Reich Throws Three Scoring Passes in Bills’ 34-3 Victory Over the Jets

Frank Reich threw three touchdown passes in his second start for the injured Jim Kelly, but it was an outstanding running game and a stingy defense most responsible for the Buffalo Bills’ 34-3 victory over the New York Jets Sunday.

The Bills’ defense, coming off a strong performance Monday night against the Rams, had five sacks and forced three turnovers.

Reich’s scoring passes went to Andre Reed, Ron Harmon and Kenneth Davis, but it was the Bills’ running game that softened up the Jets’ defense, which entered the game ranked last in the National Football League.

Sometimes, statistics don’t reflect what went on during the game. That wasn’t the case as the Bills improved to 5-2 and the Jets fell to 1-6.

Buffalo had the ball 42:53, the Jets, 17:07. The Bills had 343 yards offense; the Jets, 154. The Bills had more rushing plays (52) than New York had total plays (48).

The Bills’ offensive line bore holes through the Jet defense, providing Thurman Thomas and Larry Kinnebrew plenty of running room.

By contrast, the injury-wracked Jet offense couldn’t resist a tenacious Bill defense that hounded Ken O’Brien on just about every pass play and bottled up the line of scrimmage on runs.

“Defensively, we shut down their running game and made them pass,” Buffalo strong safety Leonard Smith said. “When you can do that and let the guys we have on the defensive line chase the quarterback around, it’s going to be an interesting afternoon.”

It wasn’t interesting for O’Brien, who afterward talked about overthrows, a dropped touchdown pass by Chris Burkett, poor punting, three Jet turnovers and nine penalties than about the Bills’ talent.

“We are better than we looked,” he said. “Mistakes, week after week, are killing us. It seems we’re pulling the noose a little tighter on ourselves all the time.”

While Buffalo defenders were harassing O’Brien, the Bill rushing game was cruising down the field, leaving downed Jets in its wake.

“We were using a straight dive play,” said Kinnebrew, whose 77 yards in 17 carries represented his best work since coming to Buffalo in the off-season. “The line was blowing them off and I was just going through the holes.”