Bills, Bledsoe work overtime again

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- The Buffalo Bills, who can't seem to win in regulation, certainly make up for it in overtime thanks to Drew Bledsoe.

Allen's Analysis

Question on the Bears: What adjustments can Chicago make on defense until they get some of their starters back? They must play solid on special teams and simply try to win close games (something the Bears have become familiar with in the last year or so). Right now, they're a man or two short in every phase of the game. That really hurt them against a QB like Drew Bledsoe today. Question on the Bills: When will the Bills' defense give Bledsoe some breathing room? That will be the question for the Bills' D the entire season until someone starts to put pressure on the quarterback. The Bills' secondary is pretty good, and the linebackers are OK (while needing some tweaking). But they lack a consistent pass rush. If the Bills can find a defensive scheme that works, they'll be a team to be reckoned with. Eric Allen played 14 seasons in the NFL for the Eagles, Saints and Raiders.

Bledsoe set an NFL record with his fourth career overtime touchdown pass, a 26-yarder to Travis Henry 1:58 into the extra period, sparking the Bills to a 33-27 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Three of Buffalo's first four games this season have gone into overtime, an NFL first. The Bills (2-2) won the last two that have gone past regulation, a big turnaround for a team that was 3-6 last season in games decided by seven points or less.

"We hope winning these close games is a big building block,'' Bills coach Gregg Williams said. "Every week in this league, most games come down to the wire. Our guys made the plays they needed to make to win.''

The Bears (2-2) are suddenly headed in the opposite direction. Before last weekend's 29-23 loss to New Orleans, Chicago had won 12 straight games decided by seven points or less.

Jim Miller finished 19-of-31 for 188 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears, who hadn't lost two straight games since December 2000.

The Bills, meanwhile, are coming off a 3-13 season in which they didn't record their second victory until their 12th game.

"I think we're starting to develop and believe in ourselves,'' said Bledsoe, who finished 28-of-36 for 328 yards and four touchdowns. "We've got the talent. We've got the ability to play with anybody in the league.''

The difference so far has been whether they can get the ball into Bledsoe's hands with the game on the line.

That didn't happen in Buffalo's season-opening loss to the New York Jets, which ended on Chad Morton's kickoff return. And it didn't happen in last week's 28-23 loss at Denver, in which the Broncos controlled the ball for more than 11 minutes in the fourth quarter.

It's been a different story in the Bills' two victories, including a 45-39 overtime win at Minnesota, which Bledsoe ended by hitting Peerless Price for a 48-yard TD.

Sunday, he wasted no time.

After the Bears went three-and-out to open overtime, the Bills took over at their 44 following Brad Maynard's 31-yard punt.

Bledsoe hit Eric Moulds for a 32-yard completion along the left sideline. On the next play, Bledsoe rolled right and, just as he was being hauled down from behind, hit Henry in the flat. Henry, helped by Price's block, did the rest by running the last 20 yards for the score.

"You can run the ball a couple of times to set up the field goal, but why not take a couple of shots at the end zone?'' Bledsoe said of his overtime philosophy.

Moulds led Buffalo's receivers with 119 yards and a touchdown. Price and David Moore also scored.

The Bears made some breaks, but couldn't capitalize.

Mike Brown returned Henry's fumble 62 yards for a touchdown, while James "Big Cat'' Williams forced overtime when he burst through the middle and got a hand on Mike Hollis' 39-yard field goal attempt with 25 seconds left.

It was Williams' ninth blocked kick of his career.

It still wasn't enough.

"The defense is in a real funk right now. We'll have to get out of that if we want to win,'' said Brown. "We're a good football team, but we can't win the way we're playing. We're losers.''

David Terrell, on a 5-yard reception, and John Davis, on a 3-yarder, also scored for the Bears. Paul Edinger hit two field goals.

"You're not always going to get the breaks,'' Miller said. "Sure, you want the ball to bounce your way. But I've always said that the good teams overcome it.''

Buffalo's Travis Henry atoned for his troubles in a big way.

The fumble was Henry's fourth in four games, and second straight that led to a touchdown.

"It was rough,'' said Henry, who sat out the rest of the second quarter following the fumble. "But not one time did I doubt my skills or my toughness to go back out there and show my teammates and coaches that I was going to do everything and anything to get that fumble back.''

Game notes
Hollis hit field goals from 48 and 49 yards, and has gone 5-for-6 in attempts 48 yards or longer this season. ... Bears LB Rosevelt Colvin had two sacks, extending his streak to seven games, tying a Bears record set by Alonzo Spellman over the 1994 and 1995 seasons. ... Bledsoe's 28 completions gave him 2,660 for his career, moving into 17th place, six ahead of Ken Anderson and seven shy of Steve Young.