like family to me. I spent four years there, so it felt good to be able to play well and get a win.

The touchdown came on a play where Holmes worked along the back of the end zone before taking a pass from Taylor.

Running back LeSean McCoy was the first option on the play, but Holmes said as the offense broke huddle he thought he’d be able to find an opening in that area if Taylor needed another place to look.

It worked out.

Holmes had a 9-yard catch on third-and-2 earlier in the possession to keep the drive going. He also got free down the right sideline for a 36-yard gain on third-and-13 late in the third quarter, leading to a Taylor rushing score that extended the lead to 27-7.

“I had a little bit of a chip (on my shoulder), but at the same time it’s a business,” said Holmes, who called his departure from the Raiders a mutual decision. “It wasn’t much of a chip, but when you’re playing a team you spent a lot of time with, you can make a chip. That’s kind of what I did.”

Taylor believes Holmes and others, including himself, have found a home with the Bills because they have been cast off from other teams for whatever reason.

“This team has a bunch of free agents and a bunch of people that weren’t necessarily drafted to this organization,” he said. “So in a sense it’s kind of a team built around guys that have maybe been turned down in other places for whatever reason so you have an opportunity to prove those organizations wrong and he did that today.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.