ORCHARD PARK, NY (AP) -- As quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick slowly and stiffly limped toward the Buffalo Bills training room Monday, it was difficult to determine which hurt more: his body or his troubled conscience.
Though he felt better nearly an hour later after getting treatment for an assortment of aches and pains, Fitzpatrick's mind was still uneasy. He couldn't help but keep blaming himself a day after committing five of Buffalo's seven turnovers in a 34-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
"It's hard to come here the day after a game knowing you let your teammates down," said Fitzpatrick, who threw a season-worst three interceptions and lost two fumbles. "I mean, we got embarrassed out there."
That was certainly not how Fitzpatrick had expected Buffalo to measure itself against the NFL's elite and show how the Bills might finally be on the right track in a season they opened with eight straight losses.
"It shows we have to go a long way," he said.
The only thing consoling Fitzpatrick is knowing the Bills (4-11) will get one more chance to prove themselves in closing out the season Sunday at the playoff-bound New York Jets (10-5). A win against the Jets would allow the Bills to go 5-3 over the second half and finish the season with a 2-4 record against their division after they ended Miami's playoff hopes with a 17-14 win Dec. 19.
"That's the goal," Fitzpatrick said. "The guys in the locker room, the way we've fought and played all season long, I think we deserve to win. And that's what we're going to try to go out there and do."
Buffalo's down-then-up season took a dreadful U-turn against an AFC East rival that's had the Bills' number for the past decade. The Patriots scored 24 points on four consecutive first-half possessions to beat Buffalo for the 15th straight time and 20th in 21 meetings.
Three of Fitzpatrick's five turnovers led to 21 New England points. Rookie C.J. Spiller also lost two fumbles, including a muffed punt in a game in which nothing went right for Buffalo.
The defense gave up 217 yards rushing - the eighth time this season an opponent has reached the 200-yard mark against the Bills to match a franchise worst set in 1978. The Bills have also tied the team low set in 1984 in having allowed 30 points eight times this year.
Coach Chan Gailey maintained his confidence in Fitzpatrick, who has gone 4-9 since taking over the starting job in Week 3.
"Everybody has tough days," Gailey said. "We've just got to get back to basics with him and let him continue to do what he was doing before yesterday."
NOTES: Gailey said Fitzpatrick may get Wednesday off from practice to rest, but would return Thursday. ... The Bills have allowed 387 points, which already ranks fifth worst in team history, and is 11 short of passing the team's third-worst total. ... The seven turnovers marked the 10th time the Bills have had that many in a game, one short of the team record set in a 20-10 loss at New England on Nov. 7, 1976.
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
