Orchard Park, N.Y. — Josh Allen ran out of the Highmark Stadium tunnel for the last time Sunday in the Buffalo Bills’ final regular season game.
Allen kissed a sold-out stadium full of Bills fans packed into what was formally Rich Stadium and most recently “The Ralph”. Allen took one snap and passed the ball to James Cook before running off the field to watch the mostly meaningless play.
Mitchell Trubisky took over and helped lead the Bills to victory in their final game in their 52nd year home stadium. Buffalo will be home to a brand new stadium in 2026.
The Bills will play every game on the road after clinching the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs. The only scenario in which Buffalo would host a playoff game this season would be if the seven-seed Los Angeles Chargers and Bills went all the way to the AFC title.
Here are some takeaways from the Bills’ final regular season game.
Trubisky cooked
Trubisky threw four touchdown passes and looked his best in years spreading the ball around an unstoppable Bills offensive attack. The Bills played an entirely backup full offensive line with the exception of right guard O’Cyrus Torrence.
The Jets put virtually no pressure on Trubisky the entire game. He wasn’t thrown out and the ball was quickly gone. He had a 140 passer rating early in the fourth quarter as the Bills struck for their fifth touchdown of the game.
Allen has been dealing with a leg injury the past two weeks, and coach Sean McDermott wasn’t taking any chances on his franchise quarterback in the Finals. Trubisky’s strong performance is comforting if Allen ever has to miss. But to be fair, the Jets are hardly an NFL defense. He finishes the season without a single hit all year.
The Kicker situation remains worrisome
Matt Prater has missed the last two games with a quad injury and re-injured his quad against the Jets. It’s unclear if the Bills were being cautious or if the injury will affect his playoff availability.
The Bills went to veteran Michael Badgley with Prater, but quickly moved on from him after a critical missed extra point against the Philadelphia Eagles.
There aren’t many great options on the free agent market. The Bills recently practiced with Younghoe Koo, Maddux Trujillo, Gavin Stewart and Matthew Wright. They will likely look to bring one of those kickers to the practice squad as an insurance policy.
Carousel receiver
The Bills may have a new No. 1 receiver after Brandin Cooks topped 100 yards last week. He was in street clothes this week in a meaningless game against the Jets.
Keon Coleman returned to the lineup and had two catches for 49 yards and one drop in the most work he’s seen in weeks. McDermott also had Coleman returning punts, but mostly looked uncomfortable in the role. Josh Palmer continues to be a non-factor, which could open the door to a postseason opportunity for Coleman.
Gabe Davis caught a touchdown pass from Trubisky. It’s Davis’ first game since October of last season.
Buffalo Joe closes it down
Joe Andreessen started at middle linebacker for Shaq Thompson and made some big hits in the game. Bills legend Steve Tasker said this week that the final game at Highmark Stadium was emotional because many former NFL players grew up there.
That’s for Andreessen, who grew up in Buffalo and watched a lot of games in the stands as a kid. He lived out his dream in the regular season finale, going six games and losing two in a big win.
TJ Sanders is rising
Sanders recorded his first sack in the NFL and continues his solid play from the last few weeks. Sanders mostly struggled before an early-season injury forced him to sit out more than a month.
With Ed Oliver out of the lineup, Sanders’ play helped fill the void left by the Pro Bowl defensive tackle. The Bills will need Sanders to continue to strengthen through January.
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