The Buffalo Bills will turn to one of the final few days of their 2024 NFL season.
Following their win over the New England Patriots, the Bills (12-3) will take on the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Week 17.
But before we even get to kickoff, there will be a lot of Bills-related discussions and conversations to be had throughout the coming days.
Here are five storylines to watch for during the lead up to the Bills-Jets matchup"
The way this week's Christmas football finished, the Bills no longer have the No. 1 seed to play for. In their rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) have locked in that top spot in the AFC. Because of that, Buffalo will likely play at full strength this upcoming Sunday against the Jets... in order to not have to do that in their season finale if they lock up the No. 2 seed.
Translation: This very well could be the last time we see the Bills' starters for a few weeks.
As it has been for weeks, many eyes will be on Bills quarterback Josh Allen as it pertains to the 2024 NFL MVP Award. After injury and weather held him back in Buffalo's win over New England last week, Allen needs to have a good showing if he's going to clinch that honor. Many believe Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson closed the gap a bit in the NFL's other Christmas Day game.
The Bills are expected to win their final two games of the 2024 regular season against the Jets and Pats, respectively. While Buffalo will be the favorite in both, this one is their final contest at Highmark Stadium in the regular season. This team will be aware of that, because making sure Week 17 is not their final home game will be a motivating factor. Lock some more of those in for the postseason with wins.
The Bills only won by three points against the Patriots last week. A surprising number.
Most expected a bigger gap. As that relates to Buffalo's defense, the group was really beaten up and missed plenty of key starters such as cornerback Rasul Douglas (knee) and linebacker Matt Milano (bicep/groin). There's a good chance multiple first-team players are able to suit up against the Jets. A big boost.
The Bills narrowly edged this Jets team, 23-20, earlier this season. It also might be the final time Buffalo faces this team from New York. There are tons of questions surrounding the likes of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their futures with the Jets.
Bare minimum, the team will actually have a head coach and general manager before next season...