Buffalo Bills Give New York Jets Hard Look at Standard They’re Chasing

The New York Jets watched as the Buffalo Bills completely dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks for an open receiver during first half action at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Sept. 23, 2024. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Jets have been off since their 24-3 win over the New England Patriots. It gave players and coaches plenty of time to watch football this weekend.

What they saw on Monday night was the Buffalo Bills dismantling the Jacksonville Jaguars, 47-10, to improve to 3-0 on the season and keep the lead in the AFC East.

It also reinforced the fact that if the Jets want to win the division, and thereby claim a home playoff game should they be lucky enough to get to the postseason, that road goes through Buffalo.

Buffalo put together an incredible game against Jacksonville. Quarterback Josh Allen led the Bills to a touchdown on each of their five possessions in the first half. He finished the game with 263 passing yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Mitchell Trubisky took over for him in the fourth quarter.

But, the biggest moment was on defense. Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin had his first career interception.

Hamlin nearly died during a Monday night game in Cincinnati two years ago. He was named a starter to begin the season and, when the Buffalo fans realized that the local favorite had picked off Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the place went berserk.

Just three games into the season, the AFC East race is beginning to separate just a bit. With Buffalo undefeated and New York a game behind, both Miami and New England are 1-2 after three games.

Curiously, both Buffalo and New York have scored at least 60 points in their first three games while Miami and New England have scored fewer than 40 points.

Both the Bills and the Jets have division wins, too. Buffalo dominated Miami, 31-10, last week, while New York already has a win in hand over New England.

For the next two weeks, the two teams will keep a watchful eye on one another. Buffalo is headed for Baltimore for a Sunday night game this week, followed by a road trip to Houston on Oct. 6.

The Jets, meanwhile, host Denver on Sunday and then head to London to face the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 6.

After that, the Bills and New York will meet for the first time, as the pair face each other on a Monday night, Oct. 14, at MetLife Stadium.

It’s possible the Bills could be undefeated and the Jets could still be one game behind them when they face each other for the first time this season. That would make it the biggest game in the division to date, should it come to pass that way.