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The Buffalo Bills are excited for the postseason. It’s been an epic turnaround since 2017 when head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane took over operations.
The team has made the playoffs in all but one season since.
“When we came here in 2017, we had these goals for ourselves,” safety Jordan Poyer said via video conference. “One being that first team in 20 years to get to the playoffs. Mark that. Check that. Now, being the first team in X amount of years to go back-to-back and win the AFC East.”
But the buck stops right there for Poyer and the Bills (10-6). If Buffalo wants to win the AFC East in back-to-back fashion there is still work to do.
The New York Jets (4-12) head to Orchard Park for this weekend’s season finale. A win and that title belongs to the Bills.
A loss and it’s no guarantee which gives the Jets something to fight for.
Spoiler is a name given to teams after all and Poyer was amongst Bills players that is focusing on what New York is bringing to town first and foremost. Not what will happen in the playoffs.
Poyer said he sees a “confident” quarterback in Zach Wilson. The rookie did not play in the first meeting between these two earlier this season due to a knee injury.
“You don’t want to take your foot off the gas just because you feel like ‘oh we made the playoffs.’ It’s a totally different game obviously we’ve got to handle business this week,” Poyer added.
Defensively, the Jets are still working out some things. Still, just last week is a good example of how far they’ve come.
If you’re going to give the Bills credit for taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady down to the wire, the Jets get the same. That’s exactly what New York did in Week 17 and Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen respected their efforts.
“This is a group that plays extremely hard. They took Tampa down to the last 30 seconds and they had their opportunities in that game,” Allen said via video conference. “It’s a hungry defense. Their coach is extremely energetic and we know that they’re going to be pumped up and ready to come play and try and take the division away from us at home. If I was in that position, I’d feel the same way.”
Finally for McDermott, there’s actually a deeper and extra layer that he’s attacking this week and moving forward. It’s not just about winning, it’s about the bigger picture.
The postseason is locked up for the Bills. Buffalo just needs to figure out the seeding situation.
Having spent years in the NFL with several other teams, the coach knows making the playoffs is not the norm. It’s hard.
That’s the message he wants to keep feeding his team, especially the younger players, over the next few weeks. Do not take it for granted and keep working.
“It’s important though that, I’ve just learned over the years you don’t assume anything, you don’t assume they know, whoever they is and then know what. So in this case it’s how hard it is to make the playoffs,” McDermott said via video conference.
“Records do not matter, the Jets are playing good football,” McDermott added. “The last three games they’ve led at halftime and then took the defending world champs to the brink last week.”
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