The Buffalo Bills showed signs of life - something they hadn't done since the end of October - but still lost a must-win game in the Meadowlands against the New York Jets, falling 28-24. The team had several shots to win at the end of the game, but each Ryan Fitzpatrick pass into the end zone fell incomplete. That includes a ball intended for Stevie Johnson that the receiver should've brought in.
Fitzpatrick was resurgent in picking apart a Jets defense that flummoxed him three weeks ago. He completed 26-of-39 passes for 264 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. He was, however, sacked three times - including twice by Aaron Maybin - and didn't get much help from the running game despite 34 rushing yards himself.
Buffalo's defense also played better in spots, but still allowed Mark Sanchez to throw for four touchdowns, including the game-winning strike to Santonio Holmes with less than five minutes remaining. That came after Dave Rayner kicked a 53-yard field goal to put the Bills up 24-21 with just under seven minutes left; once the Jets re-took the lead, Johnson's play and the last-second heaves followed.
The Bills have now lost four straight games after their 5-2 start, and now sit at 5-6. The 6-5 Jets have two games in hand. It now appears that the Bills are playing for third in the division, and that it'd take a catastrophic collapse from one of the three AFC North teams for the Bills' faint playoff hopes to remain.