THE NFL 1996 : Patriots Hold Off Bills, 28-25

New England beat the Buffalo Bills at their own game--a very close one--and made the AFC East race extremely tight.

Just when it seemed the Bills were headed for their fifth three-point victory of the season, the Patriots scored two touchdowns in the last 1:25 for a 28-25 win Sunday night.

“I told the players before the game big players make big plays in big games,” New England Coach Bill Parcells said. “It was time to find out if we had any of those, and a few guys stepped up and did it.”

Curtis Martin got the go-ahead touchdown on a 10-yard run. Then, with Jim Kelly trying to lead his 24th successful fourth-quarter comeback, Willie McGinest returned the first interception of his career 46 yards for another touchdown with 41 seconds remaining.

“That was the play of my life,” said McGinest, who had removed an eye patch he wore briefly after getting poked in the eye in the third quarter.

“Usually in that situation, the guy rushes, he gets cut [down] and I throw a screen,” said Kelly, who has thrown 12 interceptions with only four touchdown passes this season. “He didn’t rush. He didn’t get cut.”

The Patriots’ 28-18 lead seemed secure, but these are the Bills.

So with 24 seconds to play, Kelly connected with Andre Reed on a 48-yard desperation pass for a touchdown, and Steve Christie’s extra point cut the lead to three.

But Keith Byars, in his second game since being picked up from Miami, recovered the onside kick and the Patriots held on.

The nail-biting finish left New England, Buffalo and Indianapolis--which had lost to the Patriots a week earlier--tied for the division lead at 5-3.

“There were a million what-ifs,” Buffalo Coach Marv Levy said. “It’s anybody’s race.”

The Bills had won their previous 12 games decided by seven points or less.

“That’s a characteristic you’d like to be able to develop,” Parcells said. “Certainly, Buffalo has it.”

Drew Bledsoe completed 32 of 45 passes for 373 yards, fourth most of his four-year career.

New England, which has averaged 30.3 points in its last six games, is the first team to score more than 24 against Buffalo this season.

“If we can continue to score at this pace, we’re going to be a factor in this race,” Parcells said.

Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas rushed for 119 yards to move him into 10th on the NFL’s all-time list with 10,337, passing Ottis Anderson. It was his first 100-yard game of the season.

Kelly completed 15 of 32 passes for 204 yards.