Everything else aside, it was mission accomplished for the Bills.
Indeed, in an amusing irony, Buffalo’s clinching of a second consecutive AFC East title took place even before its 27-10 victory over the Jets was in the books. That unfinished business was completed when the Patriots dug too deep a hole at Hard Rock Stadium and were beaten by the Dolphins, 33-24.
The only way New England could win the division was if it won at Miami Gardens and the Bills were beaten by New York. Thus, the Pats’ loss made the last few minutes at cold and windy Highmark Stadium before 64,783 thoroughly chilled witnesses considerably less tense.
BUT WHAT are we to draw from Buffalo’s fourth consecutive win en route to an 11-6 regular-season finish?
The final seemed convincing.
After all, the Bills covered the 16½-point spread … albeit barely.
But CBS broadcasters Kevin Harlan and Trent Green spent most of the game marveling that despite Buffalo flat dominating the statistics, the Jets’ defense kept them in a game in which they had no business even being competitive.
For the record, with under 8½ minutes to play, New York trailed by a mere 13-10.
That seems incongruous as, at game’s end, the Bills had the edge in first downs, 25-4, the latter figure the fewest surrendered in franchise history, plays (79-46), offensive yardage (424-53), rushing yards (170-48), passing yards (254-5, the latter minus the yardage of nine sacks) and 37-22 in time of possession minutes.
And, oh yeah, the Jets were 1-of-14 on third-down conversions.
That should spell blowout with a capital ‘B.’
AND WHILE quarterback Josh Allen, running back Devin Singletary and wide receiver Stefon Diggs produced enough offense to win the game, this win clearly belonged to Buffalo’s defense.
If you doubt it, coordinator Leslie Frazier’s ‘D’ finished the season with NFL lows in both points (16) and yards (258) yards surrendered per game.
In 13 of the 18 games, Buffalo gave up 21 points or fewer and the Bills were 11-2 in those games.
And though Frazier’s crew didn’t get a turnover against New York, those nine sacks, plus the special teams blocking a punt easily offset that.
Still, for over 51 minutes, all Buffalo’s offense had to show for those dominant stats was a first-drive touchdown pass to Diggs that had to pass a marginal review, plus a couple of Tyler Bass field goals.
This team, which has had trouble cashing drives, has dealt with that problem most of the year.
By every measure, Buffalo should have dominated one of the league’s worst teams and, instead, was within one mistake of trailing well into the fourth quarter.
And, it’s worth noting that en route to the Jets 4-13 finish and ranking as one of the league’s worst teams, eight of their opponents — including the 45 Buffalo scored in the Meadowlands back in November — posted more points than the Bills generated in what started as a “must win” at home Sunday afternoon.
It seems crazy to be wary of a win that produces a second consecutive division title, but these aren’t the same Bills, offensively, as the crew that opened the season 5-2.
And, right now, Buffalo’s coaching staff has only a week to figure it out as we’re down to “one-and-done time.”
(Chuck Pollock, an Olean Times Herald senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
