And it was yet another sign of the obvious progress this Jets team has made in its first year under head coach Robert Saleh. There is no doubt that the team that was on the field for their regular season finale was far better than the team that played on Opening Day.
Honestly, the way this game started, it didn’t look like it was going to turn out that way. The Bills and their fifth-ranked offense streamed down the field on their first possession, going 75 yards in seven plays and 4:18 for a touchdown. And on their next series they marched right back down the field and came within one Stefon Diggs foot of scoring a second straight touchdown, too.
But the Jets forced them to settle for a field goal and then the Jets’ defense really settled down. The Bills had 135 yards and 10 points after the first two possessions. They had 289 yards and 17 points on 11 drives the rest of the way.
Yes, the Jets defense wore down and gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Remember, this is a defense that was embarrassed by the Bills in mid-November in a 45-17 loss. They were shredded for 489 yards that day, including a 366-yard passing performance by Allen and another 139 yards on the ground.
The Jets defense wanted redemption and to an extent they got it. Allen needed 45 pass attempts to throw for just 239 yards. The Bills did have 170 rushing yards, but 72 of those came on two big runs and 63 of those yards came from Allen. And even though Diggs had nine catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, it was still far less than the 162 yards he had in the first meeting, and he had a very quiet second half.
That’s not bad for a defense that has, at times, been really bad. And that’s a sign of progress, which is what this season was supposed to be all about.
Here are some more takeaways from another loss that really should be considered another “moral victory” for the Jets …