Matt Forte notched his first touchdown with the Jets on a 1-yard run that put NY ahead 13-7 early in the second quarter. And the result was a 37-31 win that changed the narrative, both for Fitzpatrick and the Jets in this young National Football League season.
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The Jets (1-1) bounced back from a season-opening loss to Cincinnati and snapped a five-game skid against their AFC East rivals.
Fitzpatrick finished 24-of-24 for 374 yards and a touchdown. Erased were the memories of the Jets’ two games previous year against the Bills, both 22-17 Buffalo victories.
Fitzpatrick was impressed by how the Jets didn’t let down once they fell behind.
The Bills’ defence did a good job of controlling Ryan Fitzpatrick and co for stretches in the game. “Just how resilient we are as a team”. A 37-31 loss to the Jets dropped Buffalo to 0-2, which has proven a historically ominous record.
“Obviously, we never expected this”, Ryan said. “The Jets were a much better team than we were, especially their offense against our defense”.
After falling flat Sunday against the Ravens, the Bills offense erupted for 393 total yards, but it was the Bills defense, namely the secondary, that came up short.
It gets no easier for the 0-2 Bills next week or the next, with the Cardinals and Patriots on the docket.
Bills QB Tyrod Taylor had three TD passes as part of his 297 yards. Jets scored on four straight possessions to go up 20-7 with 3:53 left in the 2nd quarter. With that score, the Bills closed the lead to 20-17. After Salas scored, Bills safety Nickell Robey-Coleman returned Jalin Marshall’s fumble 36 yards for a touchdown on the Jets next possession.
Last week the Bengals picked on former All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis as A.J. Green racked up a massive game.
I can’t remember ever hearing of Marquise Goodwin, and I’m not sure if Revis had either, but the best Jet of all time surely has the receiver’s surname burned into his brain after seeing it blaze past him on the back of a jersey. Goodwin burst past Revis up the right sideline at midfield and had two steps on him when he caught Tyrod Taylor’s pass in stride at the Jets 35 and ran it in.
The Jets were not to pull away until after Sheldon Richardson stuffed LeSean McCoy on a fourth-and-one at the Jets’ 45-yard line.
The Bills also failed to convert on 4th and 1 in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over on downs.
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Fitzpatrick admitted it “was very scary” to see Marshall leave early in the second quarter with a knee injury. Marshall immediately grabbed his knee and lay on the field for a few minutes before getting up on his own. Watkins caught just two passes for 20 receiving yards and is clearly still struggling with an injury. He finished the game with six catches for 101 yards on the injured leg. Somehow though, the receiver managed to return to the game with what coach Todd Bowles explained as a slight knee sprain. WR Quincy Enunwa continued playing despite sore ribs. With 1:17 left in the game. “I thought I’d be fishing in my backyard in Florida”.
