ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen said before their Week 17 game against the New York Jets “I think locking up the No. 2 seed is the No. 1 priority.”
Well, mission accomplished.
The Bills dominated the Jets on both sides of the ball, securing the No. 2 seed for the third straight season. But of course, the hope for this team is that they can have a different ending to their season this time around. On several occasions, the team has acknowledged there is something different about this group, and they hope that shows in the next few weeks.
"I think more than anything else, they really stick together," head coach Sean McDermott said. "They at the end of the day know that what's most important is that the team does well. So it takes a little bit of swallowing their pride from time to time and their ego, but overall, they have bought into that type of approach, which is key for us."
So naturally, the next question from Bills fans will be whether or not we'll see the starters play next week. McDermott said he would have a conversation with Bills GM Brandon Beane and owner Terry Pegula in the next few days to figure out the best approach. As for Allen, he's ready for whatever and doesn't have a preference, but understands it's nice to be in this position.
“It's very important," Allen said after the win. "Not sure what next week brings, but it gives us the option to get certain guys to rest, and we'll go with the flow with whatever Beane or McDermott tells us to do."
Offensively, the Bills made some splash plays as Allen continued to strengthen his MVP odds with a three-touchdown day. Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman each had three catches and made spectacular grabs for touchdowns. Allen added a rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak.
On defense, the Bills destroyed the Jets with four sacks and three takeaways. It was a solid outing after some shaky performances the last few weeks.
"You know sometimes you just need that win to kind of refresh your mind of who you really are," defensive tackle Ed Oliver said. "This was kind of one of those, and you know everyone had fun and everyone got a piece of the action."
"These last couple weeks we've been doubted and whatever it may be, but we responded," defensive end A.J. Epenesa said. "We know what caliber defense we can be, and how we can play, and what we can do with the capabilities we have and so, we just have the mindset and confidence on that side of the ball to do that each week."
So now we wait to see the Bills approach their final regular season game. It's a safe bet we see Allen get the start to keep his streak of consecutive games alive, but I believe the Bills will treat it almost like a preseason game. A few series for the starters on both sides of the ball and then a ton of work from the backups. Going into the playoffs healthy needs to be the new No. 1 priority now that the No. 2 seed has been secured.
