Gang Green closes season with a win

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills can finally look ahead to making their playoff preparations knowing they’re headed to Houston next weekend.

For Sam Darnold and the New York Jets (79), they have a long but hopeful offseason ahead in believing their 62 secondhalf record has them poised for a better future.

“I promise you, we’ll grow from here and we’ll get this thing going in the right direction,” Jets center Jonotthan Harrison said after New York closed with a 136 win at Buffalo on Sunday. “It was a slow start (to the season). But at the end of the day, finishing the last half of the season 62 is huge. … And that shows a lot about the character of the guys in the locker room.”

Harrison was particularly referring to Darnold, the secondyear quarterback who shook off a 14 start and a bout of mononucleosis to help the Jets avoid finishing with doubledigit losses for what would have been a franchiseworst fourth consecutive year.

In a game with very little on the line for both teams, Darnold hit Jamison Crowder for a 1yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to beat Buffalo’s backups.

Even Jets running back Le’Veon Bell saw promise despite finishing a season in which he failed to top 100 yards rushing.

“We’re starting to get the ship sailing in the right direction. I think we started finding our groove and finding out exactly what our image is going to be,” said Bell, who had 41 yards rushing and added 36 receiving against Buffalo. “I look forward to the offseason and obviously getting better and getting in crazy shape and building on what we got.”

Buffalo dropped to 106 — still the team’s best record since an 115 finish in 1999 — after resting a majority of their starters following the first quarter. The Bills were already locked in as the AFC’s fifthseeded team. The only unknown was learning they’d be traveling to face the AFC South champion and fourthseeded Texans in the wildcard playoff after Kansas City defeated the Los Angeles Chargers.

“It’s anything can happen. We are in the dance. We know that. We understand that,” said Allen, who played just two series before being replaced by backup Matt Barkley. “At the end of the day, it’s playoff football. It’s win or go home.”

Allen didn’t need reminding his last trip to Houston ended with him spraining his throwing elbow after being sacked in a 2013 loss in October 2018.

“Yeah, thanks for bringing that up,” said Allen, who wound up missing four games due to the injury.

Much like Darnold, a fellow member of the 2018 firstround draft class of quarterbacks, Allen has shown signs of improvement from last year. Allen finished this season with 20 touchdowns passing, matching the most by a Buffalo player since Tyrod Taylor in 2015. And Allen’s 3,089 yards passing were the most in Buffalo since Ryan Fitzpatrick had 3,400 in 2012.

Otherwise, the game was a defensive struggle that befitted the sloppy conditions, with a persistent drizzle falling for most of the afternoon.

With the score tied at 33, and following Jets kicker Sam Ficken missing two of his first three fieldgoal attempts, Darnold oversaw a nineplay, 75yard touchdown drive, which he capped by hitting Crowder cutting across the middle on secondandgoal with 13:31 left.

The touchdown was Darnold’s 19th of the season, and 36th of his career. He fell one touchdown passing short of matching Joe Namath’s record for most by a Jets player in his first two seasons.

The Bills, meanwhile, settled for field goals with Barkley overseeing an offense that began the day minus starters John Brown and Cole Beasley, and with just three receivers active.

Barkley was 18 of 35 for 232 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble. The lack of chemistry showed on Barkley’s second interception with 5:17 remaining. After gaining 45 yards on three plays, Barkley lobbed a pass directed toward T.J. Yeldon only to have the running back turn the wrong way, with the ball easily intercepted by Arthur Maulet.

The turnover led to Ficken hitting a 47yard field goal to put the Jets up 133 with 2:05 left.

INJURIES

The Bills have question marks heading into Houston. Starting cornerback Levi Wallace was carted off the sideline with a right ankle injury. He was hurt when his cleat got caught in the turf in intercepting Darnold’s pass that caromed off the back of teammate Taron Johnson’s helmet.

Bills right tackle Ty Nsekhe was also carted off the sideline after hurting his ankle on the opening drive of the third quarter. Nsekhe had just returned to the lineup after missing five games with an ankle injury.

Buffalo was so depleted at cornerback, receiver Isaiah McKenzie saw a few snaps on defense in the fourth quarter.

GORE MILESTONE

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore played his 226th career regularseason game, tying Emmitt Smith for most by a running back in NFL history.

Gore was coming off his first career game in which he had no yards from scrimmage. Starting in place of rookie Devin Singletary, the 36yearold Gore was limited to playing the first half in which he finished with six carries for 26 yards and three catches for 16.

UP NEXT

Jets: Season over. Bills: AFC wildcard playoff at Houston.