Two Bills Drive

‘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.’

‘The Jets could only blame themselves, committing four turnovers, three of which led to Bills scores. A fumble by Vinny Testaverde at the Bills 10 foiled a scoring bid in the second quarter. Testaverde was intercepted twice, once by Henry Jones, who ran it back 45 yards for a touchdown. “Turnovers will cause you to lose, and that was confirmed today,” Jets coach Al Groh said. “Too many hurdles to overcome.”‘

Taking over on their own 27 with 2:11 to play, the Bills went to work behind Flutie. After picking up an initial first down, Buffalo (4-4) was faced with a 3rd-and-10, but Flutie hit Peerless Price with a 17-yard pass to move the ball to the New York 40.

‘Coming into the season, the Bills faced the NFL’s toughest schedule based on last year’s records. And, in fairness, their four losses – to Minnesota (7-0), Jets (6-1), Miami (5-2) and Indianapolis (5-2) – have been to teams whose combined record is 23-5. Still, realistically, it’s going to take 10 victories to make the playoffs and that means Buffalo must go 7-2 down the stretch … starting today. And even if Buffalo holds serve at home and goes 7-1 at The Ralph, the Bills must also win 3-of-5 on the road.’

‘Nine consultants who help companies pick suitable regions in which to relocate or expand will be guests of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise at today’s game. They’ll be wined-and-dined in a stadium suite, watching their home team as it rides atop the tough AFC East division. Of course, it so happens that regional marketers have also set up meetings with local development officials who dole out incentives to companies. And yes, there will be a few visits to some commercial office parks and industrial sites on Monday, prior to the visitors’ departure. While they’re here, union leaders will meet with at least one of the visitors to highlight labor-management initiatives that have boosted productivity. Talk about a classic carrot-and-stick strategy.’