RAM NOTES : Lofton’s NFL Receiving Record Was Just a Matter of Timing

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. —  As far as 100 or so relatives, former teammates and friends of James Lofton were concerned, it was now or never. They had gathered Sunday at Rich Stadium to see the Bills’ receiver establish the NFL’s all-time record for receiving yards and, as Lofton put it, “I wasn’t going to buy them all a ticket to San Francisco for next week’s game.”

Late in the fourth quarter, with the final seconds ticking down on Buffalo’s 40-7 victory over the Rams, the Bills’ coaching staff was still debating the issue and Lofton was still a couple of yards short of former Seattle great Steve Largent’s record for career receiving yards (13,089).

“As a rule, you don’t do anything you wouldn’t normally do to have someone break a record,” Buffalo Coach Marv Levy said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before. I had a lot of trepidation about doing it because he is exposed to injury in a game that is essentially won.”

With Frank Reich in the game at quarterback, the Bills threw three passes to Lofton on their final drive. The first went for 11 yards, the second fell incomplete and the third was good for four yards, giving Lofton 13,091 and the record.

Everyone in the stands and on the field knew what to expect and Reich had to scramble away from pressure on the play. Lofton was forced to adjust his pattern, but somehow they managed to hook up for the completion as Todd Lyght and Michael Stewart combined for the tackle.

“There was nowhere to go, so I just moved around a little and Frank got it to me,” Lofton said. “In a way, it’s kind of nice that it didn’t come on an artistic touchdown. It was just a down-in-the-dirt type play.

“My teammates and even one official told me how close I was during the game. We were running the ball exceptionally well and we didn’t have a great need to pass the ball. When the fourth quarter started, we were just grinding it out. I’m sitting over there thinking about all the people who came into town and how hollow it would be to get it on the road.

“It couldn’t have been more fitting because I really had to work for it. Words can’t describe it, but I’m really happy.”

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Not in the mood: Ram running back Robert Delpino said he was a bit bothered by the Bills’ prolonged celebration after Lofton’s record-breaking reception.

The officials stopped the game and presented Lofton with the game ball, to be delivered to the Hall of Fame, and many of Lofton’s teammates ran onto the field to congratulate him.

“I was happy for James Lofton, but I felt they could’ve waited until after the game to do all that, tell you the truth,” Delpino said. “The clock was running. . .”

“You’re up 33 points. I don’t think that’s really necessary, but that’s a coaching decision. He (Levy) lets the players do that. That’s not for me to judge, publicly, but I guess I just did.”

Cornerback Todd Lyght, however, who was covering Lofton most of the time the Bills were trying to get him the record, said he didn’t mind the party on the field.

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Add Lofton: While Lofton waited on the sidelines, Levy and receivers coach Charlie Joiner, a former All-Pro receiver with Houston, Cincinnati and San Diego, debated his fate.

“It was sort of like, ‘Gee, I don’t know if we should or shouldn’t take the chance’ and so on and so forth,” Levy said. “Finally, I said, ‘Charlie, we’re going to do it,’ and he said, ‘Good.’ ”

After the game, Levy asked Joiner if he would have been in favor of having Lofton go for it if the record was Joiner’s.

Said Joiner: “I would have suggested we go with four tight ends.”

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Long afternoon: Left tackle Gerald Perry, considered by Coach Chuck Knox as one of the keys to the team’s success this season, conceded he was outplayed by Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith, who collected two sacks, knocked down two passes and harassed Jim Everett relentlessly.

“He gave me all I could handle today,” Perry said. “In order for us to win, I can’t have the quarterback getting hit like that all the time. I’m very upset with the way I played.

“It’ll be a long time before it happens again.”

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Silver lining: Knox did not have many highlights to ponder in this game, but he seemed to count the play of No. 1 pick Sean Gilbert as one.

Gilbert played most of the game and registered four solo tackles and tipped a pass. He appeared to put some pressure on quarterback Jim Kelly from his left defensive tackle spot.

“He made a lot of plays in there,” Knox said. “That’s the longest he’s played. He’s going to be an impact football player when he matures. The only way he’s going to do that is by being in there. He was up against some pretty good football players today and he looked good.”

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Losin’ time/winnin’ time: Magic Johnson made the trek to Buffalo and watched the first half from the Rams’ sideline. After the Bills built a 27-7 halftime lead, Johnson came around to stroll up and down in front of the Buffalo bench.

He left the game wearing a Bills’ cap.

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Streakers: A Knox-coached team had not allowed a touchdown in 14 consecutive quarters at Rich Stadium, but Kelly and Co. took care of that streak in short order, scoring on their second possession in the first quarter. . . . Lofton, who caught six passes for 56 yards, now has 705 receptions and is only the fourth player in NFL history to catch more than 700 passes in his career. . . . Buffalo kicker Steve Christie, who missed an extra point after the Bills’ fourth touchdown in the first half, had connected on 52 PATs in a row before the miss. He made 49 consecutive while with Tampa Bay and three with Buffalo.

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Injury report: Rams hurt Sunday were cornerback Darryl Henley (elbow), safety Pat Terrell (neck) and tackle Gerald Perry (calf), but none of the injuries are believed serious.

Times staff writer Tim Kawakami contributed to this story.