Jets @ Bills
Final Score: Bills 27, Jets 10
Writer: James Schiano (@JeterHadNoRange on Twitter)
A battle of teams from two different ends of the spectrum was tightly contested for much longer than most thought it would be. Wind, cold, and general inconsistencies kept the Jets in this game despite a franchise-worst 53 total yards. Yeah, total yards. Like the Jets only had 53 yards this entire game despite having a 40-yard touchdown pass. You can’t make it up.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Zach Wilson: 7/20, 87 yards, TD | 2 carries, 24 yards
What an ugly, ugly stat line. This game was never going to be pretty without Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, Corey Davis, or Mekhi Bechton (remember him?), but the line looks far worse than Wilson did out there. He competed, he battled, and he really tried to make some plays. Check out Wilson evading multiple free-rushers on a botched screen.
Can't be a magician on every play.. give him some time.. #NYJvsBUF #bufvsnyj #jets #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/oxF8OGNSAk
— 🗽NYJETS🗽TWEETZ🗽 (@NYJETSTWEETZ) January 10, 2022
Wilson showed off his special elusiveness here despite the defense getting a hold of him shortly thereafter. Now, here he is throwing a block on a similarly botched trick play.
Check out Zach blocking tho .. #NYJvsBUF #bufvsnyj #jets #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/SAerYiE8RC
— 🗽NYJETS🗽TWEETZ🗽 (@NYJETSTWEETZ) January 9, 2022
Otherwise, Wilson made only a few actual quarterback-ing plays that are worthy of recognition. The primary being his 40-yard touchdown strike to Keelan Cole.
Zach Wilson right on target for the 40-yard TD pass 🎯
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/v710ntzGXp
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 9, 2022
Phenomenal. Here’s another angle of that bullet.
WOW🤯 pic.twitter.com/unpa0XKpvQ
— 𝙅𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼🛫 (@NYJets_Media) January 9, 2022
There are not many players in the league who can make that throw and it is encouraging to see Wilson trust himself enough to even attempt such a throw. He ended the season on a five-game interception-free streak after throwing 11 in his first eight games.
Of course, this gunslinger attitude sometimes lets Wilson think he can make just about any play possible. That inability to either just make the simple play or safely end a play and move on to the next one has the potential to derail his future in this league. Like here where he runs around the backfield on 3rd and long only to step out of bounds for a massive loss.
What on earth is Zach Wilson doing???? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/YjJMUulYWU
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 9, 2022
This was a situation football disaster. The Jets had just gotten a gift when Matt Haack mishandled a snap and failed to get a punt off. Any points in conditions like those we saw in Buffalo are a gift and Wilson’s gaffe turned a 40-yard field goal into a 50-yard field goal. The Jets still converted the try, but Wilson cannot make mental mistakes like this if he wants to reach the next level as a quarterback.
Running Backs
Michael Carter: 9 carries, 19 yards | 3 targets
Tevin Coleman: 5 carries, 6 yards | 1 target
Ty Johnson: 1 carry, -1 yard | 1 target
Wilson was the Jets leading rusher in Buffalo, that’s how rough of an evening it was for this group. Carter represents a glimmer of hope, though. Watch him perform what is a legitimate miracle to gain zero yards here.
How did Michael Carter even get back to the line of scrimmage? #NYJvsBUF #bufvsnyj #jets #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/bfNb0lyuFM
— 🗽NYJETS🗽TWEETZ🗽 (@NYJETSTWEETZ) January 9, 2022
He is shifty, decisive, and displays fantastic vision for a rookie. He is someone to be excited about.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Keelan Cole: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 54 yards, TD
Tyler Kroft: 3 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
Jeff Smith: 3 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards
Tarik Black: 2 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards
Jamison Crowder: 1 target, 1 reception, 16 yards
Denzel Mims: 2 targets
The Jets have made a habit out of ending their seasons with what resembles a below-average collegiate receiving corps. These names almost appear fake to the naked eye, like what a Madden Franchise will autogenerate in 2034.
In an everlasting pit of despair, Mims can always manage to make things even more bleak than initially imaginable.
Mims on that drive.. #NYJvsBUF #bufvsnyj #jets #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/3grxeEUw26
— 🗽NYJETS🗽TWEETZ🗽 (@NYJETSTWEETZ) January 9, 2022
This was his third false start in his last two games played. He has zero catches over that same amount of time. There is no reason for him to be on this roster next season.
Buffalo Bills
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen: 24/45, 239 yards, 2 TD | 5 carries, 63 yards
Mitch Trubisky: 1/1, 15 yards | 3 carries, -3 yards
Allen is a marvel, simply put. He can do things on a football field that I truly have never seen before. Running, throwing, whatever. It is a joy to watch him go to work back there. His first touchdown on the day was shocking.
This is one of Josh Allen’s best TDs ever pic.twitter.com/9PYep88pRt
— J (@dahlingletary) January 9, 2022
He stiff-armed a 300 lb defensive tackle to escape the pocket and it was the third most impressive thing he did on this individual play. His strength to throw a pass with precision and velocity with a defender draped on him was.
Josh Allen getting this ball off and into Diggs hands is actually absurd lol #BillsMafia #NYJvsBUF pic.twitter.com/0tSVVqxXWX
— MeRk (@Merk256) January 9, 2022
Nothing else you can do but tip your cap.
One of Allen’s most impressive traits is persistence. It is something he’s had since his ghastly rookie season and it has become a true strength as he has developed into one of the best players in the league.
His completion percentage was well under 50% until the fourth quarter and he even had a stretch where he went 2/12 against the usually porous Jets. Yet, his coaches’ faith never waivered and Allen would not stop slinging it until he broke this game open late. Ironically, it was a long 35-yard scamper that set up a Devin Singletary score that finally put this one out of reach for the Jets.
Running Backs
Devin Singletary: 19 carries, 88 yards, TD | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 24 yards, TD
Zack Moss: 5 carries, 8 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 6 yards
Singletary has finally taken over this backfield after years of meandering in a timeshare. He has been running with confidence since the Bills gave him the reigns last month and he could be a vital cog in a potential playoff run.
He found paydirt twice against the Jets. Once on the ground.
Devin Singletary fights his way into the end zone to put the #Bills back up by 10.
Buffalo leads 20-10 with under nine minutes left to play in the fourth quarter.#NYJvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/18RtZYXojr
— Bills Cold Front Report (@ColdFrontReport) January 10, 2022
And then through the air.
Congratulations to Devin Singletary and Brandin Bryant on winning the AFC East Division for the second straight year. Both have represented themselves as professionals and we’re excited to see what they can do in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/n8pFT3UXbG
— More Sports Management Group (@MoreSportsGroup) January 10, 2022
He is becoming a complete back before our eyes.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Stefon Diggs: 14 targets, 9 receptions, 81 yards, TD
Gabriel Davis: 14 targets, 3 receptions, 39 yards
Dawson Knox: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 49 yards
Cole Beasley: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 31 yards
Jake Kumerow: 1 target, 1 reception, 15 yards
Isiah McKenzie: 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards | 1 carry, 10 yards
Reggie Gilliam: 1 target
I showed you that phenomenal Diggs touchdown before and oh buddy was it great. Allen had eyes for Diggs early and often, targeting him 10 times in the first half alone. Coincidentally, Diggs needed 6 receptions to have a nice $658,000 incentive hit. Love that!
Davis’ targets are also of note. Allen was looking for him all day with the Jets defense eventually honing in on Diggs. It was not easy to hit a deep pass in these swirling winds though and Davis did drop a few that made it out to him. He is going to be an interesting player to track come draft time next summer.
— James Schiano (@JeterHadNoRange on Twitter)