ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bart Scott and the New York Jets are accustomed to playing the role of villains. So the linebacker didn’t feel any pangs of regret for putting a big dent in the Buffalo Bills and their feel-good start.
“Everybody loves Cinderella stories,” Scott said, referring to the Bills. “We’ve always been portrayed as the bad guys, but we relish (being) in that role.”
And just like that, the big, bad, brash-talking Jets are back after Scott was part of a stifling 27-11 win in a key midseason AFC East showdown on Sunday.
Rex Ryan’s defense forced three turnovers and twice stopped the Bills on fourth down. The slow-starting, Mark Sanchez-led offense finally got into gear in the second half to help New York win its third straight and improve to 5-3 and catch Buffalo and New England in the standings.
Having done away with Buffalo, the Jets were looking ahead to another AFC East showdown against the Patriots next weekend. It’s a game Sanchez is already calling the “divisional championship.”
Sanchez overcame a pair of first-half turnovers to finish 20-of-28 for 230 yards and an 8-yard touchdown to Santonio Holmes. LaDainian Tomlinson and John Conner scored on 1-yard plunges as the Jets got their first road victory and handed the Bills their first home loss (4-1).
The Bills looked nothing like the team that rolled through its first seven games in attempting to get off to a 6-2 start for the first time since 1993. They instead looked more like a team that has now lost four straight and six of seven against the Jets.
Falcons 31, Colts 7
INDIANAPOLIS — Julio Jones caught touchdown passes of 50 and 80 yards to keep Indianapolis winless.
The Falcons (5-3) won their third straight and earned their first road victory in a series that dates to 1966. The Colts have lost five straight home games for the first time since 2001, and this defeat was every bit as lopsided as the score.
49ers 19, Redskins 11
LANDOVER, Md. — Frank Gore ran for 107 yards, and the NFL’s stingiest scoring defense forced three turnovers as San Francisco ran its winning streak to six games.
The 49ers improved to 7-1 and have their longest winning streak since 1997. They also are 4-0 on the road for the first time since 1992 and hold a commanding lead in the NFC West.
The Redskins (3-5) lost their fourth straight. They ended a drought of seven quarters without a touchdown when they scored with 1:10 to play.
Bengals 24, Titans 17
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Andy Dalton threw for three touchdowns and 217 yards, and Cincinnati rallied from a 10-point deficit for its fifth straight victory.
The Bengals (6-2) last won five in a row in 1988, when they won the AFC championship and went to their second Super Bowl. They also improved to 4-1 on the road, with the rookie quarterback leading them to 17 unanswered points as he tossed TD passes to three different receivers.
Cardinals 19, Rams 13 (OT
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Rookie Patrick Peterson returned a punt 99 yards for a touchdown in overtime to lift Arizona.
Peterson’s pass-interference penalty moments earlier seemed to set up the Rams (1-7) for a game-winning field goal, but Calais Campbell blocked Josh Brown’s 42-yard field goal attempt as regulation ended to force the overtime.
In OT, Peterson fielded the ball at the 1. He evaded and bounced off tacklers over the next 30 yards or so, then outran everyone, striding the last few yards in celebration of his third punt-return TD of the season as Arizona (2-6) snapped a six-game losing streak.
Saints 27, Buccaneers 16
NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and the Saints’ running backs combined for 195 yards rushing.
Despite losing cornerback Tracy Porter to a neck injury early in the game, New Orleans held Tampa Bay (4-4) without a touchdown until Josh Freeman hit Kellen Winslow with 5:33 left.
Cowboys 23, Seahawks 13
ARLINGTON, Texas — Tied at 6 coming out for the second half, Dallas pulled away behind Tony Romo’s touchdown passes of 33 yards to Jason Witten and 6 yards to Laurent Robinson.
The Cowboys held Seattle (2-6) without a touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter.
Texans 30, Browns 12
HOUSTON — Arian Foster rushed for 124 yards and Ben Tate for 115 as Houston set a franchise record with 261 yards on the ground. The Browns (3-5) totaled 172 yards, the third consecutive opponent Houston has held under 200.
