ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In theory, they could have done more. The Buffalo Bills could have chased their fans from the stands by, say, spraying water directly from the bench and into the seats. They could have lobbed benches or, maybe, lawn darts.

They tried everything else, by doing absolutely nothing against one of the worst teams in the National Football League. The Bills could not pass, could not follow the rules and, by the end of the fourth quarter, could not have been playing in front of many repeat customers at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Fans began trickling from the stands before halftime, leaving thousands of seats bare as Cleveland Browns kicker Billy Cundiff hit a chip shot with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter, securing a 6-3 win. Buffalo falls to 1-4, level with Cleveland (1-4) and the other lesser lights of the league.

Head coach Dick Jauron, already on the hot seat before kickoff, will almost certainly be set aflame by the Bills faithful this week, if he is not fired outright. Kick returner Roscoe Parrish — whose fumble led to the late field goal — and quarterback Trent Edwards will also be less adored than they were before.

If the tenor of local talk radio was any indication, most of the fans arrived angry, only to get progressively angrier as the Bills stumbled and tripped across the field. Jeers cascaded down the stands on the team’s first possession, which stammered with a penalty, faltered with a sack and ended with one in an endless array of punts.

Buffalo and Cleveland combined for seven punts in the first half, but only nine completed passes. Browns starter Derek Anderson was one of eight for 16 yards at halftime, and was still somehow in the lead, with a field goal giving the visitors what threatened to become an insurmountable advantage.

The Bills were not just bad, nor even awful. They were inept, an abject failure.

And the news only got worse. Linebacker Kawika Mitchell appeared to injure his right leg early in the second quarter and had to be carted to the dressing room, where he would never return, leaving an already thin defence on the verge of recruiting from the stands.

Buffalo was already playing without linebacker Paul Posluszny (broken arm) and lost backup Marcus Buggs to a leg injury in the third quarter. Safety Donte Whitner (thumb) was inactive for the game, and cornerback Leodis McKelvin (leg) had been placed on the season-ending injured reserve.

Most of the pre-game anger had been focused on Jauron, who will reportedly make a base salary of $3 million US_this year, with a contract that runs through each of the next two seasons. The Bills have posted three straight 7-9 seasons, and are threatening to take two or three steps backward this year.

Edwards completed eight of 14 passes for 63 yards in the first half — which make him look like Joe Montana in comparison to Anderson — but was never able to find either of his well-known receivers when it mattered.

Terrell Owens sprinted, open and unnoticed. Tight end Shawn Nelson caught a short pass when it was third and long. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, running back Marshawn Lynch led all receivers with five catches for 55 yards.

The Bills, meanwhile, had committed 75 yards in penalties.

And the only worse offences were committed against the fans.