Bills' rally pays off

Closing surge gets them to 3-0

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Rian Lindell's mind is at ease after the Buffalo kicker made up for what could've been a costly mistake. The rest of the Bills are breathing easy, too.

In a game they had no business winning, the Bills overcame three quarters of their own ineptitude to score 17 points in the final eight minutes for a 24-23 victory over the Oakland Raiders yesterday. Lindell hit a 38-yard field goal as time ran out, making up for a 46-yarder he missed earlier in the game and helping Buffalo get off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 1992.

"You had better believe it," Lindell said. "I can sleep tonight now."

Believe this, too: With New England losing to Miami, Buffalo is now alone in first place atop the AFC East.

"We keep them close, don't we?" Bills owner Ralph Wilson said. "You know what, I'm speechless."

The Bills won by overcoming drive-killing penalties, numerous dropped passes, terrible field position - five times they started inside their 13 - and three turnovers. They produced their second straight fourth-quarter comeback following a 20-16 win at Jacksonville.

Trent Edwards was near perfect in the final 15 minutes - going 14 of 19 for 182 yards and a touchdown - in engineering three straight scoring drives. For Edwards, it marked the fourth time in 12 career starts he's rallied the Bills when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter.

But what of the poor and dysfunctional Raiders, who dropped to 1-2 under Lane Kiffin? The embattled second-year coach appeared to wait too late to call a timeout to freeze Lindell prior to the final kick. Kiffin shrugged it off, saying whether he got the timeout or not had nothing to do with the outcome.

"It was a very disappointing loss, especially the way it finished," Kiffin said.

Johnnie Lee Higgins appeared to deliver the knockout punch to Buffalo when JaMarcus Russell - on third and 10 - hit him on a skinny post for an 84-yard touchdown to put Oakland ahead, 23-14, with 6:23 left.

But back marched the Bills.

Edwards capped a seven-play, 69-yard drive with a 14-yard TD pass to Roscoe Parrish. After the Raiders went three-and-out, the Bills took over at their 34 with 2:29 left.

Edwards completed his first two passes for 27 yards, and Marshawn Lynch added 21 yards on four carries to run down the clock before turning to Lindell.