Tomlinson, Keller score 2 TDs each in leading New York Jets to 38-14 rout of Buffalo Bills.
By John Wawrow, APSunday, October 3, 2010
LT’s 2 scores lead Jets in 38-14 rout of Bills
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — LaDainian Tomlinson and the New York Jets had the Buffalo Bills on the run.
Tight end Dustin Keller proved tough to cover, too.
Tomlinson had his best game in nearly two years, rushing for 133 yards and two touchdowns, and Keller had two TD catches to lead the Jets to a 38-14 victory over the winless Bills on Sunday.
Tomlinson had the 47th 100-yard game of his 10-year career — and first since he had 105 on Oct. 26, 2008, when he was with San Diego. With 12,831 yards rushing, Tomlinson also passed Tony Dorsett to move into seventh place on the NFL’s career list. Tomlinson scored on 26- and 1-yard carries.
Keller had two touchdown catches 1:33 apart to put the Jets up 31-7 with 4:36 left in the third quarter. Tomlinson completed the rout by scoring 1:56 later on a 26-yard run in helping the Jets (3-1) win their third in a row, all against AFC East opponents.
The Bills allowed 30 points for the third straight game and are off to an 0-4 start for the third time since 2001, and eighth overall.
Mark Sanchez went 14 of 24 for 161 yards and two touchdowns, including a 41-yard pass to Braylon Edwards in a game the Jets blew open by scoring three times in a 3:29 span in the third quarter.
Sanchez’s numbers aside, it was a game in which the Jets needed only a running attack which racked up 273 yards — or 50 more than the Bills entire offense managed.
In winning their third straight this season, and fifth straight on the road dating to last year, the Jets proved no match for the weakling Bills.
Buffalo’s offense lacked spark in Ryan Fitzpatrick’s second straight start, and first after the Bills cut former No. 1 quarterback Trent Edwards, who has since signed with Jacksonville.
Fitzpatrick went 12 of 27 for 128 yards with two touchdowns, a 4-yarder to David Martin at the end of the second quarter, and a mean-nothing 13-yarder to Steve Johnson in the fourth. Otherwise, the Bills offense failed to muster a threat, especially in opening the game managing 30 yards and one first down on its first four possessions.
Buffalo’s defense continued to struggled against the run, and was hampered further in playing without three starters: end Marcus Stroud (ankle), linebacker Andra Davis (shoulder) and cornerback Terrence McGee (knee).
A week after allowing 200 yards rushing in a 38-30 loss at New England last week, Buffalo was trampled again, as Shonn Greene added 117 yards on 22 carries Sunday.
Then again, this is a New York team that combined for 567 yards rushing in two games against Buffalo last season.
Buffalo, which also lost 34-7 to Green Bay two weeks ago, has allowed 30 or more points in three straight games for the first time since the 2000 season.
After allowing the Bills to cut their lead to 17-7 in the final minute of the second quarter, the Jets took control in opening the second half by building a 38-7 lead with 2:40 left on Tomlinson’s 26-yard run.
Keller scored on a 3-yard touchdown from wide receiver Brad Smith, who lined up in the wildcat formation. The Jets then got the ball back after running Marshawn Lynch fumbled after being hit from behind by linebacker Bryan Thomas on the Bills’ first play from scrimmage.
Three plays later, Sanchez hit Keller for a 2-yard score, the tight end finding himself wide open even after he collided with teammate Matthew Mulligan in the end zone.
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