Published: November 03, 2008 12:34 am      

BILLS NOTEBOOK: Running game struggles in loss to Jets

ORCHARD PARK — Maybe the Buffalo Bills should have stuck with the Wildcat formation Sunday. At least from that play in the second quarter, running back Fred Jackson was able to gain positive yardage.

As far as highlights go from the Bills’ run game during Sunday’s 26-17 loss to the New York Jets, that was about it. With massive defensive tackle Kris Jenkins leading the way, the Jets held the Bills to just 30 rushing yards.

The ugly final numbers: Marshawn Lynch — nine carries, 16 yards; Jackson — seven carries, 15 yards, quarterback Trent Edwards — one carry, minus-1 yard. That’s 17 carries that managed just 1.8 yards per rush.

“They’re a good defense,” Jackson said. “It’s not just this game. They’ve shown it consistently all year.”

It didn’t help the Bills that Lynch — the team’s first-round pick in 2007 who has struggled on the field this year and refused all season to talk to the media off it — missed the second quarter after falling ill. On the last play of the first quarter, New York cornerback Abram Elam intercepted Edwards and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown. Lynch sprinted the entire field in an effort to bring down Elam, nearly reaching him just before the goal line. After that play, CBS television cameras showed him on the bench being tended to by trainers. Lynch then went to the locker room before returning after halftime.

“Marshawn was just nauseous. He gets worked up for games, and he’s been nauseous before and he gets a little light-headed, so he just kind of had to wait for it to pass,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said. “This was probably the worst it’s been and hopefully it won’t happen again.”

Nauseous was a good word to describe Bills’ fans feelings after watching the run game get continually stuffed.

“It was definitely an issue. We just need to run the ball more effectively,” Jauron said.

As for the Wildcat, popularized this season by Ronnie Brown and the Miami Dolphins, Jackson picked up a first down on a third-and-1 play from the Jets’ 20 after taking the snap.

“It’s something that we practice all the time, it just doesn’t get called too much in the game,” Jackson said. “It’s something that we have in our arsenal and hopefully we use it some more.”

Injury update

Safety Donte Whitner, who lined up at cornerback a few times against the Jets, was injured late in the fourth quarter. Whitner appeared to injure his arm or shoulder on the play, though Jauron offered little on the situation after the game, other than too say Whitner returned to the game. After the game, Whitner was spotted in the locker room with his right arm in a sling.

Bills right guard Jason Whittle, filling in for injured starter Brad Butler, was hurt and did not return in the fourth quarter. Jauron declined to discuss the nature of Whittle’s injury.

Among the injured inactives Sunday for the Bills were defensive end Aaron Schobel (foot), cornerback Ashton Youboty (foot), wide receiver Josh Reed (ankle) and right guard Brad Butler (knee). Defensive tackle John McCargo was also an inactive.

Random ramblings

New York quarterback Brett Favre won his first career game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Favre had been 0-3 in previous trips. ... Bills tight end Derek Fine’s first career reception went for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter. For more on Fine’s game, read the Bills feature spotlight in Tuesday’s edition.

Contact reporter Jay Skurski at 693-1000, ext. 117.