Memories to Bring a Chill : Raiders: The plays that <i> didn’t </i> get made will haunt L.A. during the off-season.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Quarterback Jeff Hostetler did not try to hide his frustration from reporters after the Raiders’ 29-23 playoff loss to Buffalo on Saturday.

That’s because he knew that the Raiders’ roller-coaster season would still be going if they had made more plays when they needed to after taking an 11-point lead in the second quarter.

“You figure that maybe on a day like today (with wind-chill of 32 below) that 23 points would be enough to win,” said Hostetler, who completed 14 of 20 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown.

“We shot ourselves in the foot on offense and we killed ourselves by not making some plays and having too many penalties.”

When the Raiders look back at their final game of the season, they will remember several costly plays.

They will remember nine penalties for 77 yards, headed by Howie Long, who was drawn offside four times by quarterback Jim Kelly.

The Raiders will remember Jeff Jaeger’s short kickoff that was returned 67 yards by Steve Tasker, which led to Buffalo’s first touchdown and gave the Bills’ a 6-3 second-quarter lead.

Cornerback Torin Dorn, who played most of the game as the Raiders’ extra defensive back against the Bills’ spread offense, will remember two key pass plays that led to Buffalo touchdowns.

The first came with the Raiders ahead, 17-6, with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. Dorn was called for a 37-yard pass interference penalty that led to an eight-yard touchdown run by Thurman Thomas.

“Torin could not have played that pass any better, and he was called for interference,” Raider cornerback Lionel Washington said. “There shouldn’t have been a call made on that play.”

Dorn’s afternoon got worse later in the game when he was beaten on a stop-and-go pattern by Bill Brooks, who scored on a 25-yard pass play from Kelly to give Buffalo a 19-17 lead in the third quarter.

Running back Napoleon McCallum will remember his third quarter fumble that was recovered by Buffalo’s Henry Jones at the Raiders’ 30-yard line. That led to a Steve Christie field goal that gave the Bills a 22-17 lead.

Rookie Patrick Bates will remember his only play at safety when he filled in for a groggy Ricky Dixon, who had replaced injured starter Eddie Anderson, early in the fourth quarter.

With the Bills trailing, 23-22, Bates could not reach a 22-yard pass from Kelly to Brooks that proved to be the winning touchdown.

Defensive end Anthony Smith will remember sacking Kelly and forcing a fumble that landed in the arms of Buffalo lineman John Fina, who returned the ball 15 yards to the Raiders’ 49 with eight minutes remaining in the game.

The Raiders will also remember that after gaining 14 first downs and 98 yards rushing in the first half, they were held to one first down and 12 yards on the ground in the second half.

They will also remember the 16 offensive plays they had in the second half, compared to 41 in the first two quarters.

“It was a tough loss for us because we played well,” Raider Coach Art Shell said. “We just didn’t make enough plays on either side of the ball to get it done.”

Said Raider defensive end Greg Townsend: “This is tough because the game never really got away from us. We might have lost, but I still feel that we have a better team than them.”

Added Hostetler: “I definitely didn’t want to come in this locker room and have my season over with today. And in that sense it’s really frustrating and disappointing. I don’t think that they’re a better team than us, but that’s the game of football. It’s just that we didn’t come out on top when it counts.”