Location: New Era Field, Orchard Park, N.Y.
Regular season records: Buffalo (4-9), New York (4-9)
In a nutshell:
Though the offense moved the ball and the defense was stout, the Bills dropped their Week 14 matchup with the Jets by a score of 27-23.
Josh Allen impressed with his legs for the third consecutive week, rushing for 101 yards on nine carries in addition to passing for 206 yards. Allen's production more than made up for the absence of LeSean McCoy, who went down early in the game with a hamstring injury.
Isaiah McKenzie also made an impact on offense, reeling in four passes for 47 yards. He also rushed for 22 yards and one score.
The typically-sound Buffalo defense was strong until the final drive, limiting New York to just 250 net yards. Tremaine Edmunds led the way defensively, totaling eight tackles and one interception.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 4-9 on the season.
How it went down:
- Josh Allen led the Bills down the field on their opening series, picking up 26 yards through the air and another 48 on the ground. The rookie quarterback capped the drive off with a six-yard touchdown run, his fifth of the season, to give Buffalo the early lead (7-0).
- New York took possession of the ball inside Buffalo territory after Jamal Adams recovered an Allen fumble at the 32-yard line. The Bills' defense prevented the Jets from making any progress, however, forcing them to settle for a 47-yard Jason Myers field goal (7-3).
- 33-yard Buster Skrine pass interference penalty gave the Bills a fresh set of downs in the red zone. They quickly capitalized, as Isaiah McKenzie ran the ball into the end zone from 15 yards out just one play after the foul (14-3).
- The Jets were knocking on the door early in the second quarter, constructing a 10-play, 43-yard drive that saw them take a snap from Buffalo's one-yard line. The Bills' defense stood strong, however, keeping New York out of the end zone and forcing them to settle for another field goal (14-6).
- Buffalo's offense continued its strong outing well into the second quarter, constructing another long drive that resulted in points midway through the frame. Allen picked up a total of 38 yards on the eight-play series, and he almost finished the drive off with a receiving touchdown. A Zay Jones pass sailed over Allen's head in the end zone. Stephen Hauschka padded the Bills' lead with his first field goal of the day (17-6).
- New York started its second drive of the second quarter with a short field, as Andre Roberts picked up 86 yards on a kick return. Trenton Cannon quickly scored on a four-yard rush to make it a one-score game (17-13).
- After making a few impactful plays in the first two quarters, Roberts fumbled the opening kickoff in the second half. Buffalo fullback Patrick DiMarco recovered the ball, giving the Bills possession at New York's 14-yard line. After picking up just two yards on three plays, Buffalo settled for a Hauschka field goal (20-13).
- The game found new life early in the fourth quarter when the Jets tied it at 20 all. A scrambling Sam Darnold found Robby Anderson in the back of the end zone to cap off the 11-play, 85-yard drive (20-20).
- A 38-yard pass to Robert Foster flipped the field for the Bills on a late fourth-quarter drive. Buffalo eventually took the late lead with a 36-yard Hauschka field goal (23-20).
- A flawlessly executed two-minute drive allowed the Jets. A 37-yard pass to Anderson allowed New York to set up shop in the red zone. Elijah McGuire ran the ball into the end zone from one yard out to give the Jets the lead with just over one minute remaining (27-23).
Subplots:
- QB Josh Allen surpassed the 400-rushing yard plateau on Sunday, joining Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young on the list of rookie quarterbacks who hit the milestone in their ninth game.
- Allen rushed for 101 yards on Sunday, becoming the first Bill to rush for at least 95 yards in three consecutive games since Fred Jackson in 2011. Only Allen, Jackson, Thurman Thomas, and O.J. Simpson have accomplished the feat.
- WR Isaiah McKenzie rushed for a touchdown on Sunday, becoming the first Bills' wide receiver to rush for multiple touchdowns in one season since Elbert "Golden Wheels" Dubenion in 1961.
- Rookie LB Tremaine Edmunds intercepted a pass on Sunday, the first of his career. The 20-year-old became the youngest player in NFL history to intercept a pass.
- The announced attendance for the game was 59,119.
- CB Denzel Rice made his Bills debut on Sunday.
- Inactive for the game were QB Derek Anderson, WR Da'Mari Scott, CB Taron Johnson, DE Mike Love, OG Vladimir Ducasse, OG Ike Boettger, and TE Jason Croom.
Up next:
The Bills will play their penultimate home game of the season next Sunday when they host the Detroit Lions in Week 15 action. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
