Bills BLOWOUT Jets: Buffalo clinches 2 SEED, defense dominates and "JOSH ALLEN IS THE MVP"

Summary

Buffalo Plus Podcast Episode Summary

Episode: Bills BLOWOUT Jets: Buffalo clinches 2 SEED, defense dominates and "JOSH ALLEN IS THE MVP"
Date: December 30, 2024
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the Buffalo Bills’ dominant 40-14 victory over the New York Jets, clinching the AFC's number 2 seed and celebrating a revitalized team performance on both sides of the ball. The Buffalo Plus crew breaks down the defensive showcase, Josh Allen’s continued case for NFL MVP, the positive locker-room “vibes”, and what lies ahead with playoff implications and player rest.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Complete Domination by the Bills

• Score and context: Bills 40, Jets 14.
• The game was characterized as a “total and complete domination” in all three phases: offense, defense, and special teams.
• Defensive players like Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver (forced fumble), AJ Epenesa (safety), and a highlight “big boy interception” from Jordan Phillips contributed to three total turnovers and relentless pressure on Aaron Rodgers, who was visibly frustrated.
• Special teams were solid, with successful kicks and notable (if nullified) returns.
  Timestamp: [01:11]–[04:45]

Notable Quote:
“It was an ass kicking. There’s no other way to put it. And it has been a little bit of time since the Bills have put on an ass kicking in all three phases.” – Dan Fetes [02:29]

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2. Defense Finds Its Swagger

• Ed Oliver emphasized how the win restored team confidence:
  “Confidence is like the best drug ever made. So when you’re playing with confidence, it’s like contagious.” – Ed Oliver, via hosts [03:46]
• The tone of the defense was described as “angry,” with Matt Milano in particular looking “more like himself” and delivering punishing hits.
• Despite the lopsided score, the hosts dismissed the Jets' late scores as “garbage time” and lauded the Bills for blanking Rodgers when it mattered. Timestamp: [03:17]–[07:49]

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3. Culture Clash: Bills 'Vibes' vs. Jets Dysfunction

• Hosts contrasted the Bills' unity and unselfishness with the Jets’ lack of culture and visible on-field apathy.
• Examples included Jets players sitting on the ground instead of competing late and apparent detachment from Aaron Rodgers. Timestamp: [09:06]–[09:23]

Notable Quote:
“The Jets have talent. They just do not have culture. You saw that on display… after a Bills player ran by them, they’d just be sitting on the ground like, yeah, cool.” – Jenna Cottrell [09:06]

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4. The Josh Allen MVP Debate

• Sean McDermott endorsed Allen as league MVP during his postgame press conference, citing his holistic impact on team and community:

  “Josh Allen’s the MVP. I’ve been around this league long enough… I’ve got a hard time believing someone’s done more.” – Mike Catalana paraphrasing McDermott [10:11]

• The hosts note this is a change in tune for McDermott, who historically avoided singling out Allen.
• Allen’s leadership and dual-threat playing style are credited for elevating a roster that lacks other superstars. Jenna and the team emphasize that Allen carries the team more than other MVP candidates do theirs.
• Allen made NFL history with five straight 40+ touchdown seasons. Timestamp: [09:29]–[13:38]

Notable Quote:
“If you take Josh Allen off the Bills… they are, yeah, a six-win team.” – Jenna Cottrell [13:58]

• The team also referenced stats vs. intangibles:

  “Stats are like bikinis. They show some things, but not everything.” – Sean McDermott joke, via Dan Fetes [12:09]

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5. Everybody Eats: Spreading the Ball Around

• Multiple players scored TDs (Amari Cooper, Tyrell Shavers, Keon Coleman, James Cook).
• Tyrell Shavers’ practice squad rise and 69-yard TD was celebrated on the field and bench.
• The staff stressed the mantra “everybody eats in this offense,” showing the team’s willingness to share the spotlight. Timestamp: [15:04]–[18:00]

Notable Quote:
“Everybody eats in this offense and it’s a mantra we’ve had.” – Josh Allen via hosts [15:01]

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6. Assessing the Receiving Corps: Reliability as Playoffs Loom

• Keon Coleman’s inconsistency was analyzed: while he shines on broken plays, the crew expressed concerns about his dependability on-schedule.
• Mack Hollins is praised as a “dependable” and “clubhouse guy” who’s earned trust for high-leverage playoff targets. Timestamp: [19:10]–[22:16]

Notable Quote:
“I’m very surprised because I never thought I’d be saying this during the offseason: Mack Hollins is a dependable guy.” – Dan Fetes [21:22]

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7. Locking Up the #2 Seed and Playoff Rest Strategy

• The victory clinches at least one home playoff game and allows Buffalo to rest starters next week.
• The hosts agree resting Allen, Milano, and other key players is critical, drawing a stark contrast with the high-stress, injury-devastated end to last regular season. Timestamp: [22:33]–[23:32]

Notable Quote:
“There is nothing to talk about. This is… you earned your bye.” – Mike Catalana [23:08]

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8. Locker Room Vibes: Unselfishness and Lightness

• Both McDermott and Allen highlighted a genuine sense of unselfishness in the locker room; everyone’s happy for each other's success.
• The departure of Stefon Diggs is noted as perhaps reducing “heaviness” around the roster and improving the “vibes.” Timestamp: [23:32]–[24:52]

Notable Quote:
“It just felt heavy. They just feel lighter now.” – Dan Fetes [24:16]

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9. Looking Ahead: Resting Players and Final Week

• Expect heavy rotation and practice squad elevations vs. Patriots, but not everyone can rest due to roster limitations.
• The hosts discuss specific players (e.g., Micah Hyde, Keon Coleman) and who might see valuable reps or need protective "bubble wrap." Timestamp: [25:16]–[27:34]

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Memorable Moments & Fun Exchanges

• Multiple callbacks to thanking each other for questions (“We never thank ourselves!” – Jenna Cottrell [00:52]; running inside-joke throughout).
• The team joking about Aaron Rodgers’ nightmare stat line:

  “Aaron Rodgers today: 112 yards, two interceptions, four sacks taken, one safety, one penalty, zero points.” – Jenna Cottrell [07:49]

• The bench’s and Josh Allen’s delighted response to Tyrell Shavers’s TD was presented as emblematic of the team’s camaraderie.
• Weather jokes: Dan’s relief at a nice day and Mike’s “prayer” for him; “Orchard Park paradise.” [28:27]

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Key Timestamps

• [01:11] – Game and defensive domination overview
• [03:46] – Ed Oliver’s “confidence is a hell of a drug” quote and discussion
• [09:29] – MVP conversation and Sean McDermott’s strong endorsement
• [12:09] – “Stats are like bikinis…” analogy
• [13:38] – Allen’s unique value & historic milestone
• [15:04] – “Everybody eats” and practice squad celebration
• [19:10] – Keon Coleman and Mack Hollins analysis
• [22:33] – Clinching the 2 seed and playoff rest planning
• [24:16] – Locker room “vibes” discussion
• [27:34] – Who plays, who rests… next week preview

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Summary

This episode captures the energy and relief of a Bills team hitting its stride at playoff time. The hosts revel in the defense’s ruthlessness, the offense’s versatility, and the organizational unity that’s taken shape in the wake of roster changes. With Sean McDermott publicly backing Josh Allen for MVP and spirits high, the crew feels the team is peaking at just the right time—ready for a playoff run, and with key players finally able to rest after clinching home-field advantage.

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For more in-depth coverage and “behind-the-scenes” Bills insights, subscribe to the Buffalo Plus YouTube and visit BuffaloPlus.com.

Transcript

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[B]

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[B]

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[A]

I want to start with the MVP conversation because Sean McDermott mentioned in his post game press conference Josh Allen being the mvp and then you followed up with a great question.

[B]

Well, thanks. I just said to him, you know, well, yeah, thank you, Jenna.

[A]

I was like, that was a great question.

[B]

Well, I said to him, you know, there are going to be.

[C]

We've never thanked anybody. That's incredible.

[A]

We never thanked ourselves. Oh my gosh.

[C]

There's the open, there's. This is the Buffalo plus podcast brought to you by Connors and Ferris.

[A]

All right, welcome back to the Buffalo plus podcast presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana, Dan Fates, I am Jenna Cottrell. Please be sure to like, comment, subscribe and share. Bills fans, I think you're gonna be very happy about this one. Buffalo destroying the jets for 40 to 14. Josh Allen, three total touchdowns on the day. Bill's defense forcing three total turnovers. The Bills lock up the two seed. Mike, we got a lot to talk about, but first off, what do you make of this game?

[B]

I loved what they did to Aaron Rodgers. They embarrassed him on multiple levels. He was a mess. I'm sorry, that guy can't play anymore. And if you're the jets, keep him as long as you want.

[C]

That was my takeaway.

[B]

Keep him as long as you want. He's a bad teammate.

[A]

He.

[B]

He is losing it as a player. He still can throw the football. Congratulations. Bills got after him, they sacked him, they got the safety. He made a bad throw when the game was still going on a third down. Looked like he blamed his receiver even though he threw it at his feet. And then they got him stopped on fourth down. From that point on, they just attacked him. He could do nothing about it. He limped off the field figuratively because he wasn't hurt with no points. Actually, he scored more for the Bills than he scored for his own team. On the safety. I loved that. If that's the way the guy goes out that, that's the way he went out in Orchard Park.

[C]

That was an Ass kicking.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

There's no other way to put it. And it has been a little bit of time since the Bills have put on an ass kicking in all three phases. I even think special teams was. Was pretty good.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Like the long return, it was called back for blocking the back, so erase that from your memory. They made the kicks, they had a couple nice returns. I thought it was a total and complete domination. And I think it's what we were hoping to see after last week's lackluster performance against the Patriots that hindsight win. This was not a statement that that wasn't it. This was a get right.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

This was a, hey, guys, we're still the Bills. We're still this team that's at 13 and 3 now, and we're still absolutely a factor because that shiny object on Christmas that everybody saw, this was the new shiny object.

[B]

I'm gonna go to a soundbite that we have with Ed Oliver talking about what Dan's saying about everybody contributing, winning big. And Dan's gonna love the way Ed finished the sound bite. Sometimes you just need that win to kind of refresh your mind on who you really are. You know, this was kind of one of those. And, you know, everybody had fun. Everybody got a piece of the action. Starters, secondary, even towards the end of the game. You know, guys that don't normally get a chance to start to get opportunities. And I think that's good going into playoffs because we need everybody. And confidence is like the best drug ever made. So when you playing with confidence, it's like contagious.

[C]

Confidence is a hell of a drug. My favorite quote of all time said by Micah Hyde back in 2019.

[B]

Ed was listening.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And so. Yeah, and that's totally right. The way that they came together today, all three phases. Sean McDermott was smiling on the sidelines.

[A]

I know when you tweeted that, I was like, wow.

[C]

And it was one of the things I was going to be like, oh, Sean McDermott smiling and he's, you know, high fiving guys and hugging players. And I was like, no, this is breaking news. This is the middle of a game. Sean McDermott is taking time to smile and get hugs from a bunch of his players. It was crazy.

[A]

Yeah. I think too, what stood out just in, in terms of the defense was how much pressure they were able to get, how Rodgers was just under fire. It felt like all day, big games from Greg Russo, Ed Oliver forcing a fumble. You know, always love the big boy touch or big boy touchdown. The big boy interception. From Jordan Phillips.

[B]

Hilarious though.

[C]

Incredible.

[A]

Well, yeah. I mean, they're always funny though.

[B]

He catches it. It looked like he wanted to run.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then he was like, down.

[C]

I'm good.

[A]

I respect that.

[C]

Ball looks so small in his arms.

[A]

No, I just think for. For this team and for a lot of fans, the last couple weeks has been the defense. I'm worried about the defense. And this doesn't mean that everything is cured.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I think when you see all the. The good plays put together, you saw, you know, Christian Benford with the interception. You saw Greg Russo. We talked about it at Oliver. AJ Epanessa getting the safety like that. Those good vibes and that confidence can really do a lot for this team. And just where they're at, where they're feeling mentally going into, you know, obviously the next week, but then the playoffs.

[C]

You listed a lot of those players. I thought great points. Von Miller had a sack. Yep. And a tackle for a loss on a run. That was encouraging to see Matt Milano play better.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I thought he moved around better. Instinctually. He felt more physical tonight.

[B]

He lit up Rodgers. He got rid of the ball, but he felt it. It wasn't quite a Mike White cut you in half when he was with the jets, but he lit him up. That looked like. Like when he got up. You're right. Yeah. That's 58 that hit him.

[A]

Well, even Sean McDermott mentioning in the post game he talked about Milano and just looking more like himself. And I think that is huge as we get closer to the playoffs because we've talked so much on this channel about Milano is not quite looking like himself yet. He needs more time having that week off with the groin injury. Him coming back today. He looks like he felt like himself and that is just Dan. That's massive.

[C]

Yeah. And it felt like maybe Milano heard some of the play for his, you know, his first three games back from the long injuries and he played angry. I thought the whole defense played angry. You these two teams flags everywhere. So much pushing and sharpening, mind blown that Alec Anderson didn't I get thrown out. Didn't throw a punch. But it seemed like every play he was going to block somebody until the end. Spencer Brown chirping the entire time like this was. They've always played close games.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

For as much as the jets have been dysfunctional and Zach Wilson and all of those things, they have played a lot of close games. This felt like getting dunking on the little brother.

[B]

Isn't it funny when it's 40 to 14 and you're like, it was not that close.

[C]

No.

[B]

Tyrod, our friend Tyrod went in and got two touchdowns.

[A]

Good for you. That was the price of the crowd, too. Giving Tyrod a little.

[B]

Why not? Tyrod was a very good player for the Bills and a good guy. He came in and got him in the end zone when number eight couldn't do anything.

[C]

I tweeted that all of the stats, yards and points of the fourth quarter do not count against the Bills defense. They do not count. They scored the touchdown. And Reed Ferguson just looks at me on the sideline and goes. Because it was like, hey, we could have had a shutout, which would have been really cool.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Daquan and some of the other guys were looking around like, damn it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like.

[B]

But they did shut out Rogers.

[C]

They shut out Rodgers.

[B]

Could have had his 500th touchdown, and he could have thrown it to Devonte Adams. Not even close.

[C]

They caught the. Garrett Wilson caught the touchdown against the Bill's punt returner. Congrats, dude.

[A]

Well played.

[C]

Good job.

[A]

Aaron Rodgers today. 112 yards, two interceptions, four sacks taken, one safety, one penalty, zero points.

[B]

The penalty was hilarious. He's trying to chase down. I guess I'll give him a small modicum of credit for.

[A]

Good word.

[B]

Oh, there we go. For hustling to make a play, he actually had, I'll say, two tackles. That one was eight yards out of bounds. And then he was touching Milano after the ball came loose, and that's what kept Milano from getting the touchdown.

[C]

Do you guys remember, like, the really good ESPN SportsCenter commercials? Like, this is Sports Center. There was one about Scott Van Pelt talking about they go through slumps, like baseball players, and he's looking at the film with Jimmy Rollins and his chair's backwards and they're ruining the film. Yes. I hear those stats and I want to go. Van Pelt goes, is that bad? And Jimmy Rollins goes, it's not good. Are those stats bad, Jenna? They're not good.

[A]

He's not good.

[C]

He just looks. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else than on the field.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Well, you can hope, Bill's fans, that they keep him around next year and beyond. Dude can't play anymore. Mark the tape. I don't care. He can't play anymore. He's going to be 42. And his teammates, I won't say they hate him. I don't know how much. They certainly don't want to play for him.

[A]

Well, what have we said coming into this? The jets have talent. They absolutely do. They just do not have culture. And you saw that on display play. And there were moments, especially like later on in the game, where jets players after. After a Bills player ran by them, they'd just be sitting on the ground like, yeah, cool.

[B]

Which leads us directly into the vibes on the other side of the field, which has been such a huge thing this year.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, we. We talk so much on this channel about Josh Allen, about the MVP race, and just about where the Bills are at offensively and how much different it's looked. I want to start with the MVP conversation because Sean McDermott mentioned in his postgame press conference Josh Allen being the mvp, and then you followed up with a great question.

[B]

Well, thanks. I just said to him, you know, well, yeah, thank you, Jenna.

[A]

I was like, that was a great question.

[B]

Well, I said to him, you know, there are going to be.

[C]

We've never thanked anybody. That's incredible.

[A]

We never thanked ourselves.

[C]

Oh, my gosh. There's the open.

[B]

There's the open. I was thinking, like, Sean says it, and, you know, the way people look at it, because people have said, okay, stats, Lamar's done this and all these things, and I know he's his head coach, but he's never said his quarterback's the mvp. Never said it. Even though I know he believes he's obviously in the running for it and deserves it. So I said, what is it? There's stats and everything. Basically, tell everybody why you believe your quarterback is the mvp. Well, I mean, stats, you know, I think there's a saying about stats. Right. So at the end of the day, you know, Josh Allen's the mvp. I've been around this league long enough to know to see MVPs every year for many years, and what he has done on this team, in this organization, in this community, and no offense to anybody else, but I've got a hard time believing that someone's done more. I really believe that. And you hear it in his voice because he's. Yes, he's talking about the player. We know how great the player is, but in terms of what he means for the entire organization. And that's why I said about even the vibes. Like, I know Rodgers is an exception because it's so bad on the other end, and other great quarterbacks are popular with their team, but I just have never heard anything like the way they talk about this guy.

[C]

No. And Sean has been critical of Josh as much as anybody the previous years. His tone has changed this year. You talk about what has changed in the locker room and Being a leader and all those things, that's the one thing Sean has stressed time and time again. Josh came into this year with goals. And when Josh sets his mind to something, he's scary. That's how good he can be. And when he puts his mind to something that is. I've never seen Sean and I know, like, like to your point, Mike. Oh, he's the head coach. What does he want him to say? I've never seen him gas him up like this.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Just single out one player. We would ask, hey, Josh is playing really well today. What have you seen in his play? Well, the entire quarterback room has really been playing well.

[A]

Josh, Josh, like all of our quarterbacks.

[B]

Take a lot of pride in the game and all.

[C]

And I love the, when he said about. Sorry, stats. There's the saying about stats.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

It's that stats are like bikinis. They show some things, but not everything.

[A]

Yeah. I was wondering if he was going to go through with it.

[B]

I was like, he holds off on analogies. Yeah, he's going to be done. But Dan, it also goes back to the way this team has operated this year because 13 wins, which ties the all time team record for 16 games in a year because they had done it, they ended up doing it in 16 games. That's back to the teams in the 90s, undefeated at home. All of those things they hadn't done undefeated at home since 1990. But also this isn't the year they were favored to go to the Super Bowl. I mean, this was different.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

No. If you look anywhere through social media, Jenna, you will find plenty of clips from the off season.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

About the national media bashing this team.

[A]

Well, we all talked. I was like, I, I just don't know if there would be enough talent surrounding Josh for them to, to win the division, for them to put up as many wins. I will admit that that's how I felt and then that is why in my eyes, when I think about this MVP race and you might say, Jenna, you're biased because you cover the bills. That's fine. But I do believe that because of what we've seen Josh Allen do with the supporting cast around him. I think there's a lot of nice players on this team. I don't think there's tremendous outside talent like a Derrick Henry on this team. That's not a hot take to say that. So I just. And another stat from today. Josh Allen with is the only quarterback in NFL history in five straight seasons to have 40 plus touchdowns.

[C]

Yeah. And Jenna, to your Point, pun intended here. We apparently ruffled some Ravens fans feathers by our last podcast talking. You know, and again, our whole point was we didn't have to knock somebody down to prop somebody else up. But it is funny when you. I think of you take Josh Allen off the Bills.

[A]

They are, yeah, six win team. They're not clinching the division weeks ago and all those things.

[C]

So it's. And that's why I think Sean kind of points out to. Because there's a lot of comments too. I've seen videos of whether it's acho and those guys saying Josh doesn't have enough talent. If the Bills are have any success, it's because Josh Allen's going to go nuclear this year. He's gone nuclear this year.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That's why the Bills are as good as they.

[B]

So did anybody listen? Did did he hear any of this preseason? Josh. So he was asked about that, about the way it went from the beginning of the year. And here's what he said about, I guess you'd say, hearing or not hearing what was said about him. We didn't really pay attention to the.

[C]

Preseason notions, but we heard them and.

[B]

We saw them and we knew what people were saying, but it had no effect on us. We just came into training camp and tried to work as hard as we could. There was another stat I think that.

[C]

We tied today was the most touchdowns.

[B]

Caught by different receivers or different players. I believe we got 13 and we.

[C]

Got another week to try to get one more. So that's a stat too, that we talk about a lot. Everybody eats in this offense and it's a mantra that we've had and I.

[B]

Think that's a testament to that.

[C]

Yeah. Hearing the noise but not paying any attention to it. And they go, we weren't using it as motivation, but we'll bring it up right now that we're 133 when we can take a victory lap and dunk on.

[B]

You love it.

[A]

I mean, that's real though. To be like, yeah, we don't care what you say about us, but I would want to know. That's human nature.

[B]

Oh, they heard it.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Josh, we've always said, very, very savvy on social media.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

He. Like I said it always. I always remember the one to me that stands out the most was when the Dolphins tweeted out the picture with the emoji like this. Josh scores the touchdown and instantly goes to it. You don't think that he saw their feed and that they talked about that? Yeah, Josh hears everything.

[A]

Yeah, he Certainly does. All right. Another stat from this game was just how many guys scoring touchdowns. And that's been a theme this season. Even Alan talked about everybody eats. We wanted to make sure we spread the ball. So Amari Cooper, touchdown. Tyrell Shavers touched down in this one. Keon Coleman touchdown. And then obviously James Cook, Josh Allen, like a lot of guys, Tyrell shavers.

[B]

One catch, 69 yards and a touchdown. He should just retire right now.

[A]

I.

[B]

It's the greatest stat line ever for a receiver.

[A]

Josh. After Tyrell Shavers going to the bench after Shavers scores the touchdown. Just to see Josh's reaction, I thought was tremendous.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And we always want you to, like, comment and subscribe. I do respectfully ask nobody to say that Tyrell Shafers needs more playing time. It is a beautiful thing. It was a great moment. I think he will get plenty of playing time in week 18.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

We will just pump the brakes on the Schaefers.

[A]

What was. What was the running back from England who scored on Christian Wade? Christian Wade. Yeah.

[C]

We're still just waiting for him to break out.

[B]

Yeah. And it's nothing about Shavers. Like, the wide receiver room has been good. He got an opportunity in this game, got called up. It's awesome that he got a touch.

[C]

And look, if they snarky, I apologize.

[B]

If they needed him, it's great that he showed he can run away from people and go to the end zone.

[C]

Did you hear that? He said he had never caught us. He'd never been the wide receiver on the screen. So, like in high school, college, and they were kind of, I guess somebody, I think was Matt Perino or somebody asked like, maybe they haven't been using you.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Like, maybe this is your. Your calling is. Is catching these wide receiver screens. So awesome moment for him. I'm sitting there shooting the bench next to the Bill's PR guy. Derek Boyko catches it. We're watching the Jumbotron makes a break and he just goes, Shavers. Just one of those moments. And the whole bench erupted.

[A]

Well, and Josh was asked afterwards, like, seeing a guy like that be rewarded with a touchdown. And we even talked about in camp how McDermott said Tyrell Shavers is. Is what he thinks of when he thinks of consistency. Josh said he's a guy that works really hard. He's someone that deserves it. And it's cool to see a player like that, you know, have that ability to make a play in that moment.

[B]

Get into the end zone and think about those guys. Right. You've played your whole life and now you come to the NFL and you're. You're there. You're on the practice squad or you're there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But you're not playing.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And you're not hurt. You know, you have ability. And on this team, he can't get on the field, which is understandable with the way they've played. It's still good to know that a guy there can make a play. And he did make a play. And then you had other plays.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Amari Cooper.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And Josh said, you know, I. He was more focused on allowing guys to go make plays, and he threw it up, and Cooper came down with it. Fortunately, he was okay. He hit his head when he went to the ground, but that's. And he's over. What. What was the number?

[A]

10,000 yards. Yeah.

[B]

That was a hell of a catch that he did.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. And you were right there for it.

[C]

Yeah. And I was waiting a little bit earlier in the game going, hey, where's Cooper?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, yeah, we kind of need to get him involved. And then he got called for a really soft push off. I thought, I know it's probably a flag, but again, it's two guys.

[A]

Well, in this game.

[C]

Yeah. Two guys going for it. And then he caught another pass over the middle. And then obviously that play. That's a number one wide receiver play.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That is why they went to get him. I thought that was kind of. Hey, at times it's. Everybody eats, which is great. Sometimes you can force a ball to a. To a guy in one on one or in that matchup that you liked. Love seeing Josh give him one of those balls.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Keon had a rough game.

[C]

He did.

[B]

And then he made a play.

[C]

Yes. Keon. We were talking off camera. I'm gonna. I'm trying to figure out the right way to compose my thoughts.

[A]

You're concerned.

[C]

Yeah. I didn't like when he slipped and fell. Obviously, the one pass on the quick slant looked like it was tipped. Things like that. You want him to be dependable. That's when they talk about, like, Khalil Shakir, the definition of dependable.

[A]

The Subaru of this offense.

[C]

You know where he's going to be. Keon has made big plays. There is no question about that. This year, he has made the highlight. Real plays. 99% of them have been off broken plays, off script plays. It is tough to trust that Keon's going to be in the right spot at the right time and making a play at this point. And I just wish at week 16, I'd feel a little bit more comfortable. His Seattle game was phenomenal. And Josh said after the Seattle game, when he knows where he needs to be, he's a really good football player. Read between the lines, whatever you want. But there needs to be a little bit more consistency because I love the flash, I love that. But I need to also have something to go along with it.

[B]

Yeah, he has physical ability to play the game, but you're right. And this late in the year, I was going to say he's a rookie. You're not rookies anymore because they're going into the playoffs, they're going to need him. It was good to see him make that play. Josh did kind of throw it up. He took a hit when he did it, but Keon went up and made the play.

[A]

And that's one of the things we've always said about Keon is like those broken plays that. And I get what you're saying, like in those broken plays, it does feel like he shines. I think of the catch he had against the Lions, like when Josh was pointing down the field, which again, whenever Josh points, you know some stuff's about to go down. But you're right. The consistency of when things are on script, how do you react and where. Why isn't that a connection?

[C]

The third down play against D.J. reed, when it's, hey, you got to get there to the line and break back. Josh is going to throw the ball before you're out of your break and he slips whether there's contact. Keon, six foot three, six foot four, he's got to win there and he's got to keep his balance. And that's the little things where it's like, you know, who you can depend on and a guy who. I'm very surprised because I never thought I'd be saying this during the off season. Mack Holland is a dependable guy.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I can see Matt getting some big time snaps in the postseason because Josh can trust that he's going to be there and make the play.

[B]

Early in the game. Yeah, they needed a couple of plays. Mack Hollins made the plays. He does that puts his backpack on.

[A]

What was he doing after the Keon touchdown?

[C]

He just kept going like this for like 30 seconds. It was awesome.

[A]

It's so weird on social media. You're right. I think Matt Collins is kind of. He plays with an edge.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

He's obviously a veteran, knows where he needs to be and he has absolutely made some big plays in big moments. Especially early in this game when obviously the Bills offense was struggling. He came down with some big catches.

[B]

He did. And you know, he's done that all year long. It hasn't been like, in spots when they've needed him. He's done that and he's going to be back next year. I mean, we're a long way away from next year. Matt Collins is proving that he is a dependable player on this team. And then he brings the other stuff, too.

[C]

Yeah, he is a baseball analogy. They talk about clubhouse guys. Like guys that just bring everybody together. It all just fits. Matt Collins is that.

[B]

Is that guy and makes plays and makes. Because it's great to be. Sometimes it's a clubhouse guy and, you know, you're like, you know, patting people on the back. In this case, he's catching the ball, too.

[A]

All right, the Bills now lock up the two seed in the afc. That means it's at least one home playoff game.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

That's huge.

[B]

Rest, rest, rest.

[C]

At least two home playoff games.

[B]

Yes. As a two. If they win.

[A]

Yeah, well, yes, but I'm saying at least one because you need to win one to get to the two.

[C]

I wasn't trying to.

[A]

No, it's okay. Well, actually.

[C]

This is the time to bubble wrap Josh Allen and get him ready for whoever the Bills play.

[B]

It's what they're going to do. I mean, they say they're going to sit around and talk about it. What's to talk about?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

There is nothing to talk about. This is. You earned the buy. They didn't get a buy last week or last year. They had to fight to the last moment to do it. So you earned it now by winning. Nobody cares about that Patriots game except the guys who are going to get a chance to go out on the field. Yeah, it's backups, as many starters as you can rest. They've played a long season. They've had a ton of snaps. Get them some time off.

[A]

Yeah. I'm just thinking about how different it was last year when we were in Miami and it's like, Bills have hardy. Yeah, it was just so different. And I think about where this team is at now. And one of the things that I thought was interesting after the game was just. It was brought up again, like the vibes around this team just do feel different. And both Sean McDermott and Josh Allen on their own brought up the unselfishness and just feeling like everyone is a competitor. Everyone wants the ball, but they're very excited and supporting the guy that gets the ball. And everyone. It just does feel like Such a different kind of mindset this season. And not to say that players in the past haven't had that, but it just. Does it feel. A, it feels intentional that they said that and B, that does feel like the case of this team.

[C]

Well, I look across at the other sideline and yeah, again, I have been. We'll say it quickly. Like, I was. I loved Stefan Diggs and what he brought to this team, but maybe it just felt heavy, like, and they just feel lighter now. Like. Like all of that. That's what feels different. We've talked about it all year long, the freshness, stuff like that. It's paying off. Especially when you get into some of these grind them out late season division games. It says a lot. It was impressive. It was nice last week when they found a way and got the win and held on. It's really nice to kick the jets ass and lock up. So you create your own bye against.

[B]

The Patriots and that's important. They need it. It's a long season and that's why I say them not playing next week. There's no. It's not a rust thing. It's the rest thing and it's to get as healthy as possible for that game. Other guys may get some more snaps. We'll see how it plays out. But to your point about what they're doing, Sean did also say, hey, we do have guys on the team that want to catch the ball, want to make plays.

[A]

Tyrell Shavers is a great example of that.

[B]

Right. But it, it is not the vibe or it is not even really a part of this team. I'm sure guys feel that way, but some teams, you feel like there's always these pockets of he's not happy, he's not happy. He thinks he should be playing. I think there's some of that, that's just human nature, but, man, they're all rowing in the same direction.

[A]

Yeah. And I think next week will be fun to see which guys are playing out there. The guys from the practice squad that do initially or get elevated and just what that will look like. And, you know, I think there will be some surprises. We'll see.

[C]

Yeah, Mike White. I want to see Mike White play. Yeah.

[B]

I think Mitchell Trubisky is going to get snaps and start.

[C]

Who's your guy?

[A]

Micah Hyde.

[C]

Oh, I thought you said my guy. I was like, what?

[A]

Oh, Micah Hyde.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

I don't know what the deal is going on with Micah. I thought he would be activated or at least come up from the practice squad. It didn't happen, I guess you could say next week. And maybe you just want to get him on the field. He has not played a football game. He hasn't had that kind of contact. He didn't have a preseason. He didn't have any of that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he hasn't been to this point, even with some injuries. Now next week, you better sit down, Rap, because he'll hit somebody if he's out there. He's a very physical player. Demar hasn't played. He's not going to play next week. This is what I'm going to do. So you're going to have starting out with the backups. If you know if he's going to play, it would be next week. Because I think you'd want him on the field in case you needed him in the playoffs. Yeah, the case. And then you see what happens. Hey, other guys, I think, like, Keon Coleman's going to play some next week. I think those guys. You can't rest everybody.

[C]

You can't rest everybody.

[B]

Correct. But some different offensive linemen. Give Dion a rest.

[C]

I think about that when they pull all the starters. And I see at the start of the fourth quarter, Deion's already undoing his wrist tape and these guys. And then it's like Sibo's got to go back out there. Like, they don't have five full offensive lineman to switch out. Like, other people still got to play. It's like, hey, you guys have fun. I'm gonna go back out there and, you know, get in mini car accidents all the time. I'll catch you guys later.

[B]

Some. There'll be some practice squad guys who come up, and then these guys will be deactivated for the game.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so. But you can only do so many of those, too. Right. They're on the 53 man roster. Like, there's only so many guys you can do that with. So we'll see.

[A]

Okay. We will see. All right. Domination. That's better.

[B]

It is.

[A]

I thought I couldn't say that. They made fun of me for saying crap earlier.

[C]

That was a newscast.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's trying to be professional here.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Whatever.

[B]

And do you want to thank Dan for you thanked me already once. You want to thank Dan for something?

[A]

Thank you, Dan, for. Okay, okay. I was gonna say you were a good sport about being out here, and I think you were rewarded by great weather, beautiful weather for the game.

[C]

So we got here. I said it was a miserable day for football. Oh, there wasn't another drop.

[A]

Mike was like, oh, I'M sorry. You're just a magnet for it.

[C]

And then rubbing it in my face.

[B]

I. I had a little moment and I said, God, please save Dan Fates from this weather. And then it just cleared up.

[A]

Whoa. Dang.

[B]

And he did. And you had an enjoyable think about it. We're standing out here, what is it, 58, 60 degrees?

[C]

Awesome.

[B]

Orchard Park Paradise.

[A]

Seriously. All right. For Mike Catalana and Dan Fates, I am Jenna Cottrell. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe and share. We'll have plenty more coverage as we head into Foxborough for the final week of the regular season.

[B]

Happy New Year to everybody.

[A]

Happy New Year. Also a reminder.

[C]

Thirsty Turtle.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yep, go ahead.

[B]

Hey. Thank you.

[C]

Dance.

[B]

Thank you, Dan.

[A]

Thank you, Dan.

[B]

Thank you for that. Thirsty Turtle. Victor, New York, near the East View Mall, if you know where that is at all.

[A]

Oh, I know.

[B]

That will be one week from Thursday.

[C]

Women be shopping.

[B]

That is right before the playoffs begin. A couple, maybe two or three days before the playoffs begin. We'll be there. Little meet and greet. We'll be recording the podcast or doing the podcast live that night. So, Thirsty Turtle, keep that in mind in Victor, New York.

[A]

Yeah. Will have a lot of fun. All right, thank you so much for joining us. We'll catch you next time here on the Buffalo plus channel, presented by Connors and Ferris. Happy New Year.

[C]

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