Jets’ Jenkins on Allen: ‘I don’t really like that guy’

ORCHARD PARK — Jets outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins won’t be exchanging Christmas gifts with Josh Allen, left tackle Dion Dawkins or any other Bills anytime soon after a cheap shot and a whole lot of trash talking Sunday.

Jenkins didn’t hold back when describing Buffalo’s rookie quarterback in the wake of the Jets’ 27-23 win.

“He can throw the ball far… maybe not accurate,” Jenkins told two reporters in the winning locker room. “I don’t really like that guy. That guy was talking trash out there. Personally, I couldn’t care less about that guy.”

Allen carved up the Jets defense for 87 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven scrambles in the first half before the Jets made adjustments to hold him to just two runs for 14 yards in the second half. Allen, who had rushed for 99 and 135 yards in the previous two games, was the engine of the Bills’ offense that jumped out to a 14-3 first-quarter lead. He scrambled for 48 yards, including a six-yard touchdown, on the game’s opening drive before Gang Green held him in check.

“He was feeling himself,” Jenkins said. “He was talking trash out there today.”

Jenkins’ anger was fueled by left tackle Dion Dawkins’ chop block on the first play from scrimmage. Jenkins was engaged with the guard when Dawkins executed the dirty play that prompted the outside linebacker to briefly leave the game with an ankle injury.

“I took myself out, because I couldn’t really move well and I had to go inside,” said Jenkins, who returned and finished with two tackles, including one tackle for loss. “I was trying to get taped up to help out. After the play, I told (Dawkins), ‘If you do that again, I’ll kill you.’ I was enraged at the time. That’s a career-ender. You’re trying to mess up my life. That’s classless. You don’t dive at somebody’s ankle when somebody’s engaged with somebody. That’s not real football.

“We know the tight end’s cut block,” Jenkins continued. “That’s totally legal. But if you’re diving at somebody’s ankles when you’re engaged with somebody, that’s classless. That’s not real football. That’s some punk type stuff.”

Keeping Allen in the pocket made all the difference in the second half.

“He ran the ball well,” Jamal Adams said. “We just had to close the pocket. Keep him in contain. Obviously, it’s hard to do that. He’s a phenomenal runner. At the end of the day, we did our job and executed it when we needed to do it.”

On this day, Allen was what Jenkins and the rest of us thought he was: A better runner than passer. The rookie finished 18-for-36 for 206 yards, two interceptions and a 44.4 passer rating.

“He’s a good quarterback,” Jenkins said. “He’s good on his feet. He’s a definite threat running the ball.”