Bills Central

Bills Stay Atop AFC: 3 Takeaways From Buffalo's Win vs. Jets

The Buffalo Bills are one step closer to the No. 1 seed after beating the New York Jets Sunday at home. Here's a few takeaways from the game.

Jeremy Brener

The Buffalo Bills (10-3) are sending their fans home happy after a 20-12 win against the New York Jets (7-6) Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.

The win keeps the Bills in the driver's seat for home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Buffalo will take the win, but the team knows that it can play better football.

Here's a look at three takeaways from Sunday's win against the Jets ...

Slow Start

The Bills' first five drives ended in a punt and the offense managed just three first downs. While the poor weather played a factor, Buffalo failed to take advantage on the ground, where the team has found success in recent weeks.

The Bills running backs didn't get a whole lot of action, managing just 10 carries for 49 yards. That's nearly five yards per carry, but the Bills chose to rely on the passing game more today and the team was not as explosive as it has been throughout the season.

Opportunity Knox

Tight end Dawson Knox was the leading receiver for just the second time this season. His four catches for 41 yards led the team, but his touchdown - the lone one in the game - was the biggest highlight of the day.

Knox is one of the players that can turn the offense from good to great. If he proves to be a threat up the middle, it frees up players like Devin Singletary, Gabe Davis and Isaiah McKenzie.

No Fly (End) Zone For Jets

The way the Bills defense has played in the past two weeks is reminiscent of the early part of the season when many thought Buffalo boasted the No. 1 unit in the league.

The Bills' defense has now gone seven consecutive quarters against divisional opponents without allowing a touchdown. The team picked up four sacks, including a pair for Gregory Rousseau. With Von Miller out, Rousseau's seven sacks lead the team and he's filling the shoes of their future Hall of Famer well.

Considering how banged-up the defense has been all year, the team's depth has been tested and that can only be a plus for the Bills in the final month before the playoffs.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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