Josh Allen and the Bills hold off Aaron Rodgers as they edge the Jets 23-20
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen accounted for three touchdowns—two through the air and one on the ground—as the Bills triumphed over the New York Jets with a score of 23-20 on Monday, despite a strong first-half performance from Aaron Rodgers.
Tyler Bass redeemed himself after an earlier miss by successfully converting a 22-yard field goal, which gave the Bills a lead with 3:43 left in the game. This victory allowed Buffalo to snap a two-game losing streak, improving their record to 4-2 and solidifying their position in the AFC East division.
The Jets fell to 2-4, now sitting third in the division behind the Bills and the Miami Dolphins, with the New England Patriots at the bottom with a record of 1-5.
"We found a way to win," Allen stated in an interview with ESPN. "We got a bit sloppy in the second half and need to find ways to score more points, but it was a collective team effort. We will take the wins however they come."
This loss marked the Jets' third consecutive defeat, occurring shortly after the dismissal of head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday.
In the wake of this change, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was appointed as the interim head coach, while offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was relieved of his play-calling responsibilities.
Despite the coaching shake-up, the game’s outcome remained unchanged, even with Rodgers throwing for an impressive 294 yards, including two touchdowns and one interception.
Rodgers concluded the first half with a remarkable Hail Mary pass, which was caught by Allen Lazard for a 52-yard touchdown, narrowing the score to 20-17 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Greg Zuerlein successfully kicked a 22-yard field goal to equalize at 20-20. However, he missed two crucial field goal attempts from 32 and 43 yards in the second half, both hitting the left upright.
These misses were among several missed opportunities for the Jets.
With under two minutes left in the game, Rodgers attempted a long pass intended for Mike Williams, but the throw fell short, allowing Taron Johnson—returning from a broken right arm sustained in the season opener—to secure the interception.
Allen and the Bills successfully managed to run down the clock, securing their victory in a contest that featured both teams receiving 11 penalties, resulting in a combined total of 204 yards.
Following a field goal by the Jets on their initial drive, the Bills responded with a drive that culminated in Allen's one-yard touchdown run.
Rodgers found Garrett Wilson with a five-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 10-7 at the end of the first quarter. However, Allen later delivered an eight-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins and a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox late in the second quarter, allowing the Bills to take the lead.
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