The Buffalo Bills are looking to close out Highmark Stadium in style and potentially improve their playoff seeding Sunday when they finish out the regular season against the New York Jets.
The Bills (11-5) have the same record as two other current AFC wild card teams — the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers — and currently occupy the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Whether they’ll look to improve upon that seeding or rest some of their key players remains TBD.
“We want to win the game,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said Monday. “That’s number one.”
However, several players are nursing injuries — including quarterback Josh Allen who is dealing with foot soreness — and it’s unclear who will play and if they will handle their normal workload.
“We talked a little bit [Sunday] night,” McDermott said. “Haven’t had a lot of time just to isolate those situations, Josh Allen included.”
The Bills could climb as high as the No. 5 seed with a win and some help from elsewhere, potentially losses by the Chargers, Texans and/or Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are all of the seeding scenarios.
Back to the stadium farewell, if the Bills end up as the No. 7 seed it would guarantee that Sunday’s finale would be the last Bills game played in Highmark Stadium, where the team has played since 1973. Buffalo will play in a new stadium across the street starting next season. Before that, though, they have some business to take care of, not just Sunday but into the postseason.
Where to watch Bills vs. Jets live
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 4 | Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
- Location: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, New York
- TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Bills -7, O/U 38.5 (via DraftKings)
Bills vs. Jets: Need to know
- Who could see their normal workload reduced for Buffalo? If the Bills want to focus on health rather than seeding, Allen would be the prime candidate to see a light workday — if he plays at all. Allen has dealt with right foot soreness that limited him in practice last week. For what it’s worth, last season Allen appeared briefly in Week 18 so that he could say he played in every game. Perhaps that will be in store again. James Cook, Joey Bosa, Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and other players could get some extra time off before the postseason begins.
- Jets hunting draft pick. It’s been a tough debut season for coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets are on their third quarterback — undrafted rookie Brady Cook — and are 3-13. They’ve lost each of their last three games by at least 20 points. But they also own the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft as well as the Colts’ first-round pick — a selection that currently slots in at No. 18. Both picks could get even better this week, too, if the Jets and the Colts lose again.
- Bills hope run defense improves. Regardless of who plays and who doesn’t, Buffalo would like to see improvements from its run defense. Only the New York Giants are allowing more yards per carry than the Bills (5.3), though Buffalo did a nice job last week, limiting the Philadelphia Eagles to just 82 yards on 26 carries (3.2 yards per attempt).
Bills vs. Jets pick, prediction
Without knowing exactly who is going to play for the Bills, this could be a tough one to pick. But if McDermott says the Bills want to win, then they should win. Plus Buffalo will be wearing the red helmets and the throwback unis of the early ’90s era squads that went to — but lost — four straight Super Bowls. And you know that “Bills Mafia” doesn’t want to see that team from the Meadowlands get the last win at Highmark. Besides, the Jets have looked completely lifeless, so even if it’s Mitchell Trubisky leading the way for the hosts, they’re worth believing in. Pick: Bills -7, Over 38.5
