12/14 — The defense opens with a strong statement on the opening drive of the second half as Calvin Pace fights past LT Jason Peters and, aided by good coverage, hits J.P. Losman from the backside for a strip sack.

Buffalo recovers, though, and Brian Moorman gets off a dandy punt 63-yard net punt that Leon Washington lets hit inside the 15 and the Bills down at the Jets 2. A 98-yard drive, anyone?

Not quite. David Clowney makes his first pro reception a highlight video grab as he one-hands the deep out into his grasp for a 26-yard gain. But the Jets fall into a third-and-17 hole after a D'Brickashaw Ferguson hold and then Brett Favre tries to air one out for Jerricho Cotchery downfield but it's underthrown and Terrence McGee picks it off and zips back upfield to the Jets 45.

The Jets give a little ground but not much. Bryan Thomas makes a strong close to drop Marshawn Lynch for 1 yard on a swing pass, then the Jets swarm a screen pass to Fred Jackson for no gain.

But Rian Lindell, who as we've documented never misses from 52 yards and in against the Jets, does it again with a 48-yard field goal toward the west end zone that banks high off the right upright and through to trim the Jets' lead to a poinit, 21-20, with 3½ minutes left in the period.

Thomas Jones makes a bigtime blitz pickup to give Favre the time to hit rookie TE Dustin Keller for a 20-yard gain to midfield. Not bad, but then on third-and-a-long-3, Jones is cut down a 2-yard loss by DT Spencer Johnson — it looks as if someone missed a block — and then Reggie Hodges gets off a punt against heavy pressure that lands solidly in the end zone for a touchback.

Fourth Quarter

The Buffalo drive bridging the third and fourth periods ends on the first play of the final frame when Losman's high ball bounces off Josh Reed and Hank Poteat makes the juggling interception and returns to the Bills 20.

A golden opportunity, but the Jets are able to cash in only three-sevenths of it. On third-and-2 at the 12, Favre pumps right, looks left and sees Keller with a step on backup S Bryan Scott. It appears Scott shoves Keller as he's trying to make the catch. The ball hits the turf for an incompletion, but so does a flag.

However, after deliberation, ref Jeff Triplette announces four bitter words for the Jets faithful — "There is no foul" — and the hosts settle for Jay Feely's first FG of the game from 31 yards out to open the Jets' lead back to four points, 24-20.

Bills rookie Leodis McKelvin is loosey-goosey as he goes out to return the ensuing kickoff, gesturing to the crowd and dancing to the music in his head. And why not? He led the NFL in KOR average coming into this weekend, and he adds to it on what appears to be a kickoff return TD up the middle of the field.

However, there was clearly an illegal block to the back on the return, and a late flag verifies it. Buffalo's George Wilson is nailed for the infraction. McKelvin still gets a healthy 40-yard return but the Bills are starting at their 30 with 13:03 to play.

The visitors continue to show resourcefulness as they get two first downs to move briefly to the Jets 49. But the defense puts together three nice plays. The key was backup DE Mike DeVito's high-motor rush to get to Losman and force a throw that Kenyon Coleman almost intercepted and that, after deliberation, is called intentional grounding.

On third down, Losman throws a short pass that Lynch drops. Then Moorman nails another great punt, and this time Washington didn't make a fair catch that he could have. The ball is downed at the Jets 3 with 9:16 remaining.

Favre throws three incompletions from his own 3 and Hodges punts from his backline. This could be a key exchange.

And it is, with help from a Hodges punt that doesn't have great hang time but bounces before Roscoe Parrish can field it. The Jets get the roll all the way back to the Buffalo 36. Difficult position averted, for now.

But not for long. Losman hits passes of 11, 14, 11 and 20 yards as the Jets' soft pass defense rears its ugly head. And then on first-and-10 just outside the Jets 10, as the defense's sub package personnel hustles in, Fred Jackson gets the call, hits his left side, moves the pile, moves the pile ... and moves it all the way into the end zone.

It's a stunning score that shows Buffalo's desire and the Jets' shortcomings on this day all in one play. And with Lindell's PAT, the Bills move back on top, 27-24, with 5½ minutes to play.

Washington puts air back in the big green balloon with his 10th 40-yard play of the season, specifically a 43-yard kickoff return to midfield. But Favre is firing high and he misfires on third-and-8 with a throw over Keller's head, and Hodges has to punt again. The Bills are called for holding on the return that bounces into the end zone, so it's first-and-10 for Buffalo on the Bils 10.

The Jets' run defense, so vaunted in the first half of the season, is having major trouble stopping Marshawn Lynch, and the game has entered a critical phase because of it. The featured back converts a third-and-1. The Jets call their first timeout with 2:06 to play.

After the timeout, green lightning strikes.

On second-and-5 from the 27, the Bills call for a rollout and Losman is caught from behind by blindside blitzing safety Abram Elam. Suddenly the ball is loose. One Jet falls on it but it comes loose again. Then Shaun Ellis, pursuing as is his trademark, picks the ball up, loses the handle, then picks up the bounce again and heads down the left sideline.

Bodies are flying everywhere — and referee Jeff Triplette gets a nosebleed in the scrum — but it doesn't deter Ellis, who flies along the sideline and kicks the pylon as he crosses the goal line. Touchdown!

With 1:54 to go, Feely puts the Jets back ahead by four, 31-27.

And then on the first play after the go-ahead score, the defense strikes again. Losman is flushed from the pocket and tries to guide a throw to Roscoe Parrish. But Darrelle Revis is all over it, stepping in front for his team-leading fifth interception of the year and returns it to the Buffalo 33.

Now the Jets are into running-out-the-clock mode. The Bills use all their timeouts to get the clock to 1:21. On fourth-and-2, the Jets are going to run a play. Favre hands off to Jones, who's stopped short, but the Bills now have no timeouts and 1:17 on the clock to go 74 yards for the winning TD.

The Green & White defense's two-minute-drill work from the summer and all throughout the season kicks in. On second-and-10, David Harris almost has a deflected INT but drops the ball. On third down, Losman can only find Jackson, who gets out of bounds at his 42 to stop the clock with 26 seconds to go. It's fourth down. The Jets can end it here.

Despite a valiant effort by Kris Jenkins for the sack, Losman hits Lee Evans as he's going down for 7 yards and a first down. But now there are 10 seconds left after the spike and the ball is 52 yards away from the goal line. And then Losman heaves his Hail Mary all the way to the goal line. Except that rookie WR Steve Johnson is nowhere near the ball. Kerry Rhodes is. He picks the ball off jsut outside the goal line as time expires.

The Jets' hopes for the rest of December and into January live as they hold off the Buffalo Bills, 31-27.