Jets, Wilson Limp to Finish Line as Bills Clinch AFC East

 BILLS 27 - JETS 10 

Anyone paying attention to all the wild playoff clinching scenarios that were taking place Sunday afternoon knew the Jets were in a very tough spot in Buffalo late Sunday.  And what happened Sunday was predictable as the Jets were slammed by the Buffalo Bills 27-10 in the season finale, as Buffalo clinched the AFC East title for the second straight season.

In fact Buffalo clinched the division before the game was over thanks to the Miami Dolphins 33-24 win over the New England Patriots.

The Jets were putrid offensively. A combination of injuries to the offensive line, wide receivers, and Zach Wilson's tendency to hold onto the football way too long paved the way for a brutal night for the Jets.

Wilson was knocked down 19 times, sacked eight times, and only completed 7-of-20 passes for 87 yards. He was totally under siege against the best defense in the NFL.

Yet somehow the Jets managed to hang around for most of the evening due in part to the Jets ability to slow down Josh Allen and the Bills and hold them to a pair of field goals in the early going, and the fact that Buffalo punter Matt Haack had a horrible night, shanking a couple of punts, and punting one ball seven-yards after a fumbled snap.

Were it not for the special teams gaffs on the part of the Bills, the Jets probably would have been shutout.

The first shanked punt resulted in a Jets touchdown, a nice throw by Wilson to Keenlan Cole on a crossing pattern that the speedy receiver ran home for a 40-yard score to cut the Bills lead to 10-7.

In the third quarter, the Jets got a gift on the bobbled snap from the long snapper that Haack punted only seven yards to the Buffalo 29-yard line. Unfortunately for the Jets, they couldn't do anything with it, settling for a field goal to cut the Bills lead to 13-10.

Buffalo finally got its act together in the fourth quarter. Josh Allen's 32-yard scramble jump-started a seven-play, 51-yards scoring drive that culminated in a Devin Singletary one-yard run that gave the Bills a 20-10 advantage.

After a Jets three-and-out, Buffalo put the finishing touches on the game when Allen dropped a dime into the hands of Gabriel Davis for a 27-yard gain into Jets territory. A few plays later, Singletary hauled in an Allen pass for a touchdown to make it 27-10.

The Jets finish the season at 4-13. It was a season where the Jets young players showed some progress. Zach Wilson had his moments throughout the year. All eyes will be on what kind of leap Wilson can take, if any, in year two when the team reconvenes this spring and summer.