Jets win as Bills give starters a break
Sam Darnold threw for 199 yards and the game’s only touchdown, leading the New York Jets to a 13-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills on a rainy Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.
The Jets finish their season 7-9. The Bills (10-6), who had the No. 5 seed locked up coming into the game, will play in next week’s AFC wild-card round against the Houston Texans.
Buffalo backup quarterback Matt Barkley finished 18 for 35 for 232 yards and two interceptions in place of Josh Allen, who started the game but played just two possessions. The Bills rested a slew of their starters. The teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter.
Sam Ficken’s 47-yarder with 2:05 remaining gave the Jets a 13-3 lead. Stephen Hauschka responded with a 29-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in the game to cut it to 13-6.
The Jets recovered the onside kick to seal the game.
The Jets missed two firsthalf field goals but took a 3-0 lead into halftime. The Bills amassed just 62 yards in the half, sitting most of their offensive leaders.
The Bills sat their leading rusher Devin Singletary and wide receiver John Brown along with WR Cole Beasley and TE Dawson Knox. Cornerback Tre’davious White also did not play.
PICK-6 LIFTS FALCONS
Deion Jones returned a Jameis Winston interception 27 yards for the game-winning touchdown on the first play of overtime to give the visiting Atlanta Falcons the 28-22 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their regular-season finale.
Atlanta’s Matt Ryan finished 30 of 51 for 301 yards and one touchdown, while kicker Younghoe Koo was 5 for 5 on field goals for the Falcons (7-9).
Atlanta opened the scoring with a trick play. Offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo checked in as an eligible receiver, and the Buccaneers (7-9) did not adjust correctly, as Ryan found Sambrailo for a 35-yard touchdown up the seam. It was the longest touchdown reception by an offensive lineman since at least 1950.
A field goal from Koo put the Falcons up 10-0 after the first quarter, but the Buccaneers started the second quarter by finishing a nine-play, 67-yard drive for a two-yard Cameron Brate touchdown reception.
Koo nailed a field goal on the next possession, and then Winston threw an interception that put the Falcons in the red zone. But Jason Pierrepaul strip-sacked Ryan, and Devin White returned it 91 yards for a touchdown.
The score put the Tampa Bay ahead for the first time in the game, 14-13, and was the longest fumble return in Buccaneers history.
Winston finished 13 of 24 for 201 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Tampa Bay. With the performance, he became the eighth player in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season.
He also became the first player to finish a season with at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, and set an NFL record for pick-sixes in a season with seven.