TORONTO (AP) - In their relentlessly frustrating search for a victory, the Buffalo Bills have now proven they’re equally as bumbling on both sides of the border.
They’re now 0-for-Canada after dropping their first seven in the United States, losing 22-19 to the Chicago Bears in Buffalo’s home-away-from home at Toronto on Sunday.
It hurts,” Bills coach Chan Gailey said. “It feels like someone kicked you in the stomach.”
The Bills (0-8) are the NFL’s only winless team and are off to their worst start in 26 years.
They led 19-14 in the fourth quarter and were driving for another score when Tim Jennings picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick. Six plays later, Earl Bennett scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 2-yard touchdown catch from Jay Cutler with 6:41 left.
Cutler finished 17 of 30 for 188 and threw two touchdown passes, including a 4-yarder to Greg Olsen. Cutler lost one fumble, but was far more efficient than his last outing when he threw four interceptions in a 17-14 loss to Washington on Oct. 24.
Bears safety Chris Harris ended the Bills’ chances in the final minute, by intercepting Fitzpatrick again when the quarterback’s pass tipped off the fingers of receiver Donald Jones.
Fitzpatrick went 31 of 51 for 299 yards and a touchdown to Roscoe Parrish.
Chester Taylor scored on a 1-yard plunge for the Bears (5-3), who came out of their bye week to end a two-game skid.
“We needed this one,” Urlacher said. “We found a way to get it done.”
They got it done courtesy of a juggling catch by Jennings, who made the game-turning pick after the Bears gave up consecutive scores to fall behind 19-14.
Setting himself in the middle of the field, Jennings read the play perfectly when Fitzpatrick attempted to hit Steve Johnson deep up the right sideline. Driving to his left, Jennings timed his leap to get a piece of the ball, and then bobbled it several times before securing it and taking it 39 yards to the Bills 23.
“I almost dropped that ball about four or five times, but I was able to regain it,” said Jennings, who maintained his balance while, at one point reaching backward to snag the ball. “I was just playing that play aggressive, because we knew we needed a turnover.”
After Cutler found Bennett open in the right side of the end zone, he converted the 2-point attempt with a shovel pass to Matt Forte to put Chicago up by 3.
The Bills have now lost three straight by a 3 points. The other two were in overtime _ 13-10 at Kansas City last weekend, and 37-34 at Baltimore on Oct. 24.
“It’s tough. We’re fighting. You could see it out there,” said Johnson, who finished with 11 catches for 145 yards. “I don’t know what to say. It’s just not happening in the end.”
The Bills did mostly everything else right. They outgained the Bears 340-283, had more first downs, 22-19, and converted 10 of 16 third-down chances against a defense that entered the game the best in the NFL at forcing fourth down.
Fred Jackson lost a fumble when he was stripped by Charles Tillman early in the third quarter. The Bears took over and went ahead 14-7 on Taylor’s score.
Rian Lindell had his extra point blocked by Israel Idonije, preventing Buffalo from tying the game at 14 following Jackson’s scored on a 4-yard run.
It was the first time Lindell missed an extra point attempt in his 10-year NFL career, ending his streak at 321 _ the fourth longest in NFL history.
Even their supposed “home” crowd was against them, as there was a large and loud contingent of blue and orange clad Bears fans in the stands. A banner hung from the upper-deck facade that read: “Ditka 4 Prime Minister.”
“It seemed like it was close to 50-50 out there,” Gailey said. “That’s our responsibility. We’ve got to play better so that these people become Bills fans, and we fill it with Bills people.”
The game was Buffalo’s third regular-season game in Toronto as part of a five-year deal. The Bills have lost all three. The announced crowd of 50,746, came short of filling the 54,000-seat downtown dome.
Idonije, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Canada’s prairie province of Manitoba, wasn’t about to complain.
“Great Canadian fans came out,” Idonije said. “It was like a home game with a lot of Bears fans in the crowd. It was great.”
NOTES: Bears DE Juilius Peppers was slow to get off the field late in the game when he made a diving attempt to tackle Fitzpatrick. Smith said Peppers should be OK. … Bills Parrish hurt his wrist, and said is scheduled to have tests to determine the severity of the injury. … Lindell’s streak is the longest to start a career in NFL history. … Taylor’s TD gave the Bears their first points in the third quarter this season. They had been outscored 22-0.
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