ORCHARD PARK - So what's happened to the Buffalo Bills? From early season talk of earning a first-round bye in the playoffs, to the distinct possibility they'll miss the postseason altogether for the ninth straight season, the rise and fall of the young Bills has been fast and furious.

From 4-1 to 5-4, the Bills are in a free fall that's taken them from the top to the bottom of the AFC East in just three weeks. And with three consecutive losses in the division, Buffalo's once promising playoff hopes are quickly evaporating.

“We have to get our swagger back,” running back Fred Jackson said. “Going into these last couple of weeks, we haven't had that normal swagger that we usually have. That's when we were going out and making plays and having fun. That's something we want to address because we know we're better than we're playing.”

Buffalo is tied with Miami in the divisional race, with both teams just a game behind 6-3 New England and the New York Jets. But while the three other teams in the division are heading up, the Bills are passing them on their way south.

The reasons for the collapse have been easy to spot. On offense, the running game is nonexistent, and second-year quarterback Trent Edwards has gone from the toast of the league to a young and confused signal-caller.

Defensively, the Bills can't generate a pass rush let alone a sack, and they haven't been able to take the ball away. Over the past three games - losses to Miami, the New York Jets and the Patriots - Buffalo has a minus-6 turnover ratio.

But even when the defense does steal the ball away, the offense can't capitalize on the gift. With the Bills down 13-3 early in the fourth quarter Sunday at New England, Marcus Stroud forced the ball out of Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel's hands, with safety George Wilson scooping it up to give Buffalo possession at its own 44.

After gaining 20 yards on three consecutive rushes by Marshawn Lynch to get to the Patriots 36, the Bills offense shut down. Edwards was sacked for a 6-yard loss, then missed Robert Royal with a pass on third down.

Following Brian Moorman's 34-yard punt, the Patriots embarked on a 19-play, 92-yard march that was capped by BenJarvus Green-Ellis' 1-yard plunge. The game-sealing drive ate up more than nine minutes, and came a week after the Jets engineered a 14-play drive that chewed up nearly 9 minutes of fourth-quarter time in their win in Buffalo.

“We have the guys in this locker room that can battle back,” Edwards said. “The guys on this team really like each other, and that really helps when you get to a point in the season like this where you need to dig deep.”

The Bills season could be decided over the next three games, as they play three consecutive non-playoff teams - Cleveland, Kansas City and San Francisco.

“Our football team is just in a slump,” coach Dick Jauron said. “We've got to shake it and fight our way out of it.”