ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The wind and Willis McGahee are providing the Buffalo Bills a formidable one-two punch.

Negating the effects of 25-plus mph winds blowing off Lake Erie, McGahee led Buffalo’s ball-control offense with a career-high 132 yards rushing and a touchdown in the Bills 22-17 win over the Jets yesterday.

The Jets (6-2) were coming off a 41-14 win over Miami last Monday and attempting to match their best start in franchise history. But their problems might be worse than the game’s outcome. Quarterback Chad Pennington bruised his right shoulder and did not return after he was sacked for a 13-yard loss midway through the fourth quarter.

Pennington said he was initially hurt in the first quarter, when he scrambled up the middle for a 12-yard gain before he fumbled. He finished 7-of-15 for 141 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown to Justin McCareins.

Pennington approached coach Her man Edwards to pull him after his last two drives ended with an interception and a sack.

“There’s a fine line, stay in there and suck it up, but maybe hurt the team,” Pennington said. “It just felt like I was hurting the team more than I was helping the team.”

Pennington will have further tests today, but plans on playing next week against Baltimore.

Buffalo (3-5) won its third game in four outings, and third straight at home – all with McGahee as a starter. And the weather has played a factor each time.

“We’re supposed to be a bad-weather team,” receiver Eric Moulds said. “Teams don’t want to come in here and play in this situation. We know that, and we have to use it to our advantage.”

McGahee’s 37 carries tied him for second most in a game in franchise history; O.J. Simpson, with 39, holds the record. Buffalo’s 2003 first-round draft pick, Mc-Gahee missed his rookie season recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.

Curtis Martin, who entered the game the NFL’s third-leading rusher this season, was limited to a season-low 67 yards. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Martin was tackled by Pat Williams in the end zone for a safety.

With the game tied at 10 at the half, the Bills took the lead for good when Drew Bledsoe capped a 13-play, 77-yard drive with a 4-yard pass to Evans to start the third quarter.

After Pennington’s injury, Quincy Carter took over and completed a 51-yard TD pass to Santana Moss, cutting the Bills’ lead to 22-17 with 4:06 left.

The Bills responded with an eight play, 37-yard drive to run out the clock. They might have caught a break in extending that final drive when officials ruled Lee Evans kept both feet inbounds on a 27-yard reception up the right sideline on third-and-8 with 2:31 remaining. But the Jets were unable to challenge after having used their three timeouts.

Edwards shrugged his shoulders when asked about the call, adding that he would’ve challenged the play.

“I think the whole team is frustrated,” Edwards said. “We knew we were going to have to play well to win the game. And we didn’t do that.”