The Buffalo Bills went into MetLife Stadium on Sunday, where they’ve never won, and managed to turn their fortunes around in a strange football game in which the final result didn’t match up with the final statistics. The Bills beat the New York Jets rather handily, 43-23, yet only managed 280 total yards of offense. In a game that saw Kyle Orton throw only 17 passes, completing only 10, the Bills’ rushing attack must have been dominant, right? No, they only managed 67 yards on the ground. The difference in the contest was the Bills protecting the ball, avoiding turnovers, while the Jets coughed it up 6 times. Orton’s passes were timely, as 4 of his 10 completions went for touchdowns, to four different receivers. He would have had a fifth if star rookie Sammy Watkins hadn’t been caught from behind while celebrating early on a long throw from Orton. Luckily for Sammy, the Bills scored on the drive on a short run by fullback Frank Summers, and Watkins redeemed himself later in the game by grabbing a short pass from Orton, breaking a tackle and blazing 61 yards for a touchdown. Orton also threw scoring tosses to Robert Woods, Lee Smith and Scott Chandler in directing his team to a third win in four starts since taking over the starting reins from EJ Manuel. Buffalo’s defensive effort was superb, as it’s been in most games this year. They chased Jet QB Geno Smith from the game by intercepting three of his passes in the first quarter. Veteran Mike Vick replaced him but he didn’t protect the ball much better, tossing a fourth pick and losing a pair of fumbles.
All in all, the win was a solid team victory for the Bills, with contributions coming from all over the roster. Running backs Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown, pressed into major duty due to the injuries suffered by Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, didn’t break any long runs but gained just enough yardage on the ground to keep the defense honest and allow Orton to succeed. On defense, the front four recorded 4 sacks and pressured both Smith and Vick into hurried throws all day. The D-line depth showed also, as backups Corbin Bryant and Jarius Wynn got 2 of the sacks, and Stefan Charles had a fumble recovery. The linebackers had a good day, especially rookie Preston Brown, who had 9 tackles and an interception. Stephon Gilmore, Aaron Williams and Da’Norris Searcy also had picks, setting up the offense with good field position all day, which accounts for the Bills racking up a season-high 43 points with such a small total yardage amount. LB Nigel Bradham had a rough day, being called for numerous costly penalties, but he also was a positive contributor, with 11 tackles and a forced fumble. The Bills now go into their bye week with a 5-3 won/loss record and some valuable momentum.