Because the Payments clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed in blowout trend, a 40-14 thumping of the down-and-out Jets, all the pieces was arising 17.

The Payments accomplished a complete of 17 passes. Josh Allen, their franchise participant, ended the sport with 17 yards dashing. The Payments scored their first landing, you guessed it, on the seventeenth play of the afternoon — scored by none aside from No. 17 himself.

Heck, even the climate stayed on theme. When the sport started, the introduced wind was blowing at 17 mph.

And because the Payments concluded their No. 17 day with a landing go in true Josh Allen fashion — a cross-body howitzer after he prolonged the play rolling to his proper — the collective ideas in Highmark Stadium had been verbalized all as one.

With the Payments up 33-0, “M-V-P” bellowed all through the stadium. A number of offensive linemen waved their arms as chants began to type, asking them to develop louder. The followers in attendance heartily obliged.

Though it’s an award for just one particular person, all of Allen’s teammates have been invested in him successful it. The quarterback’s three-touchdown, no-turnover efficiency in solely three quarters is perhaps his last assertion to MVP voters.

With the No. 2 seed sewn up, the Payments have little else to play for in Week 18 on the highway towards the Patriots. And if Sunday was Allen’s last sport, his 2024 marketing campaign ends with a fifth straight season accounting for 40-plus touchdowns, the most effective touchdown-to-turnover charge of his profession, over 4,000 complete yards and his third 13-win season because the staff’s starter.

Because the chatter grew louder from nationwide pundits in favor of Lamar Jackson’s MVP case in the course of the week, Payments head coach Sean McDermott had a press release of his personal.

“Josh Allen’s the MVP,” McDermott stated. “I’ve been round this league lengthy sufficient to know, to see MVPs for a few years. What he has accomplished on this staff, on this group, on this neighborhood — and no offense to anyone else — however I’ve obtained a tough time believing any individual has accomplished extra. I actually consider that.”

Right here’s what stood out from the Payments’ victory to safe dwelling area via at the very least the primary two weeks of the postseason.

A vital assertion sport for the protection

Though they made it fascinating within the early elements of the sport, the Payments have to be thrilled with how their protection responded after three straight video games of permitting yards and factors in bunches. It hit a low be aware final weekend towards the three-win Patriots, with the opponents racing out to a 14-0 lead whereas persevering with to maneuver the ball. The Jets had been taking part in a lot better offensively in latest weeks, they usually even had some success early on, however the Payments protection closed the door within the first half after which barricaded it your complete second.

The Jets moved the ball in bunches of their first two drives. 4 performs gained 10 yards or extra out of their first 16. On these first 16 performs, the Jets averaged 7.2 yards per play — an unsustainable charge for the Payments protection. However on each drives, even when they took the time period to the acute, the cliché bend-but-don’t-break Payments lived as much as that fame. On the primary drive, they stopped the Jets on a fourth-and-1 try in Payments territory to pressure a turnover on downs.

On the second, with the Jets within the Payments’ crimson zone, defensive finish Greg Rousseau’s lengthy arms tipped an Aaron Rodgers go into the air that fell proper into defensive sort out Jordan Phillips’ breadbasket. The Payments escaped with out yielding a single level both time.

BIG. PHIL. INT.

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— Buffalo Payments (@BuffaloBills) December 29, 2024

The dominant portion of the afternoon started on the third drive. With the security compelled on that possession, the Payments protection put collectively an insurmountable lead, successful that scoring battle 2-0. Within the second half, earlier than the removing of Allen and Rodgers from the sport, the Payments sacked Rodgers 3 times, picked him off, compelled a fumble and allowed the Jets to realize solely 32 yards on 17 performs — a median of 1.9 yards per play.

The Payments protection definitely nonetheless has massive query marks remaining about it. How a lot will its penchant for permitting explosive performs towards higher groups damage the Payments within the playoffs? Is their run protection, which once more confirmed indicators of weak point, going to pressure the Payments into shootouts within the postseason? And may they rectify their third-down protection, which has gotten worse because the season has gone on? These are solutions we gained’t have till the playoffs arrive. However on the very least, Sunday was what the protection wanted. If the Payments relaxation their starters subsequent week, they’ll be heading into the playoffs with much more confidence than that they had following the Rams, Lions and Patriots video games.

Amari Cooper will get going, however with one caveat

In latest weeks, the Payments have had hassle jump-starting trade-deadline acquisition Amari Cooper. Over the earlier two video games, Cooper was focused solely twice and caught just one go for 10 yards. He had been held to beneath 15 yards in 4 of seven video games energetic with the Payments, a regarding majority given the third-round draft asset they gave up for him. Whereas it wasn’t a large outing, Cooper introduced in three passes for 56 yards, together with a highlight-reel 30-yard landing catch. After the sport, McDermott stated getting Cooper going was “large” heading into the postseason. And though Cooper put up his third-best yardage complete for a single sport with the Payments, it didn’t include a spike in his utilization.

In truth, his time on the sphere was decrease than it had been in any sport since his Payments debut in Week 7. Together with penalty performs towards the Jets earlier than Mitchell Trubisky and the second-team offense took over, Cooper took solely 22 out of a doable 61 snaps — a snap charge of 36.1 p.c. And it wasn’t on account of getting checked for a concussion, as he was cleared earlier than the subsequent drive started and likewise took a snap three performs into that drive. Over his final six video games, Cooper had snap percentages ranging anyplace from 45.7 to 53.3 p.c. It stays to be seen if they’re saving his function to develop within the postseason, however Cooper has been the fourth receiver in snap charge for a number of video games in a row. Which will simply be how the Payments view him.

What a catch by COOP‼️

📺: @paramountplus & @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/yMecgbX7VR

— Buffalo Payments (@BuffaloBills) December 29, 2024

An eye fixed on Matt Milano’s function and the way the Payments dealt with it in his return

The final time the Payments had Matt Milano accessible was towards the Lions, and his function had grown from his earlier outings. In that sport, Milano remained on the sphere for the overwhelming majority of third downs till he left the sport with an damage. That was completely different from his first two video games after getting back from the long-term damage, the place he performed solely on first and second down earlier than leaving the sphere in apparent passing conditions. There was a key distinction in that Lions sport, as defensive again Cam Lewis, who had been the participant substituting in for Milano on third downs, began the sport at security on account of accidents to Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin. That led to some intrigue as to how the Payments would use Milano towards the Jets now that Lewis now not has to begin at security.

Though the Payments didn’t face many third-and-long conditions early within the sport, as soon as they did, Milano returned to the identical function towards the 49ers and Rams. He took all of the early-down work and stayed on the sphere for third-and-short performs. However when the Jets entered apparent passing conditions, Milano left the sphere and was as soon as once more changed by Lewis. Which will have been a product of this being Milano’s first sport again from a one-week absence with a groin damage. Nevertheless, Lewis has performed his bevy of roles this season properly, to the purpose the place the Payments view him as an asset to their protection. It will not be a shock if, so long as the safeties and nickel nook Taron Johnson are all wholesome, this pattern continues into the playoffs — particularly after the Payments had the quantity of defensive success they did towards the Jets.

A brand new twist at defensive sort out

The Payments have been tinkering with their defensive sort out group for a lot of the season. The mainstays are starters Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones, however the Payments carry 4 further gamers on the place on their 53-man roster in rookie DeWayne Carter, Austin Johnson, Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson. During the last 4 video games, all 4 of these rotational gamers have taken a flip as a wholesome scratch. In Week 14, it was Phillips, then Jefferson in Week 15. Final week towards the Patriots it was Carter, after which Sunday towards the Jets it was Johnson’s flip. McDermott stated on Friday that a part of the choice to make Carter a wholesome scratch towards the Patriots was in an effort to search out their finest 5 defensive tackles. Nevertheless, what made the Johnson inactive determination fascinating on Sunday is that it left the Payments with no true backup one-technique function — a crucial element to run defending.

So when the substitute defensive tackles entered the sport, Carter lined up within the one-technique function on every snap, both subsequent to Phillips or Jefferson. This can be a large swap for Carter, as he has performed nearly all of his snaps this season because the three-technique. The movie will reveal if it was a good suggestion or one the Payments want to go away alone for the playoffs, but it surely was apparent that the run-defending play from Johnson had been a bit uneven in latest weeks. If ever there was a time to determine it out, it was this week towards a strong Jets dashing assault. That backup one-technique function is TBD till they get to the postseason.

Payments MVP: DE Greg Rousseau — The protection wanted large performs with the Jets nonetheless in placing distance, and Rousseau’s tipped go led to an interception within the first half. He adopted it up with a sack within the second half that put the Jets right into a dire third-and-19, which turned the staff’s second interception. When Rousseau is on his sport, the entire protection is healthier.

Payments LVP: Nobody — The Payments had been out to a 40-0 lead earlier than the Jets put collectively a scoring drive. It was utter domination within the second half.

Up subsequent: The 13-3 Payments head on the highway to tackle the 3-13 Patriots within the 2024 regular-season finale.

(Photograph of Josh Allen: Gregory Fisher / Imagn Photos)

Joe Buscaglia is a employees author for The Athletic, overlaying the Buffalo Payments. Joe has coated the staff since 2010. He spent his first 5 years on the beat at WGR Sports activities Radio 550 and the subsequent 4 years at WKBW-TV in Buffalo. A local of Hamburg, N.Y., Buscaglia is a graduate of Buffalo State School. Comply with Joe on Twitter @JoeBuscaglia