PRO FOOTBALL : Buffalo Finally Snaps Its Long Road Losing Streak When Lowery Misses Kick

Nick Lowery, selected by Marv Levy to replace Jan Stenerud as the Kansas City kicker, missed a field goal in the final minute Sunday, allowing Levy’s new team to escape with a 17-14 victory.

The Buffalo Bills, who hired Levy to replace Hank Bullough earlier this season, benefited from Lowery’s missed 44-yard attempt into a swirling wind. The kick faded wide to the left and enabled the Bills to snap a 22-game road losing streak, one short of the NFL record.

“Certainly, to come back and win where you had coached before (is special),” said Levy, who coached Kansas City from 1978-82. “But really, every game is very important. Sure it is (important), but I don’t feel anything other than the good feeling you get out of winning any game.”

The Bills (4-9) would have matched the NFL record owned by the Houston Oilers with another defeat. Buffalo’s last road victory came at Kansas City on Dec. 4, 1983. Houston also ended its record losing string in Kansas City.

While he was coaching the Chiefs, Levy made the controversial decision to waive Stenerud in favor of the unknown Lowery. Since then, however, Lowery has proved him right and has one of the highest conversion percentages in NFL history.

But Lowery missed twice on Sunday as the Chiefs slipped to 7-6 with their third straight loss to virtually end their playoff chances.

Kansas City scored on a 12-yard pass from Bill Kenney to Stephone Paige on its first possession but did not score again until Herman Heard’s one-yard touchdown run with 4:34 left. Heard’s touchdown capped an 80-yard drive that took 2:23 and pulled the Chiefs within three points.

The Chiefs quickly got the ball back when Pete Metzelaars fumbled and Kansas City’s Kevin Ross recovered at the Bills’ 38. But on the first play, Buffalo cornerback Charles Romes intercepted Kenney’s pass in the end zone for his second interception of the game. Kenney passed for 286 yards, completing 25 of 50 attempts in the game.

The Bills answered Kansas City’s first-period touchdown with a 14-play drive ending in a 47-yard field goal by Scott Norwood. The Chiefs aided that drive with a penalty for roughing the punter after stopping Buffalo at its 21.

Kansas City came up empty after a 10-play drive when Lowery missed a 41-yard field-goal try.

Buffalo increased its lead to 10 points midway through the third period with the 10-yard scoring pass from Jim Kelly to Andre Reed.

Kelly, who completed 17 of 34 passes for 190 yards, had passed nine yards to Reed to give Buffalo a 10-7 lead at halftime.