D.J. Reed looks back at what might have been as he comes to terms with what is as the Jets prepare for their Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, on Sunday. It is the first of two AFC East games (vs. Miami in Week 18) to close out the season.
The look back is to Monday night, Oct. 14 at MetLife Stadium. The Green & White entered the game with a 2-3 record. The Bills came in at 3-2. A win by the Jets would have put them in a first-place tie. The game was tied, 20-20, late in the third quarter.
"I definitely think back in the season about certain games," Reed told Eric Allen of newyorkjets.com. "I feel like we were in it and should have won, should have finished. Or if this one play went this way. This has been one of those years where, unfortunately, we just haven't finished the way we wanted to. But most of the games there, it's been close games. And, you know, that's the NFL, but I definitely do think about that. But I'm at peace with everything that's happened. Can't take it back. So just focus on Buffalo."
In that game back in October, the Jets outgained the Bills, 393 to 359, but could only convert on a pair of field-goal attempts and score a single TD in a handful of forays into the red zone. Aaron Rodgers tossed 2 TD passes, RB Breece Hall went for 113 yards and WR Garrett Wilson hauled in 8 passes for 107 yards -- but it wasn't enough.
The Bills (12-3), behind MVP candidate Josh Allen, have gone on to clinch their fifth straight division title and have a shot at nailing down the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Reed and the Jets (4-11) are left to play for pride and to commit their performances to personal highlight reels.
Reed knows that he and the defense -- which may again be without DL Quinnen Williams and CB Sauce Gardner, both of whom are dealing with hamstring injuries -- will have their hands full with Allen and his teammates on Buffalo's offense. In 15 games this season, Allen has connected on 291-of-456 passes (63.8%) for 3,449 yards, 26 TDs and 6 INTs. He has also rushed for 514 yards (5.3 a carry) and 11 TDs.
"I definitely look at the first matchup to see what they do against us," Reed said. "Specifically, they do some cool things uniquely, specifically when we play them compared to when they play other teams. But for me, I still feel like it's important to watch the previous games. So usually I'll watch the last two games of their most recent games to kind of get a feel for what they're doing."
In addition to RB James Cook, who is close to surpassing 1,000 yards this season, the Bills also have the former Jets RB Ty Johnson, who is third on the team with 184 rush yards and 16 receptions for 275 yards. WR Stefon Diggs may be in Houston now, but Allen has found appealing targets in Khalil Shakir (73 catches, 796 yards, 4 TDs), Dalton Kincaid (42-424-2) and others.
"They're definitely a more balanced team, I would say, compared to the last two years that I've been here," Reed said. "You know, Ty, who's been here, he's doing a great job for them running the ball. But as a pass catcher too. Josh and James Cook are playing phenomenal this year. He's having a breakout season. So overall, they're playing great as a collective unit. So it's gonna be a tough task, but we're up for it."
In addition to Gardner's injury, slot DB Michael Carter II has been dealing with a back ailment all season. That has presented opportunities to Brandin Echols, Isaiah Oliver, Qwan'tez Stiggers and potentially Jarrick Bernard-Converse.
"Yeah, well, I start off with Stiggs, his journey to get here, around this time this year, he was washing cars as a job," Reed said. "He was also playing in the CFL, and he was telling us about his arena league experience. So for him, I think it was just like, 'Wow, I played my first NFL game.' So that meant a lot to him, especially with the journey he's been through.
"JBC, he's another player that I think is going to be a very good corner. I feel like he's a hybrid. If we need him to play safety, kind of like how IO [Oliver] is doing right now, if we need Isaiah to play nickel, if we need him to play safety, if we need him to play corner, he could do all three. I feel like JBC is one of those guys. So he's very versatile."
Like many of the Jets players -- and players around the league -- Reed will be a free agent in the offseason. But his focus remains on what's coming over the next couple of weeks.
"Every game I feel like it's a championship game in my mind," he said. "So I'm going to go out there and work. I'm gonna dominate, I'm gonna compete, I'm gonna do all that."
