Peppers, Panthers' defense stymies Bills 9-3

Julius Peppers has played 17 seasons in the NFL for pretty good defensive teams.

But he said none compares to this year's Carolina Panthers.

"This is the best one I have ever played on," Peppers said emphatically Sunday.

Carolina's defense allowed only three points for the second straight week, and Graham Gano converted three field goals as the Panthers held on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 9-3 to remain unbeaten.

The Panthers (2-0) held Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy in check all day, limiting the Bills (1-1) to 176 yards and 10 first downs. McCoy had 9 yards on 12 carries and Taylor had 125 yards passing. The Panthers had three sacks, two by Peppers in his first home game since re-signing with them.

"I have all of the confidence and trust and belief in these guys," said Peppers, who has 146 career sacks. "We all play for one another. I feel like the sky is the limit."

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Peppers was simply awesome and is turning out to be a great fit in Carolina with three sacks in two games.

"He has found a niche with the way we rotate these guys to keep them fresh," Rivera said.

With Carolina's offense struggling to move the ball and tight end Greg Olsen out with a broken right foot, the Panthers didn't put the game away until 9 seconds remained when Taylor's fourth-and-11 pass sailed off diving rookie Zay Jones' fingertips.

"It was a great call by our coaching staff and a good throw by Tyrod," Jones said. "I just didn't make the play to help my team win this game."

The Panthers beat San Francisco 23-3 in Week 1.

"We'll take three points a week - that's a good showing for us," Peppers said.

Cam Newton was 20 of 32 for 228 yards but was sacked six times by Sean McDermott's defense and overthrew an open Christian McCaffrey at the goal line with less than three minutes remaining that could have sealed the victory. McDermott was Panthers defensive coordinator for the previous six seasons before taking over as head coach of the Bills earlier this year.

"We knew the skill set of Cam Newton coming in," McDermott said. "Our staff did a phenomenal job (with a game plan), and I just helped. We pressured him and confused him a little."

Newton, who twisted his ankle in the third quarter but stayed in the game, said he can't afford to "miss layups."

It was the second straight week he overthrew an open receiver in the end zone.

"I'm disappointed in myself but happy for the overall team just to see how we battled to win a football game," Newton said. "It wasn't pretty at all. But anytime you can get a win in this league, you take it and run with it. But I know I have to be better."

Said coach Ron Rivera: "It is tough to win in this league when all you do is kick field goals. But you have to give the Bills credit because they played hard."

REPLACING OLSEN: The Panthers' offense now will have to find a way to fill in for Olsen, who is coming off three straight 1,000-yard seasons. Olsen injured his foot in the first half. He will see Dr. Robert Anderson on Monday, but said he expects to be out a while.

McCOY A NON-FACTOR: McCoy has reached the 3,000 yards receiving mark for his career. He is the fourth active running back to achieve the feat, joining Darren Sproles, Matt Forte and Frank Gore.

McCoy had 34 yards receiving on six catches but couldn't break loose for any big gains.

"I'll give them credit, their team, their defense," McCoy said. "We just didn't get it done. I didn't get it done."

GETTING HIS KICKS: Gano was locked in a kicking battle in the preseason, but is 6 for 6 on field goal attempts so far this season.

"I'm feeling pretty good," Gano said. "Just trying to chop away."

TAYLOR MOVES UP: With his 9-yard completion on the opening drive, Taylor moved into seventh place on the team's all-time passing yards list, passing Dennis Shaw (6,286). Taylor now has 6,291 passing yards.

INJURIES

Bills OT Cordy Glenn injured his ankle and did not return. Bills DT Marcell Dareus left the game briefly with an ankle injury but did return.

Olsen left in the second quarter. Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin left after taking a brutal hit to his left shoulder in the end zone from Bills FS Jordan Poyer, but did return. Two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil developed a kink in his neck before the game and didn't play. He was replaced by Tyler Larsen.

UP NEXT

Bills: Host Denver next Sunday.

Panthers: Host New Orleans next Sunday.

Bills open McDermott's coaching era with 21-12 win over Jets

 Tyrod Taylor threw two touchdown passes and the new-look Bills beat the New York Jets 21-12 on Sunday in Sean McDermott's debut as Buffalo's coach.

Mike Tolbert also scored on a 1-yard run , while Buffalo's defense had three interceptions, including linebacker Ramon Humber picking off Josh McCown's pass to thwart a 2-point conversion in the third quarter.

Safety Micah Hyde, a free agent offseason addition, sealed the victory by intercepting McCown at Buffalo's 41 to end the Jets' final series.

Taylor was 16 of 28 for 224 yards and an interception.

The Bills never trailed after opening the scoring on Taylor's 1-yard touchdown pass to Charles Clay 3 1/2 minutes into the second quarter.

The victory came in McDermott's first game since the former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator took over in January after Rex Ryan was fired in the final week of last season.

The Jets looked much like a team in the midst of a makeover after making numerous offseason moves to purge talent.

McCown went 26 of 39 for 187 yards. The 38-year-old quarterback opened his 15th NFL season by extending his personal losing streak to eight games dating to Oct. 11, 2015, when he led Cleveland to a 33-30 win over Baltimore. McCown is now 1-17 in his last 18 starts.

McCown scored New York's lone touchdown on a 1-yard run to briefly cut Buffalo's lead to 14-12 with two minutes left in the third quarter.

The Bills responded on their next possession with a nine-play 80-yard drive capped by Tolbert's touchdown.

Buffalo negated the Jets' strength by limiting New York's running back tandem of Matt Forte and Bilal Powell to a combined 38 yards rushing.

Jordan Poyer also intercepted a pass from McCown by ripping it out of the hands of receiver Robby Andersonat Buffalo's 22 with 6:33 left.

The game was sloppy at times and a reflection of two AFC East teams opening with lowered expectations and coming off major offseason overhauls.

Buffalo squandered two scoring opportunities in the first half. Taylor's pass to Charles Clay in the end zone glanced off the tight end's hands and was intercepted by Juston Burris. The cornerback returned it 48 yards, and went down when he bumped into his teammate. Burris then fumbled, but was ruled down by contact, as he had a knee down when hit from behind by Bills center Eric Wood.

Newly acquired kicker Stephen Hauschka also missed a 46-yard attempt wide left.

The Jets, meanwhile, managed just four first downs and 85 yards offense in the first half in settling for a pair of field goals by Chandler Catanzaro, including a 52-yarder.

INACTIVES

Jets: Jeremy Kerley will have to wait to mark his return with New York. Kerley re-signed with the Jets on Tuesday after being cut by the San Francisco 49ers. With QB Bryce Petty still nursing a knee injury, Christian Hackenberg served as the backup.

Bills: Backup DE Jerel Worthy did not play as he is still recovering from a concussion sustained in Buffalo's preseason finale.

DEBUTS

Jets: WR Jermaine Kearse, acquired in a deal that sent DL Sheldon Richardson to Seattle 10 days ago, had seven catches for 59 yards. Waiver-claim addition Kony Ealy knocked away two passes.

Bills: WR Jordan Matthews, acquired in a trade that sent CB Ronald Darby to Philadelphia last month, had two receptions for a team-best 61 yards.

INJURIES

Jets: TE Eric Tomlinson did not return after hurting an elbow in the second quarter.

Bills: CB E.J. Gaines did not return after hurting his left shoulder while assisting Lorenzo White in tackling Bilal Powell on an 11-yard run midway through the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Jets: At Oakland on Sept. 17.

Bills: At Carolina on Sept. 17.

Ajayi rushes for 214 yards to help Miami beat Bills 28-25

As the NFL's newest rushing star, Jay Ajayi is carrying the Miami Dolphins toward respectability.

Ajayi tied a league record by surpassing 200 yards rushing for the second game in a row, helping Miami rally past the Buffalo Bills 28-25 Sunday.

Ajayi rushed for 214 yards in 29 carries after totaling 204 yards a week earlier in a win over Pittsburgh. He scored on a 4-yard run , and busted a 53-yarder when the Dolphins were pinned at their 3 and trailing in the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins (3-4) used an extra lineman much of the time to clear big holes for Ajayi, who tied the record for consecutive 200-yard games held by O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams.

"It's surreal to me," Ajayi said. "The backs I'm in company with - that's huge. Those are Hall of Fame guys, guys I look up to."

Two weeks ago the Dolphins appeared strong contenders for the No. 1 draft pick in 2017, and the discovery of a ground game has revived their season under first-year coach Adam Gase.

"I know this - every time No. 23 kept getting the ball, he was popping a run," Gase said. "I was leaning on him."

Miami overcame an 11-point deficit with 16 minutes left to end a four-game winning streak by the Bills (4-3) and beat them for only the second time in their past seven meetings.

"We got outplayed, we got outcoached, we got out-everythinged," Buffalo coach Rex Ryan said. "They were the more physical team today, there's no doubt about that. They controlled the game."

With Ajayi briefly sidelined by cramps, Damien Williams carried half the Bills' weary defense into the end zone on a 12-yard touchdown run that put the Dolphins ahead with 3:56 to go. On their next possession, Ryan Tannehill hit Kenny Stills for a 66-yard score that made it 28-17.

The Dolphins recovered an onside kick with 13 seconds left to seal the victory.

Tyrod Taylor threw long to Marquise Goodwin for a 67-yard touchdown that put the Bills up 17-6 midway through the third quarter. The Dolphins responded with a 75-yard drive for their first touchdown, and scored 22 points in the final 15:18.

EMERGING STAR: Ajayi, a second-year pro from Boise State, is the only NFL rusher with a 200-yard game this year. He ran for 187 yards as a rookie and totaled 117 in Miami's first five games this year before his breakout.

"The kid made some good runs, ran through some tackles," Ryan said. "He did a great job bouncing and cutting it back."

GIMPY McCOY: While Miami's ground game clicked, Bills running back LeSean McCoy left in the third quarter after he aggravated a left hamstring injury.

McCoy, ranked second in the NFL in rushing, had been questionable after hurting himself in practice Wednesday. He said he felt great in warmups and started the game, but the injury began to bother him in the second half.

"I tried to take off and felt a little pain, and it just didn't feel right," McCoy said. "I came out, that's the smart thing. I didn't want to reinjure anything."

McCoy totaled 11 yards in eight carries.

ILLEGAL HIT: Bills safety Aaron Williams missed the second half with a head and neck injury when blocked illegally by receiver Jarvis Landry, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

Landry led with his shoulder, launched into Williams and hit him high. Williams remained on his back for a couple of minutes before he slowly rose and was led to the locker room.

When asked if the hit was dirty, Landry said, "Call it what you want. It's football."

Williams was still under observation after the game, Ryan said. The veteran safety missed most of last season when he underwent neck surgery following an injury that threatened his career.

EDGE IN STATS: The Dolphins outgained Buffalo 454 yards to 267 and had a 14-minute edge in time of possession, but were hurt by 13 penalties for 116 yards.

NOTES: Goodwin was hurt on an incompletion late in the game and went into the concussion protocol. Dolphins S Isa Abdul-Quddus suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. ... The Bills' Lorenzo Alexanderhad a sack for the seventh game in a row. ... Bills LB Shaq Lawson, their first-round draft pick, made his NFL debut after recovering from shoulder surgery and had one tackle in limited action.

McCoy scores 3 TDs in Bills 45-16 win over 49ers

Guard Richie Incognito knewLeSean McCoy's right knee was fine when the Bills running back was already gabbing in Buffalo's locker room during halftime.

"As long as Shady's talking, he's fine," Incognito said.

If knocking knees with 49ers linebacker Nick Bellore late in the first half couldn't slow down the player nicknamed, "Shady," what chance did the 49ers porous run defense have?

McCoy had 140 yards rushing and matched a career high by scoring three times, and the Bills extended their winning streak to four with a 45-16 victory over San Francisco and new starter Colin Kaepernick Sunday.

Buffalo fans greeted Kaepernick roughly for his leadership among athletes protesting during the national anthem. They booed him loudly, sold anti-Kaepernick T-shirts and roughed up a dummy wearing his jersey.

Kaepernick finished 13 of 29 for 187 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith. But San Francisco (1-5) couldn't finish drives, settling for three field goals by Phil Dawson, in losing its fifth straight game.

"I thought he was OK," coach Chip Kelly said of Kaepernick, whom he promoted over Blaine Gabbert following a 33-21 loss to Arizona. "But overall, offensively as a group, we need to run the ball better and we need to be better at the passing game."

Kelly wouldn't commit to who will start next week against Tampa Bay.

"Yeah, we'll see," he said.

Tyrod Taylor threw two touchdown passes in helping Buffalo win four straight for the first time since the start of the 2008 season.

The 49ers allowed 312 yards rushing - Buffalo's best outing since 1992. The defense has allowed 981 yards on the ground in its past five games.

The Bills blew the game open by scoring 21 points over a span of 7:02 straddling the third and fourth quarters.

Taylor completed a 30-yard pass to Justin Hunter . Then the 49ers were stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-1 at Buffalo's 40.

After McCoy put the Bills up 31-16 with 10:53 left in the fourth quarter, the Bills got the ball back on afterKeshawn Martin fumbled the kickoff.

Two plays later, Taylor hit Robert Woods for a 5-yard touchdown pass.

McCoy scored twice on 18-yard runs and another on a 4-yard scamper in his second meeting against Kelly. McCoy expressed bitter feelings toward Kelly for trading him from Philadelphia to Buffalo.

"To sit here and tell you that it didn't affect me last year, I would be lying," McCoy said. "But I'm past that. It's a whole year later."

HAT-TRICK

McCoy's 3-TD game was the third of his career, and first since Philadelphia's 45-19 win over the Rex Ryan-coached Jets in 2011. He became Buffalo's first player to score three times rushing since Willis McGahee had four TDs against Seattle in 2004.

Backup Mike Gillislee closed out the scoring with a 44-yard run. Buffalo's 45 points were the most since a 49-31 win at Cincinnati in 2010.

RYAN'S D

Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander extended his sack streak to six games, matching the team's longest since Aaron Schobel did it during the 2006 season. The 10-year journeyman now has eight sacks this year.

With three sacks on Sunday, Buffalo upped its total to 20 - one fewer than the team had all last season.

KAEPERNICK PROTEST

Fans chanted "USA! USA! USA!" shortly before Kaepernick knelt for the anthem.

"To be honest, I was focused on football so I really wasn't listening to what was going on in the stands," Kaepernick said.

Outside New Era Field, one vendor was selling T-shirts against Kaepernick.

INJURIES

49ers: RB Carlos Hyde (shoulder), CB Rashard Robinson (concussion protocol).

Bills: TE Charles Clay (ankle), WR Kevon Seymour (shoulder) and WR Robert Woods (right foot).

BLOWN COVERAGE

Buffalo's defensive backfield left Smith wide open in scoring on his 53-yard catch and run . CornerbackStephon Gilmore let Smith blow past him at the line of scrimmage leaving Smith open up the right sideline. He easily caught Kaepernick's pass and then cut into the middle to avoid being tackled by safety Aaron Williamswho was Buffalo's only defender deep.

NEXT UP:

49ers: Host Tampa Bay on Oct. 23.

Bills: Play at AFC East rival Miami on Oct. 23.

Bills top Rams 30-19 for 3rd straight win

 Nickell Robey-Coleman returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, LeSean McCoyrushed for 150 yards, and the Buffalo Bills won their third consecutive game by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 30-19 on Sunday.

Robey-Coleman stepped in front of rookie receiver Pharoh Cooper and strolled down the sideline to put the Bills ahead 23-16 with 3:54 left in the third quarter.

The big play allowed the Bills to finish off the Rams (3-2) and end their three-game winning streak. Robey-Coleman added another interception in the final minutes.

The Bills stopped Bradley Marquez on a fake punt at the Rams 25 with 3:41 remaining.

Tyrod Taylor then threw a 6-yard touchdown to Marquise Goodwin to put the game out of reach.

The Bills (3-2) were able to take advantage of the Rams defensive line playing without starting ends Robert Quinn and Williams Hayes and tackle Michael Brockers.

McCoy and Taylor found success early on up the middle against the Rams (3-2). Taylor scrambled for 22 yards on third-and-19, and capped off the drive by escaping the pocket to buy more time before finding Justin Hunter for a 4-yard touchdown.

McCoy had a 53-yard run to set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Mike Gillislee early in the second quarter, butCam Thomas blocked Dan Carpenter's extra point.

McCoy had his 28th 100-yard game and second this season. The Bills finished with 193 yards rushing.

Todd Gurley scored the Rams' first touchdown at home since returning to Los Angeles on a 1-yard run late in the first half. Gurley had 72 yards rushing, but three of Greg Zuerlein's four field goals came on drives that stalled inside the red zone.

Case Keenum was 21 of 31 for 271 yards and two interceptions. Tavon Austin had seven receptions for 59 yards and added 26 yards rushing on three carries.

HOMECOMING

Former USC standouts Reggie Bush, Robey-Coleman, Kevon Seymour and Robert Woods served as the Bills' captains in their return to the Coliseum. For Bush, it was his first time back since pounding rival UCLA for 260 yards rushing and two touchdowns in his final home game in 2005. The Trojans were forced to disassociate from Bush as part of the NCAA sanctions the school received for extra benefits he received while playing at USC.

INJURIES

Bills: Nose tackle Marcell Dareus (hamstring) was inactive. Dareus was suspended for the first four games of the season for a violation of the NFL substance abuse policy. Adolphus Washington got the start, finishing with three tackles and one sack. ... Safety Aaron Williams suffered a shoulder injury in the second half. ... Safety Colt Anderson did not return after suffering an arm injury in the second half.

Rams: Cornerback Trumaine Johnson was carted to the locker room in the fourth quarter with a right ankle injury. ... Offensive lineman Cody Wichmann injured his right ankle on the opening possession and did not return. Jamon Brown replaced Wichmann at right guard. ... Running back Benny Cunningham (hamstring) was inactive, resulting in more work on passing downs by Gurley. Gurley had three receptions for 36 yards.

UP NEXT

Bills: Host San Francisco next Sunday.

Rams: Travel to Detroit next Sunday.

Bills QB Taylor commanding in 16-0 win over Patriots

Buffalo took advantage of sloppy, Tom Brady-less New England to hand the Patriots their first home shutout at Gillette Stadium, winning 16-0 Sunday.

It was the first loss of the season for New England (3-1), which was playing its final game before Brady returns from his four-game "Deflategate" suspension. The Patriots, who moved into Gillette Stadium in 2002, were last blanked at home 6-0 by the New York Jets in 1993 at Foxboro Stadium.

Tyrod Taylor connected with LeSean McCoy for a 7-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, Dan Carpenter added three field goals for Buffalo (2-2).

It was Buffalo's second win in its last 16 visits to Foxborough. Including his tenure with the New York Jets, it gave Bills coach Rex Ryan his first regular-season road victory over Bill Belichick in eight tries. The last Bills' shutout win away From Orchard Park was 23-0 over Washington in a Buffalo "home" game at Toronto on Oct. 30, 2011.

After struggling to maintain drives and finding a run-pass balance, Taylor was spot-on Sunday. He finished 27 for 39 for 246 yards, and directed a unit that was 7 for 15 on third downs. The Bills had been 10 of 36 combined in the first three games.

Buffalo's defense also carried over its dominant effort from its 33-18 win over Arizona, sacking rookie Jacoby Brissett three times.

Brissett made his second consecutive start in place of Jimmy Garoppolo (sore right shoulder). But Brissett, playing a week after injuring his right thumb, struggled to find the command he had in leading the Patriots to a 27-0 win over the Texans. New England finished 1 for 12 on third downs and managed just 277 total yards. The Patriots drove into Buffalo territory only four times, with three of those drives ending in a lost fumble by Brissett, a missed field goal, and a turnover on downs.

"Nothing was good enough," Belichick said. "At any position, at any phase of the game. It just wasn't good enough."

After managing to reach the red zone with four drives in their first three games, the Bills did it on their first two series Sunday.

Their first possession, a 12-play, 65-yard drive, ended in Taylor's touchdown strike to McCoy. The second stretched 52 yards over 10 plays and was capped by the first of two first-half field goals by Dan Carpenter.

QUOTABLE:

Ryan on getting a regular-season win in Foxborough: "God, it feels good to finally win here. ...It's satisfying. But let's face it: They had a player out."

Patriots WR Julian Edelman on that missing player: "Anytime one of your best players isn't there, there's something missing. We handled a lot of it well. Today we just didn't. The Bills outplayed us, so that's that."

PREGAME SCUFFLE: Several punches were thrown when a shoving match erupted near the sideline about an hour before kickoff. The altercation appeared to begin when Brissett was jogging along the field and was shoved by Bills safety Robert Blanton. Brissett didn't stop, and New England rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchellretaliated by shoving Blanton. Blanton responded by punching Mitchell in the chest and head-butting him, which led to several other players and assistant coaches getting involved. Later, Bills safety Aaron Williamsshoved a Patriots assistant coach attempting to separate the players. As the scuffles began to dissipate, Buffalo cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman landed a punch on Blanton's facemask.

FIRST DOWN EFFICIENCY: The Bills matched a season high for first downs with 16 in the first half alone. Buffalo had 16 in each of its past two games after opening the season with 11 in a 13-7 loss at Baltimore. Taylor opened by hitting 14 of his first 17 attempts for 138 yards and a touchdown before closing the half 17 of 22 for 165 yards. That topped the 119 yards passing he had in last week's 33-18 win over Arizona.

SLOW GOING: The Patriots' offense was anemic in the opening quarter, failing to get a first down while managing 20 total yards. It was the first time the Patriots went without a first-quarter first down since Week 8 of 2011 against Pittsburgh. Bills safety Aaron Williams said the win was still satisfying even with Brady out.

"We're probably going to hear the excuses that (Brissett) was a third-string quarterback. Garoppolo was out and Tom didn't (play) ... It's a game man. They get paid just like we do. They got to prepare just like we do."

FIRST CATCH: TE Rob Gronkowski, who played sparingly in his season debut last week, caught his first pass of the season, an 11-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

INJURIES: Patriots DT Vincent Valentine left in the third quarter with a back injury. Bills CB Corey White was escorted to the locker room in the fourth quarter and placed in the concussion protocol after being shaken up while covering punt.

Bills bounce back with 33-18 win over Cardinals

 LeSean McCoy scored twice and safety Aaron Williams returned a botched field-goal snap 53 yards for a touchdown in leading the Buffalo Bills to a 33-18 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor also scored on a 20-yard run at a time the Rex Ryan-coached Bills spent the past week taking the brunt of criticism after opening the season 0-2.

The win also came on the heels of Ryan firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman and replacing him with running backs coach Anthony Lynn.

McCoy scored on 24- and 5-yard runs, and finished with 110 yards rushing after combining for just 117 in his first two games. Taylor had 76 yards rushing, including a 49-yarder, the longest by a quarterback in team history.

And suddenly, the Bills' offense started resembling the one that led the NFL in yards rushing last season.

"This is what we do. This is what we are built for," guard Richie Incognitosaid. "This is the way we were assembled in the offseason and it's nice to see everything come to fruition."

And Ryan's defense started resembling the bully he envisioned when he was first hired in January 2015.

A week after allowing 493 yards in a 37-31 loss to the New York Jets , the Bills limited Arizona to 348 yards, forced six punts and closed the game by intercepting Carson Palmer on each of Arizona's final four possessions.

Stephon Gilmore had two interceptions.

Arizona (1-2) unraveled a week after a 40-7 win over Tampa Bay, and had a five-game road winning streak snapped going back to last season.

The Cardinals combined for just 2 yards net offense and no first downs on their first five possessions. Palmer finished 26 of 50 for 264 yards and was sacked five times.

"I'm disappointed in the way we played. I'm disappointed in myself," Palmer said.

David Johnson scored on 4- and 22-yard runs for Arizona.

The Bills took control in building a 30-7 lead on Williams' fumble return with 2:25 left in the third quarter.

With Chandler Catanzaro lining up to attempt a 32-yard field goal, Kameron Canaday's snap sailed high and through the hands of holder Drew Butler. Catanzaro missed in an attempt to fall on the ball, and the ball squirted loose.

Catanzaro also missed a last-minute field goal in the opener against New England because of a poor snap.

Coach Bruce Arians placed the blame on the bad snap solely on Canaday.

"Grow the hell up," Arians said. "It ain't got nothing to do with anything but between his ears."

Trailing 30-16 midway through the fourth quarter, the Cardinals had a golden opportunity slip through their fingers.

Safety Tyrann Mathieu batted down quarterback Tyrod Taylor's backward pitch intended for Robert Woods for a fumble. Mathieu failed twice attempting to scoop up the ball and instead kicked it out of bounds into the Cardinals sideline.

The Bills' defense then secured the victory on Arizona's next possession, when Gilmore intercepted Palmer's pass up the left sideline intended for John Brown. The turnover led to Buffalo putting the game away with Dan Carpenterhitting a 45-yard field goal.

DOUBLE DUTY

Catanzaro was forced to take over the punting duties after Butler hurt his left ankle on the final play of the first quarter. Backed up in his own end zone, Catanzaro's first punt traveled 47 yards.

He then shanked his next punt early in the third quarter. It traveled just 19 yards and bounced out of bounds at the Cardinals 47.

Arians called Butler's ankle as being "severely sprained."

Catanzaro did hit a 60-yard field goal , the longest in a Bills home game. The previous record was Bills kicker Steve Christie hitting a 59-yarder in 1993.

FINALLY, FITZGERALD

Larry Fitzgerald finally made a catch in Orchard Park.

The Cardinals receiver extended the NFL's longest active reception streak to 182 consecutive games with a 3-yard catch on a crossing pattern midway through the first quarter. Fitzgerald's streak began during his rookie season and after he failed to make a catch in a 38-14 loss at the Bills on Oct. 31, 2004. It stands as the only game of his career he's not had a reception. He finished with seven catches for 60 yards.

THEY SAID IT

"I don't care who plays quarterback. Steve Grogan can play quarterback. If Belichick's playing quarterback we're coming after him," Ryan said looking ahead to playing the Bill Belichick-coached Patriots next week, and the uncertainty they have at quarterback.

DEPLETED BILLS

Injuries continued to hamper the Bills, who were down three starters in receiver Sammy Watkins, left tackle Cordy Glenn and cornerback Ronald Darby.

Watkins has been bothered by a sore left foot he had surgically repaired in April. He then aggravated the injury when a teammate stepped on his foot during a walk-through last week.

Forte scores 3 TDs in leading Jets to 37-31 win over Bills

 Matt Forte scored three touchdown runs and Ryan Fitzpatrick finally solved Rex Ryan's defense, leading the New York Jets to a 37-31 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

Forte's 3-yard run put New York ahead 27-24 with 2:12 left in the third quarter. He sealed the win by patiently waiting for a seam to open before scampering into the end zone from 12 yards to put New York up 37-24 with 4:02 left in the fourth quarter.

Forte finished with 100 yards rushing, and the offseason free-agent addition became the 13th New York player to score three rushing touchdowns in a game.

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 34 for 374 yards and a 5-yard touchdown pass toEric Decker.

In beating one of his former teams, Fitzpatrick also overcame the stinging memories of last year's season finale, a 22-17 loss at Buffalo that eliminated the Jets from playoff contention. Fitzpatrick closed the loss by throwing interceptions on each of the Jets final three possessions.

"I think it means a little bit more than a regular game because this was my life for four years being here," Fitzpatrick said about spending 2009-12 with the Bills. "But I'm more excited about our team and the way we responded in the second half."

The Bills (0-2) are suddenly reeling in Ryan's second season as coach , and two years after he has fired by the Jets.

"Obviously, we never expected this," Ryan said. "The Jets were a much better team than we were today, especially their offense against our defense looked like a mismatch today. You look for a difference in the game and that was the difference in the game."

The Bills' offense sputtered in a 13-7 loss at Baltimore on Sunday, and now it was their defense that showed cracks against the Jets.

New York finished with 493 yards offense, 28 first downs and had seven drives cross midfield.

Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor rebounded five days after he was limited to 111 yards passing against the Ravens.

He went 18 of 30 for 298 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. Marquise Goodwin scored on an 84-yarder catch, Greg Salas scored on a 71-yard catch and running back Mike Gillislee made it close, by catching an 18-yard touchdown pass with 1:17 remaining.

The Jets scored on each of their first four possessions to build a 20-7 lead.

The Bills responded by scoring on three straight possessions spanning halftime to go up 24-20. Safety Nickell Robey-Coleman capped the run by returning Jalin Marshall's fumble 36 yards for a touchdown.

GOING DEEP

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis got off to another tough start. After having difficulty covering Bengals receiver A.J. Green on Sunday, Revis was burned by Goodwin on his 84-yard touchdown catch. 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.

It was Buffalo's longest touchdown pass at home in team history, and longest since Fitzpatrick hit Terrell Owens for a 98-yard touchdown strike at Tennessee on Nov. 15, 2009.

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.

FOURTH DOWN

Forte's final touchdown came after the Jets defense stopped the Bills twice for no gain at midfield, including run up the middle by LeSean McCoy on fourth-and-1. The Bills converted 3 of 10 third-down chances and were 1-for-2 on fourth down.

QUICK HEALER

Jets receiver Brandon Marshall proved to be a quick healer. 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. Marshall immediately grabbed his knee and lay on the field for a few minutes before getting up on his own.

Marshall returned for the next series and made a 21-yard catch after having his knee examined. The catch helped set up Decker's 5-yard touchdown catch that put the Jets up 20-7.

INJURIES

Jets: Coach Todd Bowles said Marshall had a slight sprain. WR Quincy Enunwa continued playing despite sore ribs. LBErin Henderson did not return because of a foot injury. OG James Carpenter injured a calf.

Bills: Goodwin left the game late and was being for a potential concussion.

THEY SAID IT:

Fitzpatrick on Marshall returning to field: "I thought he was down for the count, for sure."

Bills LB Jerry Hughes: "We just didn't play good football today. Just bad ball all around. ... We just didn't show up today."

RETIRING NO. 78

The Bills honored NFL career sacks leader and Hall of Famer Bruce Smith by retiring his No. 78 during a halftime ceremony.

"I don't know if I'm worthy or lucky enough for all this," Smith told reporters before the game. He joins Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, whose No. 12, is the only number the Bills have retired.