ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The harder the wind blows in Buffalo, the better the Bills play.

Playing in the face of a 25-plus mph wind, Willis McGahee sparked Buffalo’s ball-control offense in helping the Bills to a 22-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

McGahee finished with a career-high 132 yards and a touchdown, his third 100-yard rushing game in his third career start. Drew Bledsoe was efficient, finishing 18-of-30 for 184 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown to rookie Lee Evans.

Buffalo (3-5) won its third game in four outings, and third straight at home – all with McGahee as a starter. And the weather has played a factor in all three victories, with winds of 25 mph or stronger blowing in off Lake Erie.

And the Bills beat the Jets (6-2), a team coming off a 41-14 win over Miami last Monday, and attempting to match its best start in franchise history.

Cardinals 24, Dolphins 23

MIAMI – To end a 17-game road losing streak, the Arizona Cardinals merely needed to pay a visit to Miami.

The Cardinals met their match in ineptitude, benefited from two critical penalties and drove 70 yards in the final 2 minutes for a touchdown to beat the Dolphins 24-23 Sunday.

Larry Fitzgerald caught the winning score on a 2-yard pass from Josh McCown with 19 seconds left after a holding penalty against Miami negated a sack and gave the Cardinals first and goal.

The road win was the first since Oct. 6, 2002 for Arizona (3-5). The Dolphins (1-8), who have the league’s worst record, are one defeat from their first losing season since 1988.

Buccaneers 34, Chiefs 31

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers found a way to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. They simply outscored them.

Michael Pittman scored one of his three touchdowns on a team-record 78-yard run and Tampa Bay held off the Chiefs 34-31 Sunday, giving the Bucs consecutive victories for just the second time since they won the Super Bowl two years ago.

The Chiefs (3-5) totaled 101 points and 1,130 yards in victories over Atlanta and Indianapolis the previous two weeks, and put up another big day statistically against Tampa Bay.

Bengals 26, Cowboys 3

CINCINNATI – The Bengals’ bright orange jerseys sure caught the eye. So did their overlooked tight end.

Matt Schobel caught a down-the-middle pass from Carson Palmer and ran 76 yards for a touchdown Sunday, leading Cincinnati to a 26-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Schobel, who had only 11 catches in the first seven games, broke open a game of conservative play calling. The Bengals (3-5) turned four field goals by Shayne Graham and the one big play by Schobel into a soothing win.

Raiders 27, Panthers 24

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jarrod Cooper blew through the line for a clear shot at Jake Delhomme and his first career sack.

It’s just that kind of season for the Carolina Panthers: Even their castoffs are making them look bad.

Tyrone Wheatley and Amos Zereoue combined to run for three touchdowns, and Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 19-yard field goal with 6 seconds to play to lead the Oakland Raiders to a 27-24 victory over the Panthers on Sunday.

It’s gotten so bad for the defending NFC champions that Cooper, cut by Carolina two weeks ago for “football reasons,” returned to help Oakland (3-6) hand the Panthers (1-7) their sixth consecutive loss.

Redskins 17, Lions 10

DETROIT – Clinton Portis beat the Lions with his legs – and right arm.

Portis ran for 147 yards on 34 carries and threw a tiebreaking touchdown pass to lead the Washington Redskins over Detroit 17-10 Sunday.

Detroit rallied late, but its hopes for a tying drive ended at the Washington 20 as time expired.

Chargers 43, Saints 17

SAN DIEGO – Drew Brees and Antonio Gates are making it look too easy.

Brees, the quarterback the front office didn’t want coming into this season, threw four more touchdown passes – three to tight end Gates – and the San Diego Chargers beat the punchless New Orleans Saints 43-17 on Sunday.

It was San Diego’s highest-scoring game since beating the Miami Dolphins 45-20 on Dec. 27, 1993. The Chargers won for the fifth time in six games.

Seahawks 42, 49ers 27

SAN FRANCISCO – There was nothing complicated about the Seattle Seahawks’ game plan. Just a whole lot of Darrell Jackson and Shaun Alexander.

Jackson caught two long touchdown passes from Matt Hasselbeck, and Alexander rushed for 160 yards and two scores in the Seahawks’ 42-27 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Jackson had five catches for 114 yards, and Koren Robinson also caught a TD pass for the Seahawks (5-3), who stayed atop the NFC West with their second straight victory following three straight losses.

Broncos 31, Texans 13

DENVER – Rod Smith set some records he could savor, the good Jake Plummer showed up again and the Denver Broncos won a game they simply had to have.

Smith became Denver’s career leader in receptions and touchdowns receiving and Plummer threw for four touchdowns with no interceptions Sunday to help the Broncos snap a two-game losing streak with a 31-13 win over the Houston Texans.

Houston (4-4) was seeking the first three-game winning streak in franchise history and a taste of first place in the AFC South, but the Texans were overmatched.

Ravens 27, Browns 13

BALTIMORE – Burned for a touchdown on the game’s first play, it was hard to imagine the Baltimore Ravens would win on the strength of their special teams.

A spirited defensive stand, capped by an NFL-record 106-yard interception return by Ed Reed, didn’t hurt, either.

Jamal Lewis scored the decisive touchdown with 7:03 left following a 7-yard punt, and Reed sealed the 27-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the waning seconds Sunday night with his game-saving play.

Back from a two-game suspension for violating the NFL substance abuse policy, Lewis ran for 81 yards on 22 carries. But his 2-yard burst into the end zone was set up by two outstanding plays