BUFFALO, N.Y. — Here are five things to look out for heading into Sunday's season finale with the New York Jets.
Locking up the division.
If Buffalo wins on Sunday versus New York, it would win the AFC East at home, something they haven't done since the 1995 season when they defeated the Miami Dolphins at Rich Stadium to win the division to close out the regular season. Josh Allen commented how special that is for the fans.
"It hasn't been done at home in around 30 years, so for us to give that, to the fans, especially after last year with COVID and not being able to be there, I think it would mean a lot for them," he said.
It is also worth noting, if Buffalo loses and New England loses, the Bills would still own the tiebreaker and win the division. Both the Patriots and Bills kickoff at 4:25 p.m., so we should have clarity when the game concludes.
The Jets are playing good football.
Although New York is 4-12, the Jets seem to be hitting their stride as of late. Last week they took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers down to the wire and lost on a late Tom Brady touchdown pass with 15 seconds left. They led at half in each of their last two games, and you know they will want to end their season with some momentum on a high note.
"We know they will be pumped up and ready to play, and try to take the division away from us. If I was in that position, I would feel the same way," Allen said.
Sean McDermott talked about how they can't take the Jets lightly.
“We saw that with Jacksonville, on paper, they beat us, so records don't matter, we have to get ourselves ready to go," he said.
Serious playoff implications on the line.
If Buffalo wants to stay in the top half of the playoff picture and host a playoff game, it must win on Sunday. A Bills loss and a Patriots win would drop Buffalo to a 5 through 7 seed and force the Bills to be on the road for most, if not all of the playoffs.
Fans want to see them win each and every Sunday, but if they want to see them hang a 2021 division banner and feel the energy of playoff football in Orchard Park, they need to this win more than ever. Plus, nobody wants to head into the playoffs with a loss to a team well under .500
Buffalo faces Zach Wilson for first time.
In Buffalo's Week 10 win over the Jets, it went up against quarterback Mike White, who was filling in for injured rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. Wilson has not had the desired season a rookie quarterback wants to experience but with natural progression, he seems to be really starting to improve his game, something Bills coach Sean McDermott has taken notice of lately.
“He’s playing at a high level, he can make every throw, he burns you downfield with the deep balls, he can beat you with his legs and feet, and extends plays, and drifts back out of the pocket with pressure, so it looks like he is off to a great start," McDermott said. "I know he had an injury in the beginning of the year, but it looks like he is playing very good football.”
Can Devin Singletary continue his hot streak?
It's not surprising, Singletary has been one of the best Bills players on the field for the past few weeks, something Bills fans have waited a while to see. During their win versus the Falcons, the Bills had a season-high 233 rushing yards. As a pass-heavy offense, you love to see them getting the ground game going, giving coaches around the league something to think about.
Singletary showed up big versus the Falcons totaling 23 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns. With an expected opportunity and one of the worst rushing defenses in the league in New York, I would expect Singletary to get an abundant of opportunity on Sunday.
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