Jets Win Sloppy Affair Over Bumbling Bills

JETS 27
BILLS 20

It was ugly. It was tough to watch at times. Yet, the Jets still found a way to outlast the Buffalo Bills in the Meadowlands, Sunday with Geno Smith playing the starring roll for New York.

For the first time in a very, very, very long time, the Jets can easily say that their quarterback was the difference in them winning the football game, rather than losing it.

Smith had the best day of his season, as the Jets sped up their progressions and had Smith release the ball quicker than he had in his previous two starts. The result: a 300-plus yard afternoon, with two long touchdown passes, and the thoughts of a looming quarterback controversy later in the year was squashed.

Right out of the gate, Smith was torching a suspect Bills secondary. On his first pass of the day, he connected with Stephen Hill on a 45 yard bomb down the right side to put the Jets deep into Bills territory. After moving New York down to the red zone, Smith plowed into the end zone himself for his first rushing touchdown to make it 7-0.

In a lot of ways the Jets got a ton of breaks in this game thanks in part to the Buffalo Bills. After ex-Jet Jim Leonhard picked off Geno Smith to set the Bills up in Jets territory, the Bills blew a chance to get into the end zone, when quarterback E.J. Manuel incorrectly scrambled out of the pocket and into the hands of the Jets. Buffalo was forced to settle for a field goal to make it 7-6.

The Jets quickly responded when Smith connected with Stephen Hill in single coverage down the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown to make it 14-6.

Buffalo would have another chance to get back into the game with the ball inside the Jets 35 yard line, but for whatever reason, Bills coach Doug Marrone decided to go for it on fourth and two instead of kicking a go-ahead field goal. Buffalo failed to convert and the Jets were saved, again.

Fast forward to the third quarter, with New York leading 20-9, and the Jets almost gave the game up. Smith channeled his inner Mark Sanchez when he was picked off by linebacker Earl Gates, who brought the ball back to the Jets 13.

Buffalo looked poised to score a touchdown, but once again both Marrone's play calling and Manuel's play were terrible. Marrone decided to run the ball on 2nd and 6 and got nowhere, setting up a long third down, which Manuel couldn't complete, as he overthrew his receiver. Result: Buffalo settled for another field goal.

Then, the Jets went into self-destruct mode defensively.  The Jets were called for four penalties against the Bills on Buffalo's touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. If the Jets defense didn't give up all of those yards on penalties, the Bills would have never had a chance to score a touchdown.

After the fourth pass interference penalty was called, Manuel had his best throw of the day when he hit his tight end Scott Chandler for a 33-yard touchdown. Manuel then connected with Stevie Johnson on a two-point conversion to tie it.

With the game falling apart, it was Geno Smith who stepped up big. On the Jets third play of their next drive, Smith connected with Santonio Holmes down the sideline, in very tight single coverage. Holmes hauled in the bomb, broke from his defender and dashed into the end zone for the game winning touchdown.

Smith finished with 331 yards passing and two touchdowns. He took the huggies off, and stepped up big when the Jets needed their quarterback to step up big.

Defensively the Jets had both their best day and worst day at the same time. New York harrassed Manuel all day, sacking him eight times with Muhammad Wilkerson recording two sacks. The Jets front seven had a field day putting pressure on the young quarterback, who looked rattled and overwhelmed for the entire game.

However, it was the defense that was mostly responsible for the Jets getting flagged for 20 penalties, the most penalties in a game in Jets franchise history. Obviously Rex Ryan has got to discipline his football team and clean it up. Against a better football team, 20 penalties would have equaled a Jets loss.

Still, New York is a surprising 2-1 on the season, and a game behind both unbeaten Miami (3-0) and New England (3-0). The Jets head off to Tennessee to take on the equally surprising Titans (2-1) next Sunday.