Bills, Jets Look To Win Sunday For Different Reasons
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Forget the records and the fact that the result will have little effect on how the teams assess their regular seasons.
The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets are entering their meeting Sunday with the same approach.
"It's all hands on deck to win the game," Bills coach Chan Gailey said.
Added Jets coach Rex Ryan: "I want to win this game."
Sure, the Jets (10-5) have already clinched a second straight postseason berth under Ryan and appear to be set to play either Kansas City or Indianapolis in the opening round with a chance to rest some players this weekend. That doesn't mean they wouldn't like to leave the New Meadowlands Stadium with a victory.
"Winning two more games than we did last year in the regular season, I think would be good," said Ryan, whose team went 9-7 before going to the AFC championship game a year ago. "Just that little edge that we did win our last game, I think there is some truth to the fact that there is momentum. How much that really matters? I'm not real sure. You look at the teams that were in the Super Bowl last year (New Orleans and Indianapolis), lost their last two. I don't want to do that, though."
The Jets have won four of the last five matchups with the Bills (4-11), and are looking for their second series sweep in three seasons. New York is also trying to win at least 11 games in the regular season for only the fourth time in franchise history, and first since the 1998 team went 12-4 and advanced to AFC championship game.
"In the long, long haul, does it make that big a difference?" Ryan said. "Probably not, because we'll probably be the sixth seed one way or another. There's an outside chance we could be the fifth. I want to win, but our place in history, winning the 11 games and all that kind of stuff, no. You know what I want to do: I want to win the big ring."
Ryan has made his Super Bowl intentions clear from the moment he got the job nearly two years ago. Things were looking pretty good about a month ago, when the Jets were 9-2 and tied for the best record in the AFC, but are 1-3 since.
"It's important to go into the playoffs confident and on a roll," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez is dealing with a sore right shoulder, but Ryan decided he looked good enough to start the game Sunday, although he might not play all four quarters. Sanchez has played well through the injury during the last two games with 439 yards passing with one TD and one INT.
"I think all of us on offense, we've kind of found a good rhythm here and it's important to watch the same amount of film, prepare like we're playing and that's all we know until he says anything different," Sanchez said. "It's important to keep up with our routine and you just use this game as preparation for our next playoff game."
While the Jets are going to the postseason in consecutive years for only the fifth time in franchise history, the Bills are missing the playoffs for the 11th straight year, tying them with Detroit for the longest active drought. Still, Buffalo is trying to win its regular-season finale in consecutive years for the first time since 1998-2000. The Bills also have a chance to finish the season 5-3 after an 0-8 start.
"This is a game for us to be remembered," running back Fred Jackson said of Gailey's message to the team. "How we want to finish the season, do we want to go in and throw in the towel? I don't think anybody in that locker room wants to just say there's no significance in this game. I don't think you're going to get that out of anybody in the locker room."
There's likely to be plenty of changes on the Bills in the offseason, particularly on a defense that ranks 24th overall and last in the league against the run. They've allowed 200 yards rushing seven times this year, one off the team record set in 1978. Buffalo has also allowed 30 points eight times, matching a season worst, set in 1984.
"Anytime new people come in, evaluations are made, adjustments are made and it takes time to change the culture to get it to where you think it needs to be as the leader of the team," said Gailey, completing his first season as Buffalo's coach. "The good thing is I've got a great GM (Buddy Nix). He and I are on the same page. We're working to try to get this thing turned around to where the people of Buffalo want it to be."
There have been a few positives, of course, including the emergence of Steve Johnson as a top receiver and Ryan Fitzpatrick giving the Bills a legitimate passing offense for the first time in years. Although he's coming off his worst game of the season, Fitzpatrick has thrown for 3,000 yards, the most by a Bills player since J.P. Losman in 2006, and his 23 TD passes are the most since Drew Bledsoe had 24 in 2002.
"I think we've found some special talent," Fitzpatrick said, "some guys that if they continue to get better and better, then we're going to have a good chance."
Next year, that is. For the Jets, the focus is solely on now — and another deep run through the postseason.
"You want to end things on a good note," Tomlinson said. "You want to be playing your best football at this time of year, so you want the momentum of winning a game."
