NFL NEWS: The struggling New York Jets have seemingly fallen out of playoff contention as the Buffalo Bills defense and special teams secures them a much needed victory.
On Thursday night, the Buffalo Bills (5-4) had to leave it up to their powerful defense to keep them in the game as they also got some help from their special teams and defeated the New York Jets (5-4), 22-17. It was Buffalo’s head coach Rex Ryan’s return to the Meadowlands after coaching the Jets for six years and his return was triumphant.
Both teams have struggled on offense all season long, according to ABC News. It was left up to two pretty good defenses to decide the game. Both teams are playing with young and inexperienced quarterbacks so both have found it difficult to put points on the board. Ryan has always stressed defense and his Bills defense looked strong all night long. They came up with two key interceptions and made a goal line stand at the end of the game with the Jets threatening to score a touchdown in the final minutes.
Buffalo’s defense came up big as they forced and recovered a kickoff fumble and ran it 19 yards for the score. Buffalo’s rookie receiver, Karlos Williams, had a 26 yard TD catch and the Bills kicker added three field goals to the final score and offensive output.
Buffalo’s defense was critical as the Jets quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was seemingly taking control of the game for the Jets firing for two consecutive touchdown passes. The score stood at 12-3 at the half as it had been all defense. The Jets ran some blitzes early and often to throw off the timing of young Bills quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. The Bills added yet another field goal about halfway through the third quarter, which followed a Taylor TD pass, to make it a 22-3 Bills lead. It looked as if the Bills had the game well in hand.
The Jets, however, were not about to roll over and die. They had trouble all night long keeping the ball and getting some momentum going. The Jets made it 22-10 on an 80 yard scoring drive that sealed it with a Fitzpatrick 14 yard touchdown pass. The Jest gave up the ball on their next possession but quickly got it back.
This allowed Fitzpatrick to, once again, launch a scoring drive that was capped by his second touchdown pass of the night to pull the Jets to within 22-17. The Jets got one last try to win it when the Bills went back to punt deep in their own territory. The punter fumbled the snap and the Jets took over at the Bills 13. The Buffalo defense, however, held on to secure the win.
