The Buffalo Bills won’t be taking it easy in their season finale, giving their fans a show in Highmark Stadium’s sendoff.
The team was eliminated from division contention with last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving them with just one game remaining and only playoff seeding at stake. While the largely meaningless game against the New York Jets could give the Bills an opportunity to rest some key players, the Bills have decided to take the opposite approach.
Bills Playing Out Strong
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Wednesday that it would be “business as usual” for the team in the season finale, with healthy starters playing. That is a departure from the team’s approach last year, when Josh Allen and many other key starters played only a short time or sat in the season finale against the New England Patriots.
The decision could have some downstream effects of the decision, with Patriots reporter Daniel Rotman noting that it could also lock the Patriots into a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers announced that they are resting quarterback Justin Herbert against the Denver Broncos, which would lock the Broncos into the No. 1 spot with a win and likely move the Chargers to No. 7 if they lose and the Bills win.
“Bills are playing their starters Sunday. So unless [Patriots] get the no. 1 seed, itâs likely LAC in the Wild Card round,” Rotman wrote in a post on X. “Good matchup imo.”
Allen had been nursing a foot injury that he initially suffered in the team’s Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns, which he aggravated against the Eagles. The Bills quarterback was seen limping at times in the second half, then had to undergo X-rays after the game.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that Allen would be healthy enough to play against the Jets, but it would be up to the team to decide how much time he would see.
âAll indications are he is fine and actually in a better place than he was last week,â Rapaport said. âWe just donât know right now whether or not the Bills are going to rest guys with not a lot to play for, just talking about seeding.â
âJosh Allen is going to be good to go for the Buffalo Bills ahead of Week 18.â
The Bills have already ruled out one player, saying linebacker Terrel Bernard would be out against the Jets.
Motivation for Josh Allen
Allen could have some motivation to perform well in the season finale. He added two rushing touchdowns in last week’s 13-12 loss to the Eagles, putting him at 39 total touchdowns for the year.
Allen already holds the NFL all-time record for consecutive 40-touchdown seasons and would tie Aaron Rodgers for most in league history with at least one touchdown on Sunday.
A start would also allow Allen to continue his NFL-best streak for consecutive starts among quarterbacks.
The game will also be the final regular-season game in Highmark Stadium, which is closing at the end of the season as the Bills move to a new stadium built across the street.
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