Josh Allen isn’t satisfied with back-to-back AFC East championships.
But as the Buffalo Bills’ franchise quarterback raced around the perimeter of the field, slapping hands with every fan he could, he walked the line between appreciating what he has while striving for more.
The Bills held the Jets to just four first downs, setting a franchise record. It was also the fewest allowed by any NFL team since 1998. The Bills also allowed just 53 net yards, which is the second fewest in franchise history.
“Nobody at the end of careers looks back and really figures out how many times you won your division,” Allen said. “I think the main goal is the Super Bowl, and winning the division just gives you an opportunity to do that. That’s really our focus. It’s great, it’s fine. The hats and shirts are cool, but at the end of the day, we’ve got a lot more work to do.”
The Bills dispatched the New York Jets 27-10 on Sunday at Highmark Stadium, winning consecutive division titles for the first time since the 1990 and ’91 seasons and clinching at home for the first time since 1995. It’s a momentous occasion worth celebrating, a rare accomplishment.
But it won’t mean much without another deep playoff run, because after reaching the AFC championship game last season and returning nearly the entire roster and coaching staff, those are the expectations. And they were established from the start.
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The Bills have a long-established “24-hour rule,” as well. Win or lose, they enjoy each victory or mull each defeat for one day and then move on. This time, the Bills will spend the week preparing to host a rubber match with the New England Patriots in the wild card round of the playoffs at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.
But let’s not move on from this moment too quickly. Let’s appreciate what we have.
“It’s important for us to smell the roses,” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said. “What’s it, 29 years since this happened, winning it here in front of you guys, in front of our home crowd? I think everyone’s going to celebrate tonight, have good camaraderie with our team and what that means for Western New York and all Bills fans across the world. We’re very thankful to be in the position that we are. However the cards may fall, we’re excited for the next opportunity.”
Buffalo notched its first division title in a generation last season with a Week 15 blowout victory at Denver, sparking a wild scene at the airport as long-suffering Bills fans welcomed the players home.
The Bills finished the 2020 season undefeated against the AFC East.
Devin Singletary finished with 88 rushing yards on 19 carries, along with 24 receiving yards on two catches. He had two touchdowns: one rushing and one receiving on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter.
They dropped just one game against a division opponent this season, the weird 14-10 loss to the Patriots, who gouged the Bills’ defense on the ground and attempted just three passes because of gale force winds blowing off Lake Erie.
After rallying from a 21-point deficit to force overtime, but still falling to the reigning Super Bowl champions a week later in Tampa, Buffalo reasserted its dominance in the AFC East with a 33-21 victory over the Patriots in the rematch a day after Christmas in Foxborough. A headline on the front page of the Boston Globe sports section the next morning read: “No joshing, the AFC East is Allen’s division now.”
Everybody knows it.
The Bills are 11-1 in the AFC East over the last two seasons.
“Last year, the whole season was just a different scenario,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “We were on a high all season long. This season, we were on highs and lows. … With this season being a rollercoaster, it feels great to get it the grittier way.”
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Buffalo technically clinched its second consecutive title with several minutes remaining in its victory against the Jets, when the Patriots lost in Miami. But the Bills didn’t need the help, closing the regular season with four consecutive victories.
“It’s a special moment right now, seeing that it’s back-to-back back,” defensive tackle Ed Oliver said after leading a nine-sack onslaught against the Jets. “It really don’t matter who we play. They can line up whoever out there and we’re going to go play. … Right now, we’re just taking it all in stride. It don’t come easy, winning your division back-to-back, so we’re just having fun with it right now. But come tomorrow, it’s time to go to work.”
Oliver and Phillips were the first players to emerge from the locker room wearing AFC East championship hats and T-shirts that read “BILLS RUN THE EAST.”
They celebrated together at the podium after learning the Bills finished the season with the NFL’s top-ranked defense in total yards, passing yards and points allowed, despite no Pro Bowlers on that side of the ball.
The defense had just limited the Jets to four first downs, 53 yards of total offense and punished rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, racking up nine sacks and 10 quarterback hits. The nine sacks were the most in five seasons under coach Sean McDermott, who called it a “dominating performance.”
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“You’ve got to take a minute or a moment tonight to appreciate – because this is hard to do, make the playoffs (and) win the division,” McDermott said. “But extremely grateful. To God be the glory. I’m just a part of it and I’m extremely grateful to be a part of it.”
Safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer emerged from the locker room with the entire starting secondary, including Levi Wallace, Taron Johnson and Dane Jackson.
They draped Tre’Davious White’s jersey over a table, after Facetiming with the All-Pro cornerback, who tore an ACL on Thanksgiving.
“These are my best friends right here. I’d ride and die for these guys on and off the field any day of the week, and even ‘27’ right here…” Poyer said, gesturing toward White’s jersey. “We’ve just been putting the work in ever since we stepped foot in this building, so it’s extremely special to win the AFC East at home.”
Hyde added: “This team is Buffalo through and through. … We work hard. We play with a chip on our shoulder. It’s kind of just that blue collar way. It’s Buffalo.”
Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde talks about the Buffalo Bills' resilience after the teams 27-10 AFC East-clinching victory over the New York Jets.
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Allen continued to look ahead, as he should.
It’s difficult to imagine looking back at this season and considering it a great success unless the Bills return to the AFC title game, at a minimum. A loss at that point might feel hollow, as well.
The Bills are no longer just happy to be here.
“I keep saying this: The main goal is to win a Super Bowl,” Allen said. “Tooth and nail, we were going to find a way to get into the playoffs and we did, and we’re fortunate enough that we won the East, but the main thing is still in front of us, and we understand that. We’re happy, we’re excited to have this opportunity tonight. But by no means does this feel like we’ve accomplished what we want to accomplish.”
But let’s give it 24 hours. Let’s savor back-to-back division championships. It hasn’t happened here in three decades. Heck, even the title in 1995 happened before Allen was born.
Allen thought about the legions of long-suffering Bills fans who couldn’t attend games last season because of Covid-19, the small crowds allowed into the building for the 2020 postseason and what a grind the 2021 season has been as he ran around the perimeter of the field, slapping hands.
He took a beat to reflect and appreciate the triumph.
“Especially given last year, with not too many people in the stands and really only for the playoffs, to do that and to feel the energy from the crowd…” Allen said. “I know that this hasn’t been done here in a long time, so to go out there and do that and just get to experience that with them, that’s something I’ll remember for a while.”
