For a Buffalo team that has been as injury-riddled as any in the league this season, mixing and matching lineups has become a weekly adventure. But on Sunday the Bills might have finally discovered a mixture that works.

Facing the favored Dolphins at home, Buffalo took advantage of frequent turnovers and rediscovered its running game in a 31-14 dismantling of Miami, a win sparked by a 24-point fourth-quarter explosion.

Defensively, the Bills' ballhawking secondary was on it's A-game, intercepting four passes — three from QB Chad Henne, one from RB Ricky Williams — and holding the Dolphins to just 168 passing yards. Henne's three picks all came in the final quarter, allowing Buffalo to mount a come-from-behind victory after not leading for much of the contest.

On the other side, the Bills replaced struggling RB Marshawn Lynch with Fred Jackson, who proceeded to run for 73 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and add five receptions for 43 more yards. His presence gave the offense a weapon it had been lacking since early in the season.

Sunday's win was the first for interim head coach Perry Fewell, who took over two weeks ago after the firing of Dick Jauron.

"I just think the players had an attitude," said Fewell after the game. "We've been talking about finishing. We've been practicing to finish, offensively, defensively and special teams-wise. And that's what we did (Sunday). We were very fortunate that guys rose up to the challenge."

The PFW spin

At 4-7 with a couple elite teams (Patriots, Colts) left on the schedule, the Bills might not have a whole lot to play for in 2009, but that doesn't mean they are going to give up on the season. If Sunday is any indication, a number of players — and some coaches, too — have plans to use the final month to prove their worth either to the Bills or other organizations around the league, especially with a new regime almost certain to take over the team next season.

Fewell doesn't have much of a chance to return as Buffalo's head coach, but a solid finish to '09 will go a long way toward earning him respect around the league and possibly making him a head-coaching candidate down the line. He definitely had his team playing much more inspired football Sunday, as his players seemed more fired up than they had been in weeks. In stark contrast to the way they had been closing games with a whimper all season, the Bills put forth their best effort in the fourth quarter this time around, piling on a Miami team that had blown them out earlier this season.

The late-game heroics came mainly from the defense, a unit that has shown flashes of excellence at times but hasn't played well consistently. On Sunday, the "D" gave a tremendous showing, especially against the pass. S Donte Whitner had 10 tackles and an INT, LB Chris Draft had seven tackles and a pick and CB Drayton Florence intercepted a pass and had four passes defended. They were just a few of the defense's many bright spots in this one.

Besides the brilliant play of the "D," Fewell also deserves credit for reinserting Jackson as the featured back. Jackson played very well early in the season when Lynch was serving his three-game suspension, but his play dropped off when Lynch returned and stole carries. However, getting back his featured role Sunday, the speedy Jackson provided the offense with a spark and was much more effective than Lynch had been recently. Seeing the difference, Buffalo is likely to leave Jackson in that role, using Lynch more sparingly.

Finally, it's impossible to ignore the improvement the Bills' offense has had since QB Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Trent Edwards in the starting lineup. While Fitzpatrick might not be more talented than Edwards, he at least is willing to take shots downfield instead of checking down every time. Fitzpatrick has thrown for 543 yards over the past two weeks, and his presence has breathed new life into WR Terrell Owens, who has 14 catches for 293 yards and two TDs in the same span. It would be shocking if Fitzpatrick didn't finish out the season as the starter.

The Bills haven't fixed all of their problems, but putting a younger, more energetic coach like Fewell in charge will at least ensure that they play out the year with increased effort and enthusiasm. They are exactly the type of team that could be a major spoiler down the stretch.