ORCHARD PARK — It’s become fashionable to critique Bills wins.
After all, Buffalo’s 20-12 victory over the Jets on Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium marked the third time in four games — Browns, Lions and New York — that the Bills gutted out a one-possession triumph.
But here’s the thing … the NFL doesn’t award style points. It’s not how a team wins, it’s how many.
And, at 10-3, the Bills remain on top of not only the division, but also the entire American Football Conference. If form holds, with four to play and wins them all, Buffalo will host every playoff game as long as it’s alive in the postseason.
There’s something else.
A long memory isn’t required to recall that last year the Bills played in six single-possession games … and lost them all, including the galling “13 seconds” overtime playoff defeat in Kansas City.
The joke was, if the Bills didn’t prevail by at least two touchdowns, they would lose. It was that kind of year.
But as coach Sean McDermott often points out, “every season is new.”
SUNDAY’S game lent itself to being unsightly.
And the rain, snow, wind gusting into the 20s and chilly temperatures had no effect on the enthusiasm of an extraordinary turnout of 70,603, a stunning 99% of capacity.
Afterward, McDermott admitted, “The crowd was outstanding. It was a great atmosphere and I know how important this was to the fans. It was great to hear them like we did today.”
And quarterback Josh Allen, who scored both touchdowns on a 24-yard pass to tight end Dawson Knox and a 5-yard rush, wasn’t about to blame the conditions.
“It wasn’t all that out of the ordinary for here,” he said, “it’s something we’ve practiced in before we played them.
“We hurt ourselves early on with (bad) decisions, and a penalty here or there put us in a funk and in third-and-long situations, which we’ve got to stay out of.”
TO BE SURE, the first half was one of offensive incompetence.
Were it not for Allen’s pass to Knox, and his acrobatic flip into the end zone with 26 seconds to play, the Bills and Jets would have logged the NFL’s first scoreless opening half in three seasons.
The two teams combined for 10 punts, a mere 14 first downs and there were five sacks, three of them endured by Allen.
Then, too, for those who feel Buffalo is all set on the offensive line, the Jets provided evidence to the contrary.
Neither tackle distinguished himself.
Second-year pro Spencer Brown, after a good start as a rookie, continues to struggle as New York defensive tackle Quinnen Williams gobbled him up and spit out the bones, as the old saying goes. Brown got a reprieve when Williams left the game for good late in the first half with a calf injury.
In fairness, Williams, a Pro Bowler, makes most everybody look foolish and the Jets’ front four generates the pass rush. They rarely use blitzes, but that doesn’t excuse Buffalo’s issue at right tackle.
Worse, in many ways, Dion Dawkins, the supposedly elite player on the left side, committed three penalties in the first half. He was flagged for two holds, one of which was declined as Allen was sacked, and a false start.
When assessing Buffalo’s opening half offensive struggles, McDermott said. “They’re a good defense, let’s start there, that’s a great pass rushing team. And, fundamentally we dropped some passes, we were a little off the mark with our passing game.”
But Allen found it after intermission, and Buffalo remains alone atop the AFC.
(Chuck Pollock, an Olean Times Herald senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
