Two Bills Drive

‘The Jets are a better team than the Bills, but the better team did not win yesterday, and the better team deserved to lose, 23-20, at the bitter end.’

‘Martin, too, was held to a season-low 46 rushing yards on 18 carries (a paltry 2.6-yard average). When Al Groh was asked why the Jets had so much difficulty running the ball, he said, "They (the Bills) beat the blocks. That is what usually stops runs."’

‘The "Team of Destiny" was doing it again. A 10-point deficit had been erased. The stage was set for another flick of the green-and-white magic wand. But someone forgot to pack enough stardust and trick- play potion for this trip to Buffalo. Just when the Jets appeared ready to put the finishing touches on another storybook ending, they ran out of magic. Either that, or Doug Flutie and the Bills hijacked their supply.’

‘"One of the things I believe is turnovers will cause you to lose," Jets coach Al Groh said. "That was confirmed today. Every time one goes on the ground, I feel like it’s a step in that direction. It’s hard to overcome four of those."’

‘Looks as if the Jets didn’t gamble on Laveranues Coles after all. There were plenty of skeptics on draft day who suggested the Jets had wasted a third-round pick on the Florida State receiver, who was suspended last season after a felony arrest for shoplifting at a Florida department store. But Coles hasn’t made an off-field peep during his tenure with the Jets, and his on-field production has steadily increased throughout the first half of the season. With five catches for a career-high 131 yards yesterday, including a 63-yarder that set up a third-quarter touchdown, Coles is quickly blossoming into a go-to receiver after only eight games.’

‘But in spite of yesterday’s 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Jets offered sufficient evidence to indicate that they stand a reasonable chance of playing deep into January.’

‘Scott Frost’s first career start didn’t go according to plan. All that means is the Jets are still searching for the answer at free safety. Frost got the nod at the troublesome position over Kevin Williams, who made pass-coverage mistakes in the last three games. Frost split time with Chris Hayes, who usually stars on special teams but rarely sees action on regular downs. The spotlight was on Frost late in the fourth quarter, when Eric Moulds caught a 52-yard pass from Doug Flutie between Frost and cornerback Marcus Coleman and made it to the Jets’ 1-yard line. The breakdown led to a field goal that gave the Bills a 20-17 lead with 6:14 left. The worst part is that the Jets knew the play was coming and couldn’t stop it.’

‘"There was no letdown whatsoever," coach Al Groh said minutes after Steve Christie’s 34-yard field goal as time expired dropped his Jets to 6-2 and into a three-way tie with the Dolphins and Colts for the AFC East lead. "I thought our effort was excellent. We’re a good team that can play good ball. But we made ourselves an easy mark." Groh was referring to the mistakes the Jets made: four turnovers, three by quarterback Vinny Testaverde in the second quarter that cost the Jets anywhere from 13 to 17 points, and several untimely breakdowns in their still-scrambling secondary that enabled Doug Flutie and company to do just enough to stay ahead in the fourth quarter.’

‘Third-year free safety Scott Frost got his first NFL start Sunday. But what should have been an upbeat occasion was dragged down by the Jets’ 23-20 loss to the Buffalo and by Frost and Marcus Coleman getting beaten on a 52-yard completion from Doug Flutie to Eric Moulds that set up the first of the Bills’ two fourth-quarter field goals.’

‘So the Bills will hit Foxboro at .500 (4-4) Sunday to take on the Patriots (2-6) because Flutie, though he had numerous passes knocked down, did nothing to make them lose while Testaverde had plenty of negatives after his Monday night magic show rallied the Jets from a 30-7 three-quarter pit to beat Miami last week.’

‘The Buffalo Bills figured out the best way to beat the never-say-die New York Jets: Score the winning points with no time left on the clock.’

‘The Bills got no help from anyone else yesterday as Indianapolis beat Detroit and Miami rallied to overtake Green Bay. The Jets, Dolphins and Colts are all 6-2, leaving the 4-4 Bills mired in fourth place in the AFC East. Elsewhere in the AFC, record-wise the Bills still trail Tennessee, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Oakland and Kansas City. Do the math. With six teams eligible for the post-season, the Bills currently rank ninth in the AFC. Imagine where they would be had they squandered another fourth-quarter lead.’

‘As long as there is time on the clock, we don’t get down on ourselves," said Jets running back Curtis Martin. It’s a sentiment shared by Dougie and the Bills. After the Jets tied the game at 17 with 2:20 remaining, Doug Flutie took over at his 27 and guided Buffalo on a drive that culminated with a 34-yard, game-winning field goal by Steve Christie as time expired.’

‘"He just said go out, play loose and bring some of the fun back," linebacker Sam Rogers said yesterday. "It’s not fun when you lose, so he just wanted us to relax a bit, just do our jobs and have faith that everything will take care of itself in the end." When the dust settled on a very entertaining 23-20 Buffalo victory on a glorious fall day at Ralph Wilson Stadium, several Bills started barking in the locker room.’

‘Bills LB Sam Cowart: Another tremendous performance as he further enhanced his case for a Pro Bowl berth with two fumble recoveries and a game-high 11 tackles, none bigger than his stop on Anderson to thwart the Jets last possession. Two plays before that, Cowart was crossed up on a 12-yard pass to Richie Anderson, but he atoned for that mistake in a big way.’