Josh Allen is the MVP of the NFL and the Bills’ defense really stepped up.
The Buffalo Bills blew out the New York Jets on Sunday night to clinch the two seed in the AFC. We’re unlikely to see the starters in Week 18, but that gets us a little head of ourselves. Let’s break down the Bills’ huge win.
Josh Allen was dealing yet again
He hit eight different receivers in the first half and 12/19 for 116 yards with a Keon Coleman drop on a hero ball after avoiding two would-be sacks. He placed a gorgeous deep ball to Amari Cooper in the third quarter and the receiver went up to make a play despite landing hard. The Cooper touchdown meant Allen had his 43rd career game with at least one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown, the second-most in NFL history. Allen was pulled for the entire fourth quarter. While Allen was in the game, eight receivers caught a pass.
Bills’s defense feasts on big plays and turnovers once again
In the first half, the Bills’ defense allowed a clean two quarters for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets offense. The QB was 6/8 for 66 yards, Breece Hall averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and the Jets made two trips inside the 24 on their first two drives. They were stopped on fourth and one by Greg Rousseau and then on New York’s lone red zone trip, Groot tipped a pass that was picked off by DT Jordan Phillips.
After that, it was all Bills. The third Jets drive ended almost before it began, when Buffalo downed the punt inside the five. On second down, A.J. Epenesa ripped past a miscommunication to hit Aaron Rodgers unimpeded for a safety.
In the second half, it was more of the same. Christian Benford picked off Rodgers on 3rd and long, setting up a Bills touchdown. Then the Bills recovered a Jets fumble in the backfield to set up the offense at the 15 near the end of the third quarter. Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, and Ed Oliver added sacks to end Jets drives.
This has been the defense’s MO the entire year, and they’ve relied on turnovers to be one of the better defenses in the NFL in scoring despite giving up a ton of yards.
The Jets didn’t score until seven minutes left in the game against the backups.
Josh Allen is the MVP
What Allen has been able to do with this team is remarkable. He has 40 touchdowns this season; the first player in NFL history with five straight seasons of 40 touchdowns. He closed the gap in yardage and scoring with Lamar Jackson and didn’t play in the fourth quarter. The Bills have three more wins than Baltimore and have clinched the two seed ahead of them.
We were told all offseason that Allen losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis was going to be the reason for a reset year, and Allen and the Bills’ offense are playing just as well as ever.
The Bills locked up the two seed
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that the Bills can rest their starters in Week 18. They are two games up on the Ravens with one game left and two games back of the Chiefs. They are locked into the second seed so would host a minimum of two playoff games if they keep winning.
If the Broncos win in Week 18, Buffalo will host Denver. The Colts’ loss eliminates them, so the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals are the only two left that could play their way in.