716 style! LOL

Buffalo Bills hosting the Saint Louis Rams.. Ralph Wilson Stadium

The Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams are two sub-.500 football teams that, thanks to ultra-tight wild card races in both conferences, are still mathematically alive for post-season contention. 

That's the angle both teams will be taking to this game; another apt angle: these are two middling football teams that are bad slightly more often than they're good.

Still, for a Bills team that is still fighting to prove that it's better than last year's 6-10 outfit that started the season 5-2, this Rams team - tough on defense, intermittently efficient on offense and much-improved in their first season under head coach Jeff Fisher - is a good way to measure the team's progress. A win in a winnable game against an evenly-matched opponent is not something that the Bills have routinely turned in. They'll have that chance today.

Russell Salvatore steps up to ensure Bills-Rams not blacked out

Six days ago, the Buffalo Bills revealed they still had more than 10,000 tickets unsold for Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams in Ralph Wilson Stadium.

They've suddenly all been spoken for. The game will be shown on local TV within a 75-mile radius of Orchard Park.

Bills CEO Russ Brandon announced on his weekly WGR segment that local restaurateur Russell Salvatore has committed to purchasing the unsold inventory. That means tickets remain on sale.

The Bills had their first blackout of the season last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bills sold out 26 straight games from the start of 2007 and into the 2010 season. But they've struggled mightily since that streak.

Ralph Wilson Stadium failed to fill up for three of their last five home games in 2010 and for each of the final three games last season.

So they needed Salvatore to avoid an eighth blackout in their past 18 games.

Brandon also announced over 10,000 tickets remain unsold for the season-finale against the New York Jets on Dec. 30.

Buffalo Bills’ 34-18 win over Jacksonville Jaguars

They did it in resilient fashion after losing five regulars to injuries, and in sloppy conditions — with a persistent drizzle falling for much of the afternoon.

Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes and scored on a 1-yard run. Fred Jackson had 109 yards rushing, and C.J. Spiller scored on a 44-yard touchdown run to provide a spark to an injury-depleted offense that was already missing No. 2 receiver Donald Jones (calf).

The injuries then mounted as leading receiver Stevie Johnson (left hamstring), starting center Eric Wood (left knee) and starting right tackle Chris Hairston (right ankle) all couldn’t finish the game.

The Bills also got a boost from a Mario Williams-led defense that forced two turnovers, had four sacks, stopped the Jaguars on all three fourth-down attempts and allowed just 236 yards.

“I’m not worried about a month ago,” defensive tackle Kyle Williams said, when reminded of how many games the Bills had squandered. “Obviously, yes, we wish we could’ve played this well earlier. But the only thing I can control is what’s in front of me.”

The Jaguars (2-10) played the role of pushover in failing to carry over much momentum a week after they ended a seven-game skid with a 24-19 win over Tennessee.

“We did take a step back,” quarterback Chad Henne said. “It was poor execution on our part.”

After going 33 of 59 for 615 yards and six TDs in his past two games, Henne struggled against Buffalo. He finished 18 of 41 for 208 yards passing. He lost a fumble, after being stripped by Mario Williams, and also threw a game-ending interception that was picked off by safety Jairus Byrd.

Henne scored on a 1-yard run, and also connected with Cecil Shorts III for a 5-yard touchdown a play after Bills backup punt-returner Justin Rodgers fumbled a punt inside his own 10 early in the fourth quarter.

Otherwise, the Jaguars had difficulty moving the ball. After Henne scored to put them ahead 10-7 with 3:47 left in the second quarter, the Jaguars managed just five first downs on their next four possessions, which ended with a lost fumble, a failed fourth-down conversion and two punts.

The Bills went ahead for good with 1:56 left in the second quarter when Fitzpatrick hit tight end Scott Chandler for an 11-yard touchdown.