National Football League

In win over Jets, Bills prove they're getting into Super Bowl shape

Updated Dec. 11, 2022 6:04 p.m. ET

The Buffalo Bills are as good as everyone expected. That's no surprise. What we couldn't have expected? Their defense has often been better than their offense, even without their biggest star, Von Miller. That's not a knock on the offense. Buffalo has been one of the NFL's best and most well-rounded defenses.

The Bills proved that against the New York Jets on Sunday in a 20-12 win.

In a mix of rain and snow, the Bills defense beat up Jets quarterback Mike White, and though Buffalo struggled to defend running back Zonovan Knight (17 carries, 71 yards, 1 TD), the Bills figured out how to win ugly — and with physical football.

As tough as White was to play through an upper-body injury, he clearly wasn't healthy enough to play his best. And if the Jets were going to have a chance, White would have to be at his best. That was only one of many tough breaks for the Jets at the quarterback position. Because when White missed a few snaps due to the rib injury, Joe Flacco fumbled the ball away. It seemed to decimate the Jets' confidence. It added insult to injury. The Bills used the fumble to score a field goal and widen their lead in the third quarter.

Buffalo capitalized upon crucial plays to take control of the game — and dictate momentum.

At this time of season, that's a crucial skill.

Because although it's nice to see high-flying offenses and shootouts, the Bills want to win a Super Bowl. That'll take a well-rounded effort. They want the playoffs to come through Buffalo. And that'll mean winning in the cold. The Bills are turning into the team they need to be.

It wasn't all good. Buffalo's offense converted just 2 of 13 third downs. That's an abysmal number for Josh Allen and company. Allen was just 16-of-27 for 147 yards and a touchdown. He led the team in all rushing categories: 10 carries for 47 yards and a rushing touchdown. Stefon Diggs had just three catches for 37 yards.

You'd think, looking at those stats, that maybe the Bills lost. But Buffalo has been able to lean heavily upon its defense in slugfests such as this one. The Jets have an amazing defense, one of the top units in the NFL. But because Allen could trust his defense would contain the Jets, the quarterback didn't press. He didn't turn over the ball. He almost casually cruised to victory. He was efficient enough.

It never felt like the Bills were in trouble. They had control of the game, particularly as White winced his way through the second half due to that rib injury. There were plenty of opportunities for the Jets to get back into the game. New York just didn't have a quarterback that could seize those opportunities, even with receiver Garrett Wilson playing extremely well and finishing with six catches for 78 yards. Elijah Moore also continued to see an uptick in his production, with six catches for 60 yards.

It wasn't like the Bills secondary shut out New York. But that's actually where it seems like Buffalo has the most upside, with Tre'Davious White getting healthier in his first few games back from an ACL injury. Rookies Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford continue to get more experience, which should help them contribute later in the season.

"That's an All-Pro corner that we have in there," Jordan Poyer said of White postgame. "We're excited moving forward with him."

But their defensive line — and their whole front seven — remained their biggest strength. They've been without Miller for two weeks, but the line hasn't let up. Gregory Rousseau logged two sacks and a tipped pass. Linebacker Matt Milano batted two balls to go with a quarterback hit and nine tackles. The Bills finished the game with four sacks and eight QB hits on White and Flacco. Between the injury and the fumble, those QB hits dictated the outcome of the game.

"We are going to see these guys again," Jets coach Robert Saleh said, suggesting he thinks he'll get a shot at Buffalo in the playoffs.

If he's right, it'll probably be in Buffalo again.

And that brings me to the bigger picture of this win. The Bills (10-3) are No. 1 in the AFC and are positioning themselves to perfection.

They have back-to-back wins over AFC East teams, and they'll face the Miami Dolphins next week. A win there would go a long way in solidifying the Bills' standing atop the AFC and the AFC East. They're currently atop the AFC, with a first-round bye and a home-field advantage. But a loss to any of these two teams — New England or New York — in the past two weeks would have left them vulnerable to a loss in the upcoming game Saturday against the Dolphins.

A win like this helps ensure the road to the Super Bowl goes through Buffalo. And that suits their defensive focus — which will work for them in cold and messy-weather games.

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Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

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