Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets distributed: 70,728
Final score: Bills 40, Jets 14
Records: Bills (13-3), Jets (4-12)
Next opponent: Bills at Patriots on TBD
The Buffalo Bills clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC with their 40-14 victory over the New York Jets.
On offense, QB Josh Allen played three quarters, passing for 182 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another. RB James Cook led the ground attack rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown. WR Tyrell Shavers led all receivers in yards with 69 and a touchdown.
The defense forced three takeaways and had 4.0 total sacks. DE A.J. Epenesa, Von Miller and DT Ed Oliver each had 1.0 sack while DT DaQuan Jones and DE Greg Rousseau each had 0.5 sacks. CB Christian Benford and DT Jordan Phillips both had interceptions and LB Matt Milano had the fumble recovery. Oliver had a forced fumble as well. LB Joe Andreessen led tacklers with eight.
Additional notes:
- Bills are 13-3 and have secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC
- Bills are 8-0 at home for the third time in team history (1990 and 1988)
- Bills have won 11 straight regular season home games – longest active NFL streak
- Bills are 16-1 (including playoffs) in division games at Highmark Stadium since 2020
- Bills have won five straight home games vs. NY Jets
- Josh Allen is 23-3 in December/January regular season games since 2020
- Bills are 35-7 at home since 2020 – NFL's best record in that span
👍1. Marching down the field
After winning the opening toss and electing to receive the football first, the Buffalo Bills offense marched right down the field to score the first points of the day. On the drive, Allen completed four of six passes for 56 yards, including key third down conversions of 12 yards and 23 yards to WR Khalil Shakir and WR Mack Hollins respectively.
On their first redzone play, Allen threw a short pass to TE Dalton Kincaid, who picked up 11 yards after spinning out of a tackle from CB D.J. Reed. Following a pass interference flag in the end zone Allen snuck the ball into the end zone to score the touchdown and give the Bills the early 7-0 lead.
🛑2. Keeping the Jets away
The Jets took over for their first possession of the game following the Bills touchdown. The Jets utilized their run game to move the ball down the field while QB Aaron Rodgers completed three passes for 24 yards.
On fourth-and-one from the Bills 24-yard line, Rodgers handed the ball to RB Breece Hall, but he was stuffed at the line of scrimmage for no gain by DE Greg Rousseau, forcing the turnover-on-downs.
🙌3. Big Man Interception
On the Jets ensuing drive after the Bills punted the football, they once again were moving the ball down the field. Rodgers completed a 28-yard catch and run to WR Garrett Wilson that set up the Jets in the red zone. Two plays later though, Rodgers dropped back and threw a pass short, that was tipped at the line by Rousseau and intercepted by DT Jordan Phillips who subsequently jumped into the stands with fans.
🥽4. Safety
On just their third drive of the game, the Bills were forced to punt once again. P Sam Martin pinned the Jets deep in their own territory at the 5-yard line. After a false start and a rush that went for -1 yard, Rodgers dropped back to pass from his own 2-yard line. DE A.J. Epenesa beat LT Max Mitchell around the edge and found his way to Rodgers, sacking him for the safety.
😤5. Defense keeps making plays
Both teams took turns trading punts to start the second half. On the Jets second drive of the third quarter, the Bills defense took the ball away from the Jets offense again. First Rousseau sacked Rodgers on second-and-15. Then Rodgers dropped back to pass and looked to WR Allen Lazard but instead found the hands of CB Christian Benford who ran the ball back 24 yards. The Bills were given an additional 15 yards because of an unnecessary roughness called on Rodgers who pushed Benford as he was running out of bounds.
🏈6. Coooooooop
On the next drive, WR Amari Cooper got involved immediately, catching a nine yard pass before four plays later catching a 30-yard touchdown. Cooper rose up over CB Brandin Echols and hauled in the touchdown pass.
🌧7. When it rains it pours
The Bills piled on in the third quarter by scoring two touchdowns and forcing another takeaway. RB James Cook punched in a one-yard touchdown at the goal line to bring the score to 26-0.
On the Jets first play on their next drive, Wilson caught the ball and broke away from a tackle attempt, but then DT Ed Oliver punched the ball out and LB Matt Milano landed on top of the fumble recovery.
With possession at the Jets 14-yard line, Allen scrambled to his right and threw a pass across his body into the back of the endzone to WR Keon Coleman, who caught the ball over Reed and LB Quincy Williams.
The Bills ended the third quarter with another sack by Oliver.
🏈8. First catch, touchdown
To start the fourth quarter, QB Mitchell Trubisky stepped in. He and the offense picked up where Allen and the starters left off, throwing a touchdown to WR Tyrell Shavers. Shavers caught the pass from Trubisky and ran 69 yards into the endzone untouched for the first catch and first touchdown of his career.
✈️9. Jets avoid a shutout
The Jets avoided a shutout when QB Tyrod Taylor checked into the game in the fourth quarter. Taylor led the Jets on a 13-play, 75-yard drive to score the Jets first touchdown of the game that ended in a Wilson touchdown grab. They then completed the two point conversion to TE Tyler Conklin to make the score 40-8.
On their next drive, Taylor threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Conklin, but threw an incompletion on the two-point conversion attempt, bringing the score to 40-14.
Lineup Notes: CB Rasul Douglas returned to the lineup after missing two games with a knee injury; S Taylor Rapp returned to the lineup after missing two games with a neck injury; LB Matt Milano returned to the lineup after missing one game with a biceps/groin injury; WR Tyrell Shavers was elevated to the game day roster; DT Austin Johnson and CB Kaiir Elam were inactive.
Key Stats and Facts:
- Josh Allen has tied Thurman Thomas (65) for the most rushing touchdowns in franchise history.
- Jordan Phillips records the INT--the second pick of the 10-year vets career and first since 2016.
- Last time a team had 3+ interceptions by DTs in a season was the 2011 Miami Dolphins.
- A.J. Epenesa has 6.0 sacks on the season and has at least 6.0 over each of his last three seasons. The last Bill prior to have three straight 6.0+ sack seasons is Mario Williams (2012-2014)
- Amari Cooper has reached 10,000 career receiving yards – joining Julio Jones as the only Alabama wide receivers to reach the milestone.
- Josh Allen became the first player in NFL history with 40+ touchdowns in five consecutive seasons. He joins Aaron Rodgers (6) as the only players with 40+ touchdowns at least five times in his career
- Von Miller (128.5) has passed Ricky Jackson for No. 16 on the NFL's all-time sack list (128.0).
- The Bills scored 63 touchdowns this season - the most in team history.
- Bills have 30 rushing touchdowns and have set the franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season (29 in 2016).
- The Bills have now scored 509 points this season, which establishes a new franchise record surpassing 501 points in 2020.
- Bills now have 13 players with a touchdown this season - tied for the most all-time in NFL history.
Scoring Plays:
08:14 1Q | BUF 7 NYJ 0 | Josh Allen left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
02:34 2Q | BUF 9 NYJ 0 | Aaron Rodgers sacked in End Zone for -2 yards, SAFETY (A.J. Epenesa).
00:02 2Q | BUF 12 NYJ 0 | Tyler Bass 39-yard field goal is GOOD.
5:19 3Q | BUF 19 NYJ 0 | Josh Allen pass deep right to Amari Cooper for 30 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
1:17 3Q | BUF 26 NYJ 0 | James Cook left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
00:21 3Q | BUF 33 NYJ 0 | Josh Allen pass short left to Keon Coleman for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
12:48 4Q | BUF 40 NYJ 0 | Mitchell Trubisky pass short left to Tyrell Shavers for 69 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
7:03 4Q | BUF 40 NYJ 8 | Tyrod Taylor pass short right to Garrett Wilson for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. Tyrod Taylor pass to Tyler Conklin is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.
2:00 4Q | BUF 40 NYJ 14 | Tyrod Taylor pass deep right to Tyler Conklin for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
