Amari Cooper Jets e1735513465955 Buffalo BillsGetty Images

Josh Allen doesn’t care what Bart Scott or anyone else thinks about his MVP chances, but he does like his team’s odds of winning in the playoffs — especially after the Bills locked up the AFC’s No. 2 seed and finished the regular season undefeated at home with Sunday’s 40-14 win over the Jets. Sean McDermott & Co. registered the team’s first unblemished home record since 1990.

“That’s something Coach McDermott preaches here is defending our dirt,” said Allen, who became the first player in NFL history to produce 40-or-more touchdowns in five straight seasons. “Going 8-0 at home, it’s an impressive feat. It’s hard to win in this league. But that’s big for us and it’s about our fans here, what they give us, the juice, the energy. The false starts, the delay of games, it all plays a part in it. So, it’s awesome.”

With one week to play, most believe Allen is in a two-horse race with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson for the MVP. But Allen would gladly hand a third award to Jackson in exchange for a Super Bowl. He told Tracy Wolfson from CBS that he cared more about his teammates’ highlights on the JumboTron.

“I don’t really care about that,” said Allen, who finished 16 of 27 for 182 yards with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman and a 30-yard strike to Amari Cooper. “The defense played fantastic. I’m looking at the Coop video right now. He went up and made a play. Keon went up and made a play. I’m just happy to get out of here with the dub.”

Buffalo’s defense shut out the Jets (4-12) through three quarters and limited Aaron Rodgers to just 112 yards, intercepting him twice. The Bills also posted four sacks and three takeaways, improving their NFL-leading turnover margin.

By securing the No. 2 seed, the win gives Buffalo (13-3) the luxury of resting its starters next week at New England (3-13). That includes Allen, and should McDermott choose to rest his quarterback, Allen would finish the season with a career-low six interceptions. The week after New England, the Bills will host the No. 7 seed in a first-round playoff game.

For more information on the Bills and Jets, visit the Buffalo and N.Y. Jets team pages at ProFootballPost.com.


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By Zak Gilbert

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak Gilbert has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.

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