The Buffalo Bills completely shut down the New York Jets today and won their second straight AFC East title. While some of the game may have been frustrating, it ended up a decisive win for Buffalo who heads into the postseason playing as well as any team in the conference.
Bills take the East
Obviously the biggest story is that the Bills won and clinched the AFC East. It wasn’t easy, but Buffalo really dominated this game. They out-snapped the Jets 74 to 46, they outgained them 414 to 53, and beat them in every statistical category except punting.
Injuries
The Bills can’t rest next weekend, so coming away from this game without any injuries was huge. Buffalo will head into the playoffs with virtually everyone available. Tre’Davious White is on injured reserve, but they could get DE Efe Obada and WR Emmanuel Sanders back for the Wild Card round.
Defensive line dominating
Ed Oliver forced a fumble after exploding through the line on a running play and nearly taking the handoff. Harrison Phillips knocked down a pass. Boogie Basham had a sack. When the offense was playing poorly, the defense allowed a TD and the punter struggled, Mario Addison had a strip-sack in the second quarter and added another sack in the third. Oliver added a third-quarter sack on third down and split one with Jerry Hughes in the fourth quarter. A.J. Epenesa capped it with the final sack of the day. Nine sacks in total, including the safeties—the most by the Bills since 2011. Great game plan by defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Leslie Frazier.
More defensive love
The Jets had one big play where Jordan Poyer tried to rob the pass and the receiver took it for a 40-yard catch and run. Keelan Cole’s touchdown was the only offense New York could muster. On the rest of their snaps, they netted 13 yards! New York averaged 1.13 yards per play. That’s absurd.
Josh and Stefon heating up
It wasn’t just that Diggs had a contract incentive, the Bills were intent on feeding the receiver. Early, it looked like they were just trying to get him to six catches so he would have 100 on the year and earn his big receptions incentive, but they kept going to him after that. HE was their most effective receiver. Nine catches for 81 yards and a touchdown plus more targets and almost another TD.
Haack, more like HACK!
Matt Haack’s name is pronounced like the bird, but he was not a “hawk” today. Haack had three punts for an average of 28.3 yards in the first half and another 30-yard punt that didn’t count because of a penalty. His next punt went 49 yards, but after the touchback it was 29 net. After all that, he dropped his next snap and had an eight-yard punt while running for his life. Luckily, Buffalo hadn’t punted in ten quarters, going two full games without one. Before today, the last time they punted was the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Week 15. It took 151 minutes, 44 seconds of game time. Maybe don’t punt anymore. At least he held for a bunch of Tyler Bass successful kicks. He had one good kick downed at the two, so that’s something.
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