Archives for November 13, 2015

'“The game was a slugfest … it felt like playoff intensity, both teams fighting for their lives to get in,” Ryan said. “Obviously it’s been a long time since the Jets made it and a long time since we made it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the last week (Jan. 3 at “The Ralph”) decides who goes.”'

'Buffalo’s first touchdown was also the team’s initial special teams TD of the season. Jets kickoff returner, rookie Devin Smith, fumbled on a kickoff return when hit by Bacarri Rambo and fellow safety Duke Williams picked up the loose ball and returned it 19 yards for a score.'

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'“The coaches did a tremendous job,” Rambo said. “They came up with a tremendous scheme. They knew these guys like the back of their hands. They knew what was coming, and they put us in the right position to make plays.”'

'If the game turned ugly, it’s because the Bills made it that way. They had another strong running game, piling up 148 yards against the No. 1-rated defense in the NFL, and harassed Ryan Fitzpatrick into one of the weak performances that were commonplace against Ryan’s defense when he was the Bills’ QB.'

'“He’ll do whatever it takes to come back healthy and 100 percent,” Rambo said. “We have players. Our back-ups could start on different teams and that’s the beauty of this defense.”'

'The Bills were only penalized five times for 44 yards. That qualifies as a minor miracle for a team that entered the game leading the NFL with 85 penalties and that routinely draws flags in the double digits, such as the 13 it had last Sunday.'

'Holy rods and cones, those were some gaudy uniforms the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets wore Thursday night. I swear I actually could see a gloaming well past midnight in the easterly skies.'

'Credit the Bills’ offensive coordinator for sticking with the run and coming up with some plays to the edge of the mighty Jets run defense that worked. Buffalo finished with 33 rushes for 148 yards against Rodgers’ No. 1-ranked run defense in the NFL.'

'Despite that, this was a situation where punting it away felt right. The opposing quarterback was Ryan Fitzpatrick, after all. The Bills’ defense should have been trusted to put the game away, especially considering the Jets didn’t have any timeouts.'

'Rex Ryan said he might feel certain emotions after the game and, boy, he wasn’t kidding. He admitted this win was satisfying, comparing the Jets firing him to getting dumped by a hot girlfriend. So there he was on the sideline chucking his headset, screaming “(bleep)-yeah! (Bleep)-yeah!” when the win was sealed.'

'"We beat a hell of a football team, a very talented football team," Ryan said after his triumphant return to the place where he was the head coach the previous six years. "We just had to keep fighting and that's we did as a team, so I'm extremely proud of my team, and it took every man."'

'New York loved Ryan’s act, but now can’t stand him. The New York Post ran a headline Thursday with a large photo on its front page of a grinning Ryan that read “Wipe that smile off his face.’’'

'Running back LeSean McCoy. Finally 100 percent healthy, the former NFL rushing champ with Philadelphia is rounding into form. He had 112 yards rushing on 19 carries, including 32 on four attempts on Buffalo’s critical final drive when it needed to kill clock, and it all came against New York’s No. 1-ranked run defense. He also caught five passes for 47 yards. He’s the first Bills player with three consecutive games of at least 100 yards from scrimmage since C.J. Spiller in 2012.'

'As they say, a win is a win, so it would be hard for me to take anything away from the Bills. Sure, they almost turned what looked like a sure victory into a season-crushing defeat, but in the end, they made just enough plays on defense to avoid that fate to win the Rex Bowl. OK everyone, breathe.'