OAKLAND, Calif. - With about two minutes left, an assistant turned to Norv Turner and told the coach that Jerry Rice's record receptions streak was in jeopardy.

Turner couldn't do much. The game was on the line. It made no sense to pass.

Rice's run of 274 straight games with a catch came to an end, and Ronald Curry's big day Sunday showed the Oakland Raiders will no longer rely as much on Rice in their talented receiving corps. Curry caught five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 13-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

"I try to work hard, and if things happen, they happen," Rice said. "But today it didn't happen and I'm man enough to deal with the situation. I have never backed away from it and I look forward to the next opportunity."

Rice is still a starter, but has said he's willing to accept a lesser role if it helps the Raiders (1-1) rebound from last season's 4-12 debacle. He didn't get a pass thrown his way until 21/2 minutes before halftime - and that was the only one.

"I would like to see Jerry continue his streak," Turner said. "I'm disappointed he didn't get a catch."

The last time Rice didn't catch a pass was Dec. 1, 1985, at Washington. Rice was substituted almost every other play during Oakland's second-to-last drive. He came out with 2:37 left during a Buffalo timeout and threw his helmet to the ground, causing it to bounce over a metal bench.

He yelled in frustration and paced the sideline for several minutes, twice taking a seat alone.

Afterward, he joked about the whole thing.

"Oh yeah, I was working on my kicking, just in case (Sebastian Janikowski) had a little trouble," Rice said of booting the 30-yard marker. "I'm a competitor. You get a little frustrated at times and I apologize for that. Otherwise, I just enjoy the game and I love being a part of it, and I want to contribute to the team. It didn't happen today."

Drew Bledsoe's first career game in Oakland wasn't much fun, either. Playing before Raider Nation for the first time in his 12th season, Bledsoe was sacked seven times and struggled to take advantage of good field position for the second straight week.

Three of the sacks came in the first half, when Bledsoe's 31 yards passing were only 7 more than those of Bills punter Brian Moorman. In Buffalo's first two games, it has failed to score on five drives of 10 plays or more.

DeLawrence Grant had two sacks for the Raiders, who played the Bills in Oakland for the first time since 1977.

"I didn't throw it well enough, we didn't block well enough, we didn't run well enough, we didn't catch the ball well enough," Bledsoe said. "We're a better offense than what we showed. We have to execute better. There were some glaring mistakes."

The Raiders staged a goal-line stand on the first play of the fourth quarter, stopping Travis Henry for no gain on fourth-and-1.

The Bills (0-2) finally got in the end zone with 1:20 left when Bledsoe hit Eric Moulds for a 5-yard TD after the ball was deflected by Ray Buchanan. Jerry Porter recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Curry caught a 43-yard TD pass from Rich Gannon in the second period, then Janikowski kicked field goals of 21 and 33 yards. Buchanan intercepted a pass and returned it 27 yards early in the third to set up Janikowski's first field goal.

Gannon played a clean game after fumbling three times and throwing two interceptions last week in a 24-21 loss at Pittsburgh. But Gannon, the 2002 NFL MVP, also was frustrated that Oakland outgained the Bills only 273-243. He had no idea Rice's record was on the line.

"Knowing Jerry like I do, I'm sure he'll start another streak," Gannon said.

The Bills managed only a 32-yard field goal by Rian Lindell after getting 48 yards of help from Raiders penalties on one drive - two by star cornerback

Charles Woodson. Notes: Oakland's Robert Gallery,

the No. 2 overall pick out of Iowa, made his first start at right tackle and was flagged for a false start in the second quarter. ... The teams combined for 17 penalties, 10 by Oakland. ... Gannon finished 19-for-27 for 209 yards. ... Moorman threw a 24-yard completion to Kevin Thomas on a fake punt.