The Buffalo Bills are headed to the playoffs, extending their franchise-record streak to seven consecutive seasons. The New York Jets, on the other hand, are going to miss the playoffs for the 15th straight
season. I won’t kick them while they’re down — we know better than any fan base what it feels like to miss the playoffs for an absurd amount of years — but it’s wild to think that the Jets have been as bad as they’ve been for as long as they have been.
Sunday’s game not only brings the regular season to a close, but it also brings Highmark Stadium’s tenure as home of the Buffalo Bills to an end, as well. Barring something strange where the Bills host the AFC Championship Game, Sunday’s contest will be the final game played in the stadium before the Bills open their brand new facility in September. Fittingly, it’s the Jets coming in on Sunday to close the stadium, as the Jets were also the first opponent for a regular-season game in the stadium way back in 1973.
That game was a real barn-burner, as the Bills beat the Jets by a final score of 9-7. John Leypoldt hit three field goals, O.J. Simpson rushed for 124 yards, and the Buffalo defense withstood an Al Woodall 36-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Barkum in the fourth quarter to hold on for a win. While we’d hope the game on Sunday will feature more excitement than the first meeting in this building between these two teams, it’s possible that the game takes on the form of a preseason game given its lack of meaning in the standings for both clubs.
Buffalo cannot win the AFC East, so they’ll either be the five, six, or seven seed depending on Sunday’s slate of results. The Jets, meanwhile, win by losing, as they can clinch the No. 2 overall pick with a loss and a New York Giants win. They could also drop out of the top three choices with a win and losses from some other eliminated franchises.
How do we pick players to watch for a game where we’re not even sure who’s going to play? Well, we make it up as we go along. Our five Bills to watch this week are below, but feel free to share yours in the comments.
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QB Mitchell Trubisky
Yes, I heard head coach Sean McDermott when he said that this week would be “business as usual” with the starters. I also heard when he said that quarterback Josh Allen is “in a better place” with his foot injury this week than he was last week. I’ve also seen Allen log “DNPs” at practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, and then a limited session on Friday. Allen is going to start the game. He might even play a drive or two as the team tries to ensure that he scores 40 total touchdowns for a record sixth consecutive season.
It’s going to be Trubisky time at some point in the afternoon, though, so I’m watching mostly to see how quickly the clock strikes “Mitch” in this game. Individual statistics are fun, but healthy players in the playoffs are much more important. Playing Trubisky for the majority of this game is the right thing to do.
RB Ray Davis
Speaking of guys who will likely play a bunch on Sunday, Buffalo’s kickoff returner extraordinaire is likely in line for plenty of carries on Sunday. Davis has just 37 rushing attempts this season, and he hasn’t had more than nine carries in a game. He’s hit that threshold three times, with the first of those times coming against these Jets in September. Davis ran nine times for 24 yards against the Jets in the first meeting.
I expect that he’ll have right around that carry figure, if not more, with more yards gained and greater efficiency this time around. Would it be great for James Cook III to win the rushing title? Absolutely. Is it worth risking him turning an ankle heading into the playoffs? It absolutely is not. Davis should see the lion’s share of the snaps on Sunday.
WR Keon Coleman
Eff it. If Coleman is going to log a snap-count number greater than his jersey number at any point, this weekend is the time to do it. If I’m the Bills, I make Coleman active and force-feed him targets all day. What do they have to lose? At best, Coleman looks great, it gives him and the team confidence that he can help this postseason, and it spurs him onward to a great run in January and February.
Maybe Coleman looks good enough where the team can point to this performance during the offseason as a reason for another club to trade for Coleman, just as they can point to another Class of 2024 wideout — Adonai Mitchell — across the field on Sunday as an example of the power of a change of scenery. At worst, Coleman plays and looks like a total non-factor in a game that ultimately means nothing, and the Bills have all the data they need to give up on their 2024 second-round choice.
The reward of playing Coleman in this game outweighs the risk, in my eyes. I’d let him roll and see what the kid can do.
C/G Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
Another deep cut! Center Conor McGovern has been dealing with injuries all season long, and he’s gutted through them admirably. At some point on Sunday, I’d love to see the Bills give McGovern a break and go to their second-year man. This serves two purposes: for starters, it gives McGovern some rest. Secondarily, it gives Van Pran-Granger some in-game experience heading into an offseason where McGovern, starting left guard David Edwards, and top interior reserve Alec Anderson are all free agents.
Do the Bills think SVPG has what it takes to step into the starting lineup next season? Or will they need to commit big resources to keeping the band together up front? And, if so, which linemen do they retain? There are some big offseason questions to answer along the offensive line, but for now, resting McGovern would be a good move.
DB Jordan Hancock
Many of us have been clamoring for the rookie to see the field more this season. Well, kid, Sunday should be the day it happens. Jordan Poyer is already hurt and out for Sunday, so we’ll probably see more Darnell Savage this week. Cam Lewis started in Poyer’s place last week, but given his tremendous role on special teams and in dime packages, the team will likely limit his snaps, as well. Cole Bishop is entrenched as a starter, but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to let him play a little less this week.
Do the Bills want to use Hancock as a safety? Or, will they slot him in — pun intended — for nickel corner Taron Johnson? Playing Hancock more this week would be a good move, as it would give the rookie some much-needed in-game experience while also resting some key veterans.
