ORCHARD PARK, N.Y., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Rookie Travis Henry rushed for 101 yards and scored on a one-yard run with 7:51 left in the fourth quarter Sunday to lift the Buffalo Bills to a 25-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
The Bills (2-10) won for the first time in seven home games this season and snapped a six-game losing streak overall.
"It was a good win. Any win is a good win," Bills rookie coach Gregg Williams said. "The guys did a great job at halftime. I thought the guys made plays in the second half at significant times and we were able to correct the errors in the first half."
The defeat extended the Panthers' franchise-record losing streak to 12 games since a season-opening win at Minnesota.
In the latest loss, Carolina squandered a 24-6 lead as rookie quarterback Chris Weinke passed for a touchdown and rushed for another score. He completed 15 of 30 for 153 yards with an interception.
"We did not execute the way we did in the first half, turned the ball over a few times in the second half and when you do that, you are not going to be in a position to put points on the board," Weinke said.
"If you don't score points in the second half, you are going to let the team back in the game, regardless of what the score is. It always gives the other team hope."
Alex Van Pelt, who was 20 of 29 for 277 yards, started the comeback with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Peerless Price with one second left in the first half.
"This shows a lot about the character of this team," Price said. "I don't think we have really given up in any game. We have always fought to the end and this one we were able to pull it out."
Rookie linebacker Brandon Spoon returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown with 5:39 left in the third quarter, pulling the Bills within 24-19. They failed on the two-point conversion.
The crowd of 44,549 was the lowest here since 41,231 showed up for a game against Jacksonville four years ago. Part of the day's activities was a ceremony in which former Buffalo coach Marv Levy was presented his Hall of Fame ring. Levy was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.
Buffalo outgained the Panthers, 369 yards to 231, and controlled the ball for nearly 35 minutes.
After John Kasay kicked a 37-yard field goal for Carolina and Shayne Graham booted a 20-yarder for Buffalo in the first quarter, the Panthers exploded for 21 second-quarter points and held a 24-13 halftime advantage.
Weinke scored on a one-yard run -- his sixth rushing touchdown of the season -- 4:33 into the quarter to cap a 10-play, 54-yard drive.
But on Buffalo's ensuing possession, nickel back Reggie Howard returned an interception 16 yards to the Buffalo 36. After a pass interference penalty against Bills nickel back Chris Watson, Richard Huntley scored on a two-yard run to give Carolina a 17-3 lead with 8:05 left in the half.
After a 27-field goal by Graham, the Panthers took advantage of a 46-yard kick return by rookie Steve Smith to the Buffalo 41. Six plays later, Weinke hit tight end Kris Mangum with a two-yard touchdown pass, increasing Carolina's lead to 24-6 with 36 seconds left in the half.
But Van Pelt drove the Bills 70 yards in just 35 seconds. He hit Eric Moulds with consecutive passes for 25 and 12 yards and connected with Price on a 26-yard play to the Carolina seven. With the final seconds ticking off the clock, Van Pelt hit Price with a seven-yard touchdown to pull the Panthers within 24-13.
"It gave us momentum at halftime," Williams said. "We used it as a catalyst knowing we would come back out and play hard."
"We allow them to go right down the field and score a touchdown on us," Panthers coach George Seifert said. "That basically put them back in the ballgame. Buffalo played very effectively in the second half. The running back (Travis Henry) ran hard. Defensively they put the clamps on us and we weren't very dynamic."
The first major break in the second half came when Spoon picked off a pass that was tipped by cornerback Nate Clements and returned it 44 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown, pulling the Bills within 24-19 with 5:39 left in the third quarter after the failed two-point conversion.
"We were in a regular zone coverage and I dropped back and Nate made a great play on the ball, tipped it up in the air. I just ran under it," Spoon said. "I saw daylight ahead of me. I just took off. I saw everybody clearing the offensive players out. If I didn't score, I was going to hear it for the rest of my career."
Henry, who carried the ball 27 times for his second 100-yard game of the season, gave Buffalo its first lead with 7:51 left. The Bills again failed on the two-point conversion.
Tight end Jay Riemersma starred on the winning drive, catching passes of 19, 9 and 18 yards from Van Pelt.
Muhsin Muhammad returned for Carolina after missing two games with a shoulder injury and caught eight passes for 104 yards.
