Gildenberreich » . "This is a very possession-oriented series. N

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The Buffalo Bills were better. In the end, they werent good enough.Thats the message general manager Doug Whaley intends to present the franchises new owners, Terry and Kim Pegula, after Buffalo (9-7) closed its best season in a decade, but still extended the NFLs longest playoff drought to 15 seasons.Were encouraged, but were not satisfied, Whaley said. Weve got things that we can build on. But again, we cant be satisfied until we get into the playoffs.The Bills showed signs of being relevant and having resilience in a year full of distractions — from the death of Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson in March, to a severe snowstorm that forced the team to relocate its home game to Detroit last month — in matching their best finish since 2004.Buffalos strength was a dominating defence that produced three Pro Bowl linemen: Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus.More bitter than sweet, Kyle Williams said.A sputtering offence and inconsistent play at quarterback dragged them down. EJ Manuel was benched after a 2-2 start, and 10-year journeyman Kyle Orton was erratic down the stretch after providing an early spark.That puts Buffalo in the all-too-familiar position of having a big question mark at quarterback. Manuel will be back, but the 2013 first-round draft picks status as a franchise player has been compromised. Orton surprised the team Monday by announcing his intention to retire.It will be up to the Pegulas to determine what approach to take in the coming months.Whaley and coach Doug Marrones jobs are considered safe entering their third seasons. The Pegulas havent ruled out adding a veteran presence to oversee the football operation, with former Bills GM turned broadcaster Bill Polian mentioned as a candidate to fill what would be a newly created role.Here are a number of things that stood out for Buffalo, which finished second in the AFC East after six straight last-place seasons:NOT GOING ANYWHERE: A year after defensive co-ordinator Mike Pettine left Buffalo to take over in Cleveland, Kyle Williams vows to put up a fight should anyone attempt to lure away Pettines successor, Jim Schwartz.Im going to chain him to a car in the parking lot, Williams said. Obviously, wed be happy for him. But hed probably have to leave town with people hanging on his legs.Its premature to tell if the former Detroit Lions coach will be considered for any NFL vacancies. Whats evident is the stamp Schwarz placed on the defence in his first season in Buffalo.The Bills led the NFL with 54 sacks, were third with 30 takeaways, and fourth in yards allowed. They made a marked improvement in stopping the run. After giving up 2,063 yards rushing under Pettine, the Bills allowed just 1,703 this season, the teams fewest since 2004.PEDESTRIAN RUN: Injuries and inconsistent offensive line play led to the Bills finishing with 1,482 yards rushing, the teams fewest in a 16-game season.Fred Jackson was slowed by knee and groin injuries, while co-starter C.J. Spiller missed seven games with a broken collarbone.We failed miserably, Jackson said.TURNING POINTS: Two losses stand out that put huge dents in the Bills playoff hopes.Coming off their bye week at 5-3, Buffalo squandered a 10-point second-half lead in a 17-13 home loss to Kansas City. With the Bills leading 13-3, the game turned on their opening drive of the third quarter. Running back Bryce Brown was three steps from scoring before fumbling into the end zone, where the ball bounced through tight end Scott Chandlers hands and out of bounds for a touchback.Then came the dud at Oakland on Dec. 21. A week after beating Green Bay, the Bills were eliminated with a 26-24 loss to the then-2-12 Raiders.WATKINS CATCHES ON: Sammy Watkins set franchise rookie records with 65 catches and 982 yards receiving, along with a team-best six touchdowns. The trouble was his inconsistency, though he finished fourth in yards among NFL rookies.The Bills traded their first-round pick in the 2015 draft to move up five spots to select Watkins fourth overall. Whaley defended the gamble he took, saying Watkins played to his potential in filling the No. 1 receiver spot.FREE-AGENT WATCH: Spiller, defensive end Jerry Hughes, who finished with 9-1/2 sacks, and run-stuffing linebacker Brandon Spikes head the Bills list of players eligible to become free agents.Whaley intends to make an effort to re-sign Spiller and Hughes. Spikes status is uncertain after rookie Preston Brown established himself as a starter, and with Kiko Alonso set to return after sustaining a season-ending left knee injury in July.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Tyler Lydon Kings Jersey . 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Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros.NEW YORK, N.Y. - They have hung high above the Barclays Center plaza this season, oversized pictures of the faces of the Brooklyn Nets biggest stars. On the court, those players are looking pretty small. Deron Williams couldnt score in the last game. Kevin Garnett has barely scored at all. And the Miami Heat keep proving that when it comes to constructing a super team, still nobody has done it better. Up 2-0 even without needing huge efforts from LeBron James, the Heat try to push the Nets to the brink of elimination when the series shifts to Brooklyn on Saturday night. "We did what we were supposed to do, protecting home court," Miamis Dwyane Wade. "Now it gets interesting. Now were trying to get one in their building. This is when the playoffs get fun." Miami tied a franchise record with its eighth straight playoff victory by pulling away to win 94-82 in Game 2 on Thursday night. The Nets felt better about their effort after getting blown out in the opener, but there was still plenty of cause for alarm. Williams, the former All-Star who teammates insist is their most important player, shot 0 for 9 in the worst playoff game of his career. Garnett, who is 10 days shy of his 38th birthday, missed a couple of point-blank attempts while going 2 for 8, but that was an improvement from his scoreless Game 1. But as they head home, the Nets still believe they can again become the team that beat the Heat all four times during the regular season. "We have a lot of confidence in ourselves," Garnett said. "We just have to go home and defend our home court." James, averaging just 22 points, has won at least one road game in every playoff series since he and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami in 2010. A victory in Brooklyn would make it 14 straight series, giving the Heat the longest streak in NBA history. Brooklyn tried to build a threat to the two-time defending champions last summer by bringing in Garnett and Paul Pierce to join All-Star centre Brook Lopez and the Williams-Joe Johnson backcourt that wass already in place.dddddddddddd They believed their aging roster had a two-year window, but the first could be slammed shut by Monday. Lopez was long ago lost to a broken foot, and while the Nets flourished with a smaller lineup, theyre now facing a team that has won two straight titles playing small-ball. So the Nets need everyone to play well, but so far that looks unlikely. Garnett had 12 rebounds and defended well in Game 2, but shouldve had at least two more baskets. Williams, who has battled ankle problems and been in decline since signing a $98.5 million contract in 2012, passed and rebounded fine, but has to give the Nets points, too. "We look for him to bounce back in Game 3," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. Even with Williams woes, the Nets were within two points midway through the fourth quarter. The Heat couldnt shake them until getting three straight offensive rebounds during a 100-second possession in the closing minutes, and are bracing for another tight one Saturday. "This is a very possession-oriented series. Not a lot of turnovers," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Possessions really, really matter and those extra ones can really be backbreakers." No NBA team has won a series after falling behind 3-0, so it doesnt take all that considerable post-season experience the Nets roster possesses to realize Brooklyn has to win the next game. "We need a win. Its a must-win," Williams said. "We cant afford to go down 3-0. We need to get these at home starting with the one on Saturday." The Nets are only 1-10 against the Heat in the post-season, but they also hadnt defeated Miami in the regular season for 4 1/2 years before ending that 13-game skid with a victory on Nov. 1. That was in their home opener and cemented their belief that they could topple the champs in the spring. They insist that confidence is still there. "Our mindset is positive," reserve Mirza Teletovic said. "We know we can beat this team at home." AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report. ' ' '