Buffalo Bills 'Damn Good Team' Upset by Jets, Blows NFL History
"It’s a damn good football team.”
That's what New York Jets coach Robert Saleh said coming into the Buffalo Bills' Week 9 visit to East Rutherford. And coming out of Buffalo's success in the AFC East?
Yeah. The Jets - shocking upset winners by a 20-17 fingernail-biter, might be a "damn good football team.''
Oh, sure, the (still-maybe) best-in-the-AFC Bills are now 6-2. The hot start never did come with Super guarantees, but had Buffalo started 7-1? Well ...
In 1990, Buffalo started 9-1 and went to the Super Bowl.
In 1991, Buffalo started 10-2 and went to the Super Bowl.
In 1992, Buffalo started 9-2 and finished at 11-5 overall; lost Super Bowl.
In 1993, Buffalo started 8-2 and ... you know.
And in 2022? This sloppy loss derails any sense of dominance, so a chase to make history is going to have to come in a different fashion.
The Buffalo offense came in ranking first overall in the NFL, but QB Josh Allen was just 18 of 34 for 205 yards with two costly interceptions, no TD passes and a paucity of splash plays or impactful plays ... except for his two rushing TDs. Stefon Diggs had five catches for 93 yards, but the Bills did not overcome a Jets secondary featuring rookie corner Sauce Gardner.
The Buffalo defense came in ranking third overall while allowing an NFL-best 14 points per game. ... and obviously that did not hold up.
And yes, Buffalo is poised to excel on special teams as well, with new trade acquisition Nyheim Hines sure to help as a return guy. .. but here? Tyler Bass' missed field goal is the sore-thumb standout.
All of these failures added up against a Jets team that now has the same number of wins, six (at 6-3) as Buffalo has. The Jets club is one that is striving to not be "the same ol' Jets.'' Jets second-year quarterback Zach Wilson is "the hope'' and he game-managed just fine.
Salah previewed this game by saying the Bills are "the most complete football team we’ll see all season. Offense, defense, special teams, they’re deep. They’re littered with Pro Bowlers in all three phases, very well coached, they play hard, and (the) quarterback’s outstanding.''
And that is still all true ... usually. But the Bills' five-game win streak over the Jets is over ... meaning that the opponent is improved, and that Buffalo and the Jets now might actually both be "damn good football teams.''
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