ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In a season in which little has gone
right for the Buffalo Bills, special teams coach Bobby April has
something positive to shoot for.
With one game left, April and his players have an opportunity to
finish the year as the NFL's top-ranked unit in several categories.
While it won't make up for the Bills missing the playoffs for
the sixth straight season, don't tell April there's no incentive
left when Buffalo (5-10) visits the New York Jets on Sunday in a
game with little else on the line.
The Bills rank first in kickoff returns and kickoff return
coverage. Buffalo also ranks third in punt return average and
seventh in punt return coverage. Also, punter Brian Moorman is the
team's only Pro Bowl selection.
April's unit played a significant role in Buffalo's 37-27 upset
victory at Cincinnati on Saturday.
Every time the Bills needed a boost, the special teams
delivered.
It started with Ryan Denney recovering an onside kick in the
second quarter. Then Terrence McGee returned a kickoff 99 yards for
a touchdown in the third quarter. And Rian Lindell had a go-ahead
22-yard field goal in the final minute.
Buffalo ended a five-game losing streak and won for the first
time on the road this season. It was the type of resilient
performance the Bills had been criticized for lacking.
"That was great for our guys," April said. "We really needed
some positive energy."
In his 14th season as an NFL assistant, April is in his second
season with Buffalo and can be credited for having done the most
successful job among the team's coaches.
Last season, the Bills special teams produced six touchdowns,
led by McGee, who earned a Pro Bowl selection after setting a
franchise record with three scoring kickoff returns.
McGee's TD on Saturday was Buffalo's first touchdown return of
the season, but one can argue he's doing even better this season
than a year ago. He leads the league averaging 31 yards per return
-- almost 5 yards more than last season -- despite opposing teams
trying to kick away from him.
Had McGee scored earlier this season, April believes it might
have been enough to sway Pro Bowl voters, who instead selected
Houston's Jerome Mathis, who has scored twice but averages 2 yards
fewer per return.
April described McGee's touchdown as the turning point in the
game against the Bengals.
McGee then sealed the victory by returning an interception 46
yards for a touchdown in the final seconds, becoming the first NFL
player to score on a kickoff and interception return in the same
game.
"The chips finally fell our way," McGee said. "Mental errors
have plagued us all season and have taken us out of games. ... We
finally made big plays we needed to finish the game."
April thinks McGee was inspired after failing to make the AFC
Pro Bowl team.
"He is very game," April said. "Maybe, in his own way, he
found a little extra incentive out of that."