| | ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills clinched an AFC
wild-card playoff berth sitting in front of the TV as the New York
Jets beat the Miami Dolphins on Monday night.
"I don't care how we finally get in; we've earned our place,"
Bills defensive end Marcellus Wiley said after the Jets' 38-31 win
gave Buffalo (10-5) its eighth playoff berth in the 1990s. "It's
OK with me if another team does us a favor."
The Bills lost to the Dolphins in the wild-card round last season after posting a 10-6 record. They play host to the Indianapolis Colts in their final regular-season game Sunday.
"A Miami loss takes some of the stress off, but it won't change
our work ethic during the week," Bills quarterback Doug Flutie
said.
The Bills beat Miami twice during the regular season and would
win a tiebreaker between the teams.
Bills defensive end Bruce Smith said he would watch some of the
game Monday night but wouldn't root for one team or another.
"I don't get caught up in all those playoff scenarios," Smith
said Monday night. "The way I look at it, we have to win next
weekend. Winning takes care of itself."
Three players, Smith, running back Thurman Thomas and receiver Andre Reed, all played in Buffalo's four straight Super Bowl losses of the early 1990s.
The Bills had better change something, because their 13-10
overtime squeaker in New England on Sunday was unconvincing.
The Bills offense was unreliable until the end of the game.
Thomas' running and Flutie's 12 straight pass completions, five in
the fourth quarter and seven in overtime, helped pull it out.
| |
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New York 38, Miami 31
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