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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Phillip Buchanon helped Drew Bledsoe and the Buffalo Bills run out of late-game drama. 

Buchanon intercepted Bledsoe’s pass and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown with eight minutes left, sparking the Oakland Raiders’ 49-31 victory over the Bills on Sunday. 

Rich Gannon finished 23-of-38 for 357 yards while Charlie Garner had 94 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns. The Raiders improved to 4-0 for the sixth time in franchise history, and the first time since 1990. 

Bledsoe had a solid outing, finishing 32-for-53 for 417 yards, his second 400-yard passing game of the season and sixth of his career. Unfortunately, he also threw three interceptions, two of which led to Oakland scores, as the Bills dropped to 2-3. 

After becoming the first NFL team to play three overtime games in its first four outings, the Bills couldn’t produce another late victory. Their two previous losses had been decided by a total of 11 points — with one defeat coming on the first play of overtime — but this was their most lopsided loss of the season. 

Sunday’s game turned on Buchanon’s touchdown. 

With the Raiders clinging to a 35-31 lead, Buchanon stepped in front of Bledsoe’s pass toward Peerless Price and ran it back untouched up the left sideline. 

Buchanon, Oakland’s first-round pick in last April’s draft, has now scored twice this season; he returned a punt for a TD last week. 

Gannon then capped the victory on Oakland’s next possession, hitting Jerry Rice for a 20-yard touchdown pass, while Tory James, with his second interception of the game, snuffed out Buffalo’s last-gasp scoring drive, intercepting Bledsoe’s tipped pass in the end zone. 

The Oakland offense was prolific again, producing 495 yards. The team has 1,846 in four games. Including last week’s 52-25 win over Tennessee, the Raiders now are averaging nearly 41 points a game. 

The Bills haven’t been slouches either, entering the game with the NFL’s sixth-ranked offense. Bledsoe was the league leader in passing yards. 

The two teams lived up to their respective billings, particularly in a rollicking first half when they combined for 42 points — all on touchdowns — in a span of just under 15 minutes. 

The Raiders got on the board first when Gannon hit Jerry Porter on a 29-yard pass with 39 seconds left in the first quarter to cap a 75-yard drive. 

The teams then exchanged scoring drives, and Bledsoe needed only five plays to march Buffalo 98 yards to tie the game at 21 with 40 seconds remaining on Larry Centers’ 5-yard run. The drive included a 54-yard pass to Price, Bledsoe’s longest completion since joining the Bills in a trade from New England last April. 

Bledsoe’s 13-yard pass to Eric Moulds three plays into the third quarter marked his 173rd consecutive attempt without an interception, breaking a franchise record set by Jim Kelly in 1995. 

Bledsoe’s streak ended three attempts later, however, when Troy James stepped in front of a pass to Eric Moulds and ran it back 8 yards to Buffalo’s 37. That led to Zack Crockett’s 1-yard touchdown plunge, which briefly put Oakland up 29-24. 

Bledsoe also moved into 16th place in career completions (2,692) ahead of Steve Young, and into 16th place in career attempts (4,736), passing both John Hadl and Troy Aikman. 

Rice, coming off a 144-yard game, had a tough outing. He finished with four receptions for 77 yards, but he dropped four passes, including a Gannon attempt that slipped off his fingers at the Buffalo 20. 

After becoming the first NFL team to play three overtime games in its first four outings, the Bills couldn’t produce another late victory. Their two previous losses had been decided by a total of 11 points — with one defeat coming on the first play of overtime — but this was their most lopsided loss of the season. 

With the Raiders clinging to a 35-31 lead, Buchanon stepped in front of Bledsoe’s pass toward Peerless Price and ran it back untouched up the left sideline. 

Buchanon, Oakland’s first-round pick in last April’s draft, has now scored twice this season; he returned a punt for a TD last week. 

Gannon then capped the victory on Oakland’s next possession, hitting Jerry Rice for a 20-yard touchdown pass, while Tory James, with his second interception of the game, snuffed out Buffalo’s last-gasp scoring drive, intercepting Bledsoe’s tipped pass in the end zone. 

The Oakland offense was prolific again, producing 495 yards. The team has 1,846 in four games. Including last week’s 52-25 win over Tennessee, the Raiders now are averaging nearly 41 points a game. 

The Bills haven’t been slouches either, entering the game with the NFL’s sixth-ranked offense. Bledsoe was the league leader in passing yards. 

The two teams lived up to their respective billings, particularly in a rollicking first half when they combined for 42 points — all on touchdowns — in a span of just under 15 minutes. 

The Raiders got on the board first when Gannon hit Jerry Porter on a 29-yard pass with 39 seconds left in the first quarter to cap a 75-yard drive. 

The teams then exchanged scoring drives, and Bledsoe needed only five plays to march Buffalo 98 yards to tie the game at 21 with 40 seconds remaining on Larry Centers’ 5-yard run. The drive included a 54-yard pass to Price, Bledsoe’s longest completion since joining the Bills last April. 

Bledsoe’s 13-yard pass to Eric Moulds three plays into the third quarter marked his 173rd consecutive attempt without an interception, breaking a franchise record set by Jim Kelly in 1995. 

Bledsoe’s streak ended three attempts later, however, when Troy James stepped in front of a pass to Eric Moulds and ran it back 8 yards to Buffalo’s 37. That led to Zack Crockett’s 1-yard touchdown plunge, which briefly put Oakland up 29-24. 

Bledsoe also moved into 16th place in career completions (2,692) ahead of Steve Young, and into 16th place in career attempts (4,736). 

Rice, coming off a 144-yard game, had a tough outing. He finished with four receptions for 77 yards, but he dropped four passes.