ORCHARD PARK -- Buffalo's season of football futility reached historic depths Sunday during the New York Jets' deceptively close 42-36 win over the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Jets tied the the 26-year-old record for points scored by a Buffalo opponent in a non-strike game played in Orchard Park. Mo Lewis' 15-yard fumble return, New York's second defensive touchdown, with 1:46 left in the third quarter equalled a standard set by the Baltimore Colts during a 42-35 win in 1975. The Indianapolis version of the Colts, filled with picket-line crossers, ran up a 47-6 win during the 1987 player's strike.
Given the ease with which the Jets negotiated Buffalo's defense for the first
three quarters, there's little reason to believe they couldn't have at least
matched the overall record of 49 points Dallas posted at War Memorial Stadium
in 1971. Had they felt any need to do so. New York moved for 329 yards in the
first three quarters, but went into kill-the-clock mode for the final 15
minutes.
For the fourth time in as many games, the Bills run defense caved in. New York's Curtis Martin gained 113 of his 135 yards in the first half, while scoring on runs of 16 and 4 yards.
"We weren't wrapping up like we were supposed to," said Buffalo defensive end Bryce Fisher, who finished with four tackles. "We didn't gang tackle. They got us into open spaces and one-on-ones. We've got to do a better job as a defensive line hustling to help out our secondary so he's not getting a chance to break those tackles."
It didn't help that Buffalo committed five turnovers to New York's zero. The blunder parade started two plays after the Bills recovered an onsides kick on the opening kickoff, when John Abraham stripped Sammy Morris of the ball and Marcus Coleman recovered near midfield.
The Jets moved 49 yards in five plays to the game's first score, with Martin bolting off right tackle for 16 yards and the touchdown.
"We have to go out there as a defense and we have to stop them," said Buffalo linebacker Keith Newman. "If we stop them, then it doesn't matter. But when you let them go down and score seven, we didn't get our job done. We have to shut the door on that opportunity and get the ball back to our offense. Letting them go down and score, that's like a double-shot in the foot."
The Bills kept right on firing. Three plays later, Rob Johnson's deflected pass bounced off Larry Centers' hands and into those of Jets linebacker Marvin Jones, who took it down to Buffalo's 4-yard line. Vinny Testaverde connected with New York fullback Richie Anderson and it was 14-0 just 3:47 into the game.
"Any time you start out a game 14-0, your margin of error shrinks down to nothing," said Centers, who wound up with 12 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, a 6-yard toss from Alex Van Pelt with seven seconds left. "We tried to look at it like that and go out there and play error-free football."
They didn't quite get there. Buffalo cut New York's lead when Johnson hit Eric Moulds down the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown, but a botched snap left the Jets' edge at eight.
On Buffalo's next series, Lewis came free on a blitz and hit Johnson just before he threw. The ball bounced to Abraham, who took it 7 yards for the touchdown.
Johnson's day ended on Buffalo's next offensive play. With his receivers covered, he took off for a 17-yard gain, but as he slid, Lewis applied an e lbow to his upper back. Johnson laid motionless for several minutes before being helped off and was sidelined for the rest of the day with a pinched nerve in his back.
"I thought that's why you dive," Johnson said. "You give yourself up -- you're saying, 'OK, I'm giving myself up for no more yards,' but you're not supposed to get hit. It's just a free shot."
Lewis denied intentionally cheap-shotting Johnson.
"He should be upset about the hit," Lewis said. "He is the quarterback and he's supposed to be protected. When they're outside the pocket, you can't just let them run. I wasn't sure he was going down. As a defensive player, I have to continue to play throughout the entire game."
Van Pelt moved Buffalo to Jake Arians' 28-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but the Jets answered with a nine-play, 80-yard drive to Martin's 4-yard scoring run and a 28-9 lead.
Van Pelt threw touchdown passes of 3 yards to Jay Riemersma late in the second quarter and 70 to Peerless Price a minute into the third, but Buffalo never got any closer.
The Jets stopped the Bills on their next two drives and put it away with two touchdowns in 1:04 late in the third. Testaverde threw 2 yards to a diving Anthony Becht in the end zone and two plays later, Lewis' fumble return sealed it.
Centers also scored on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter, but like his later touchdown reception, that only served to make the game seem closer than it was.
"We're not good enough to play behind five turnovers and we're not good enough to play behind two of those turnovers turning into points on the board," said Bills coach Gregg Williams, who fell to 0-4 in his first season at the helm.
After the upcoming bye week, the Bills return to action Oct. 18 at Jacksonville.