OAKLAND, Calif. -- Unable to make the playoffs for the 12th straight year, the are doing a good job keeping other teams out of the postseason. threw two touchdown pa ses, kicked four field goals, and the knocked the from playoff contention with a 26-24 victory Sunday."I can't say enough good things about this team," interim coach said. "I love the guys in that locker room. They're fighters. Anytime somebody counts them out, they bounce back. It's a great sign of character."The (8-7) needed to win their final two games and get some help to end the NFL's longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons. But they failed at the easiest part -- beating the lowly (3-12) Karl Malone Jersey -- and will mi s the playoffs for a 15th straight year."When you've gone this long and you're right there with a chance, and you put it all on the line and you don't come through, it hurts," quarterback said.Oakland has the second longest active postseason drought at 12 but has done a good job of playing spoiler in the past five weeks, beating Kansas City, San Francisco and Buffalo after starting the season 0-10."This team has never really gotten down to the point where we were ready to give up," safety said. "It's always been an upbeat attitude with the guys on the team, and it shows out there each week."Carr wasn't that sharp, completing just 17 of 34 pa ses for 214 yards, but the rookie did what and couldn't: throw a touchdown pa s against Buffalo's stout defense.He tied the game with a scoring throw to in the second quarter and then sealed it with a 1-yarder to with 2:51 to go."You see what that defense did to the best quarterbacks in the league," Carr said. "When you turn the film on and see what they're doing, you know it's going to be tough. At the start it sure was tough."The second TD came after Oakland stopped Buffalo on a third-and-1 near midfield when deflected a pa s to and Carr converted a third-and-22 with a 51-yard completion to . then ran it 25 yards down to the 1, and Carr hit Olawale two plays later to seal Buffalo's fate.After Janikowski mi sed a 48-yard field goal attempt, Orton threw a 30-yard touchdown pa s to with 1:09 to play to cut it to 26-24. But Woodson recovered the ensuing onside kick to end it.The came into the game vowing not to overlook the two-win . But Orton struggled after an early touchdown pa s to , throwing an interception and posting five straight three-and-outs on Buffalo's next six po se sions to put the in a hole they never could overcome.The ran for just 13 yards despite the return of from a broken collarbone. That was their worst rushing performance since gaining 4 yards against Tenne see on Nov. 23, 1997."At the end of the day, they got after us up front and they kicked our butt up front," coach said. "When you do that, it's difficult to run, pa s, do a lot of things."Instead of having a playoff berth po sibly on the line next week in New England, the can start looking ahead to next season and figuring out what to do at quarterback. Orton failed to get Buffalo over the hump after replacing ineffective second-year player .Orton went 32 for 49 for 329 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.The got a pair of field goals from Janikowski in the third quarter to take a 19-10 lead, but the managed to stay within striking distance by keeping Oakland out of the end zone.Buffalo then got right back into it on the opening play of the fourth quarter when Orton connected on a 29-yard touchdown pa s to to make it 19-17.But that was as close as it would get.Copyright 2014 by The A sociated Pre s Justin Wright-Foreman Jersey