Matt Forte scored three touchdowns and Ryan Fitzpatrick finally solved Rex Ryan’s defense, leading the New York Jets over the Buffalo Bills 37-31 in the NFL Thursday.
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The Bills opened up with a putrid 160 yards on offense in the opener at Baltimore.
This isn’t the earliest the Bills have fired an offensive coordinator.
Roman was in his second season as coordinator, and was hired by Rex Ryan when he took over the team in January 2015.
Erased were the memories of the Jets’ two games previous year against the Bills, both 22-17 Buffalo victories. Enough is enough. If Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick can light up the Bills defense on the road on a short week, then Ravens offense has no excuse to struggle like it did after having all offseason to prepare for the Bills defense. He bounced back after combining for four TDs and five interceptions – including three in the season finale – in two games against Buffalo, his former team, last year.
“I think the biggest thing for me, even going into the game, I just wanted to think less”, Fitzpatrick told the New York Daily News. The only bright side was safety Nickell Robey-Coleman returning Jalin Marshall’s fumble 36 yards for a touchdown to briefly put the Bills ahead 24-20.
Adding in Salas’ 71-yard TD catch and Taylor became Buffalo’s fifth quarterback to throw two 70-plus yard touchdown passes in the same game, and first since J.P. Losman did it in 2006.
“Obviously, we never expected this”, Ryan said. “We’ve got to get better, so we’ve got to look at the tape and realize it starts with us”.
Jets receiver Brandon Marshall proved to be a quick healer. “I know I have to step up and make those plays, so I’ll do that”. It appeared as if he sustained a serious injury when his left knee twisted beneath him while cornerback Stephon Gilmore brought him down by the facemask in the second quarter. The catch helped set up Decker’s 5-yard touchdown catch that put the Jets up 20-7.
Goodwin’s touchdown was the longest by a Buffalo player in a home game.
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Fitzpatrick finished 24-of-24 for 374 yards and a touchdown.
