Sports

Much-improved Bills out to erase all doubt vs. Giants

BUFFALO —The Bills don’t care if you mock them, call them mutts or even compare them to The Island of Misfit Toys.

The NFL’s most surprising team (sorry, Lions) is just happy to be part of the conversation again.

No longer the butt of jokes or — even worse — irrelevant, the Bills come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face the Giants sporting a 4-1 record that is just an overtime field goal shy of perfect and tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East.

It’s been a long time since the Bills were included among the elite — even longer than the 11-year playoff drought that ties Buffalo with the unbeaten Lions for the worst active streak in the league.

And while this collection of mostly unknowns and castoffs bears little resemblance to the Jim Kelly-led juggernaut that went to four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s, the Bills aren’t doing it with mirrors.

“We’re a better team than people think,” running back Fred Jackson told The Post yesterday. “We know the doubters are going to be there until we finally get back to the playoffs, and I understand that, but this team is no fluke.”

Jackson, the workhorse whose emergence has been a big part of the Bills’ surprising renaissance, is right about one thing: The skeptics aren’t going away anytime soon.

Indeed, it’s hard not to be skeptical considering Buffalo’s decade of ineptitude — Chan Gailey is the Bills’ fifth head coach in 10 years — and the fact quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is a journeyman seventh-round pick from that noted football factory Harvard.

The strongest doubters apparently include the Bills’ legendary faithful.

Kicker Rian Lindell, who has been part of every low here since 2003, said he still senses the fans are unwilling to put their hearts all the way in it again — especially after a 23-20 loss at Cincinnati two weeks ago.

“I got the feeling after that game that people around here were like, ‘See, I told you we shouldn’t believe in you just yet,’” Lindell said. “I don’t blame them, though. It’s been so long since we were in the playoffs.”

The Bills, however, went a long way toward redeeming themselves last week with a 31-24 home win over the “Dream Team” Eagles and don’t see why they should still be considered pretenders.

While it’s not a roster of stars (Jackson went to Division III Coe College in Iowa), the Bills are legitimate. Buffalo ranks third in the NFL with 164 points, and Fitzpatrick, Jackson and wideout Stevie Johnson are all among the top three in the AFC statistically at their respective positions.

Even so, the Bills’ offense has been as blue collar as the town.

“Even a Yale guy can see we’re not a quick-strike offense,” Fitzpatrick said in a bit of Ivy League humor.

Dave Wannstedt’s defense also has been opportunistic, with castaways Shawne Merriman and Nick Barnett paving the way for a unit that has notched 12 interceptions and helped Buffalo pile up a plus-11 turnover margin in just five games.

You can’t accuse the Bills of taking advantage of an easy schedule, either. A heart-pumping, 34-31 comeback win over the Patriots three weeks ago showed Gailey’s team can hold its own against anyone.

Gailey himself is a surprising success story. With his slow Georgia drawl and mediocre stints as coach of the Cowboys and Georgia Tech on his resume, he seems the unlikeliest of turnaround specialists.

But Gailey has worked wonders with Fitzpatrick, who is second behind Tom Brady in the AFC with a 96.4 rating after completing 66 percent of his passes for 1,233 yards and 10 touchdowns, and the coach gets raves from Fitzpatrick’s teammates for his grandfatherly style.

“He doesn’t say a lot — he just expects you to go out and do your job well,” Merriman said.

Added Lindell, who has missed just one of his nine field-goal tries this season: “Chan brings a real professional atmosphere, which hasn’t always been the case [with previous coaches].”

The Bills still struggle to sell out 73,000-seat Ralph Wilson Stadium in a terrible economy with a declining population, and there is still strong speculation they will move to Toronto once the 92-year-old Wilson is no longer owner.

But, at least for now, things are looking up for a change on the shores of Lake Erie.

“It’s finally fun around here,” Lindell said.

bhubbuch@nypost.com