Two Bills Drive

‘”When our punt-return team knows he’s going to catch the ball, [they] do a little extra for him to cut him loose,” coach Herm Edwards said. “He can make people miss in space.”‘

‘”It’s just one win,” cornerback Ray Mickens stressed, “but today we played the way we see ourselves. We know we’re not a bad team. We know it.”‘

‘On Becht’s second touchdown, the 18-yarder, the Jets made a halftime adjustment on the play that was called. Basically, they turned the protection in the other direction – something the Bills might not have seen them do before. Becht got open against safety Lawyer Milloy with help from fullback Jerald Sowell, who ran an underneath clearout route.’

‘One number says it all: 53. Incredibly, that’s the number of rushing yards the Jets allowed after giving up an average of 174 in the first four games, which was last in the NFL.’

‘Who is a worse center than Buffalo’s Trey Teague?’

‘The Jets played one of their most spirited halves of the season in the first 30 minutes, holding Buffalo to just 112 net yards, and just 35 yards rushing. Buffalo was 2-of-9 on third-down conversions in the first two quarters.’

‘”We knew Bledsoe would stay in the pocket,” Ellis said. “He’s very brave, so he just stays in there — he’ll hold the ball, try to get the ball downfield. We were able to get some heat on him.”‘

‘The three TDs were the most Testaverde has had in a game since he threw five scoring passes in that memorable Monday night victory over the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 23, 2000. He was modest — even sheepish — about the three TDs.’

‘The Jets simplified their running game and it resulted in a season-high 118 yards. It should be noted that Buffalo entered the game allowing 120 yards rushing per game.’

‘Dumbest play: The Bills were stuffed on a fourth-and-one from the Jets’ 34-yard line trailing 3-0 in the first quarter. MLB Marvin Jones stopped the play for a minus-1. A field goal would’ve tied the score and given Buffalo some confidence. The kick would’ve been from 51 yards out but K Rian Lindell has the leg, had perfect conditions and the field-goal friendly FieldTurf.’

‘”We played the way we’re capable of playing today,” Cottrell said. “That was it, in a nutshell.”‘

‘The Jets ran for a season-high 118 yards, and their 71 yards in the first half were more than they’d gained on the ground in any single game this season. It was due in part to the running game that a team that had scored just one touchdown in eight tries inside the red zone scored three touchdowns once it got inside the Bills 20.’

‘Whether it was the loss of Abraham, the desperation born from an 0-4 start or simply a case of fortuitous timing, the emergence of the Jets’ defense couldn’t have come at a better time.’

‘Thumbs down: The Buffalo offense, playing without injured deep threat Eric Moulds, caved. The Bills gained only 193 yards. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride insists that the team can win by relying mainly on the pass. Buffalo tried only 19 runs, gaining 53 yards, and only four in a second half they began while trailing only 13-3.’