Matt Forte, Ryan Fitzpatrick Lead Jets To 37-31 Win Over Bills

Matt Forte scored three touchdowns and Ryan Fitzpatrick figured out Buffalo coach Rex Ryan’s defense, as the New York Jets cruised to a 37-31 road victory over the Bills on Thursday night.

Matt Forte, Ryan Fitzpatrick Lead Jets To 37-31 Win Over Bills

The Jets dominated first downs (28-15), time of possession (39:12-20:38) and total yards (493-365), as Fitzpatrick pummeled Buffalo’s secondary with accurate passes downfield. The Jets quarterback finished 24 of 34 for 374 yards and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker. 

Fitzpatrick’s 10 completions of at least 5 yards were tied for the third-most in the past 10 seasons.

Forte finished with 100 yards rushing, including a 3-yard run that put New York ahead 27-24 with 2:12 left in the third quarter. He secured the win by waiting for an opening before racing into the end zone from 12 yards to give the Jets a 37-24 lead with 4:02 left in the game.

The running back and offseason free-agent addition became the 13th New York player to score three rushing touchdowns in a game.

The Jets (1-1) rebounded from a season-opening loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and ended a five-game skid against their AFC East rivals.

The Bills (0-2), meanwhile, took their second consecutive loss of the season after falling to the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 1. This is Ryan’s second season as Buffalo’s coach, and it’s been two years since he was fired by the Jets.

Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor bounced back five days after he was held to 111 yards passing against the Ravens. Taylor finished 18 of 30 for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Marquise Goodwin scored on an 84-yard catch, Greg Salas scored on a 7-yard catch and running back Mike Gillislee kept it close by snagging an 18-yard touchdown pass with 1:17 left.

Veteran Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter. Marshall’s knee twisted awkwardly beneath him when cornerback Stephon Gilmore took him down by the facemask on a tackle that was penalized inside the red zone. Marshall lay on the ground, writhing in pain.

“Scary. It was very scary. It didn’t look good,” Fitzpatrick said about Marshall’s injury after the game. “It was such a relief to see him get back into the huddle.”

Marshall also caught Dan Carpenter’s onside kick.

New York scored on each of its first four possessions to gain a 20-7 lead. Forte scored on a 1-yard plunge, Fitzpatrick found Decker on the 5-yarder and Nick Folk hit a pair of field goals.

Buffalo rallied back to score on three consecutive possessions spanning halftime. Carpenter began the run by kicking a 39-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The Bills then scored in a span of 2:07 to go ahead 24-20. After Salas scored, Bills safety Nickell Robey-Coleman returned Jalin Marshall’s fumble 36 yards for a touchdown on the Jets’ following possession.

The Bills will next host the Arizona Cardinals (0-1) on Sunday, Sept. 25, while the Jets will visit the Chiefs (1-0) in Kansas City that very same day.

ORCHARD PARK, NY – SEPTEMBER 15: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the New York Jets throws a pass against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at New Era Field on September 15, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)