Not surprisingly, Bills’ Head Coach Rex Ryan has been anxiously awaiting this moment.
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Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus takes the field prior to the Bills’ NFL football game against the NY Jets, Thursday, November 12, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Dan Carpenter matched Bullock’s efforts with 5:47 remaining in the second to tie the game, but that was quickly followed by Duke Williams’ 19-yard scoop and score of Jets special teamer Devin Smith on the ensuing kickoff return to give Buffalo a 9-3 lead. The Bills enter 4-4, while the Jets are 5-3.
On the field the Bills came into this season with a few pretty high expectations but they haven’t exactly lived up to them yet. Buffalo is barely better at sacking the quarterback on blitzes, converting just 5.1% of the time. Not a former player, but he took a swipe at Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard. However, when you combine all of the external factors – Ryan making his return to MetLife Stadium, the shortened week of practice and recovery time, and the rivalry that exists between these two teams – you have a game that could go in several directions. Simply because Enemkapli was a member of the Jets until August when, in the training camp locker room, he punched quarterback Geno Smith in the face, breaking Smith’s jaw.
Hardly a wallflower, Ryan, wearing a red vest, nearly was lost on the sideline among his players in their garish scarlet uniforms. And the fans seemed to forget about him once the action began.
Bowles will be under heat due to his decision to pass up two different field-goal opportunities in the fourth quarter, attempting and failing to convert a fourth down on each try. It was the safety’s first career fumble recovery and his second career forced fumble.
Prior to the year, we all had assumed that’d be the Bills’ formula: great defense and capable, albeit average, offense. The Jets corners are like nothing Taylor has faced and a healthy Fitzpatrick makes all the difference for NY, regardless of how ugly Ryan thinks he is. For the Bills to be effective offensively they need to establish their rushing attack, which now ranks second in the league, and get running backs McCoy and Karlos Williams rolling early.
The Jets finally held onto the ball long enough to get something going, an 80-yard drive capped by Marshall’s 14-yard scoring catch to make it 22-10. Fitzpatrick suffered an injury to his non-throwing hand, but will be on the field as he is New York’s only reputable option at quarterback.
Turnovers then bit the Jets. They scored answering touchdowns on Ryan Fitzpatrick passes to Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. You move on, and every now and then, they call you back. So now we can say that the Ryan storyline was peripheral. Bills LB Nigel Bradham left in the third quarter with a cut on his nose after his helmet flew off while tackling Ivory, but soon returned…. He finished with 19 carries for 112 yards.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick’s final line on the day was 15/34 for 193 yards, with two interceptions, two touchdowns, and 57.6 QBR.
