Final score, recap, highlights: Buffalo Bills 45, New York Jets 17

A few weeks ago, Sunday’s game against the New York Jets looked like it would be a walk in the park for the Buffalo Bills.

Of course, the same could be said for last week’s game in Jacksonville, and then that game turned into a walk through a haunted house and the Bills suffered a flabbergasting lost to the lowly Jaguars.

At 5-3, the Bills have lost almost all of the advantage they had over the 5-4 Patriots in the race for the AFC East division title, so they cannot a misstep against a Jets team that enters the day with a record of 2-6 thanks mostly to the worst defense in the NFL in both points and yards allowed.

• 5 keys to the game and Sal’s prediction

• What's wrong with Stefon Diggs? Actually, nothing, as his numbers are similar to 2020

• LB Tremaine Edmunds ruled out of Jets game

• Bills running game woes continue. Will Matt Breida get a chance to spark improvement?

Sal Maiorana and Ryan Miller will have live updates on what is happening at MetLife Stadium all afternoon.

The game that just won't end as Jets score again - Bills 45, Jets 17

There's barely anyone wearing Jets colors left at MetLife Stadium, and the officials keep calling penalties, and so this game that has essentially been over for more than an hour continues to plod along.

The Bills can't wait for it to be over, which is why the Jets just drove down pretty easily to another touchdown, this one on a pass from Joe Flacco to Elijah Moore that made it 45-17. Flacco was in the game because the Bills knocked Mike White out of the game on a hard hit by A.J. Epenesa, who was penalized on the play, apparently for playing tackle football.

Bills leave starters in, score another touchdown

Sean McDermott still wasn’t comfortable with a 38-10 lead, so after his defense came up with a fourth-down stop, he left his starting offense in the game and not surprisingly, the Jets had no answers.

Josh Allen threw a 43-yard pass to Stefon Diggs on first down, and that set up Devin Singletary for a two-yard touchdown run.

Allen raised his passing total to 366 yards, and Diggs has eight catches for 162 yards.

Jets start to pile up garbage time production

Hey, the Jets scored a touchdown.

They needed plenty of help as Josh Allen threw an interception at the Bills 45 to give the Jets a head start on their drive. And then a questionable holding call on Taron Johnson on a play where the Bills had stopped the Jets on a fourth down gave the Jets an automatic first down at the 15.

Still, the Jets pushed the ball across the line when Michael Carter plunged into the end zone from the 1 with 11:58 remaining, but they still trail by 38-10.

Allen gives ball back with interception - :32 3rd quarter

Josh Allen was intercepted on a deflection two plays after the Bills forced a turnover. Allen got Buffalo out of its own end zone with a 20-yard completion to Gabriel Davis but on the next play he was picked off by Sharrod Neasman. It's the first interception of the season by New York's secondary.

Jets fans are chanting "We want Flacco!"

Mike White's nightmare continues - 1:08 3rd quarter

That's four interceptions for Mike White and five turnovers for the Jets. White was picked by safety Jordan Poyer at the Bills' 1-yard line. Taron Johnson, Tre'Davious White, Levi Wallace and Poyer all have interceptions. Micah Hyde could be next.

Bills keep piling on – Bills 38, Jets 3

Another Mike White interception, this one thrown right to Levi Wallace, led to the Bills third touchdown of the third quarter, and there’s still 6:01 left to go.

This time the Bills started at the Jets 45 and they needed four plays to get into the end zone on a one-yard Zack Moss run. On the drive Gabriel Davis made a great catch for a gain of 36 that put the ball at the 1 and set up the touchdown.

Allen has now thrown for 303 yards.

White picked off for third time - 8:14 3rd quarter

New York quarterback Mike White threw his second interception in four passes. Cornerback Levi Wallace jumped a route and picked off a pass intended for Corey Davis at the Bills' 40. Wallace returned the interception 15 yards to the Jets' 45-yard line.

And the rout is on after Breida's second TD - Bills 31, Jets 3

On the first snap after Isaiah McKenzie’s touchdown, Mike White threw a terrible deep pass into double coverage that Tre’Davious White intercepted at the Bills 36, and if the game wasn’t essentially over right then, it was two plays later.

Josh Allen hit Gabriel Davis for a 49-yard gain, and on the next play, Matt Breida scored his second touchdown of the game, this time on a 15-yard run. That play gave the Bills 103 yards rushing, while Allen is now 17 of 23 for 259 yards.

Buffalo forces third turnover of game - 11:47 3rd quarter

Mike White threw his second interception of the game. Tre'Davious White intercepted the Jets' cornerback on New York's first offense play of the half. Buffalo takes over at its 36-yard li

Bills start to pull away with easy TD drive - Bills 24, Jets 3

The Bills took the second-half kickoff and needed only five plays to cover 75 yards with Isaiah McKenzie scoring on an eight-yard jet sweep to the right.

The Bills ran on four of the five plays as Devin Singletary had gains of 7 and 13 yards, and Emmanuel Sanders broke a 24-yard run on a reverse and just like that, the Bills have a 24-3 lead.

Buffalo forces turnover in final seconds of half

New York squandered another chance to score in the last minute of the second quarter. Mike White connected with Corey Davis for a 29-yard completion but Buffalo safety Micah Hyde forced the ball out and recovered the fumble at the Bills' 27-yard line.

Bills get a much-needed end of half score with Diggs TD - Bills 17, Jets 3

After slumbering since the first quarter, the Buffalo offense woke up with a huge play right after the Jets had cut the Bills lead to 10-3.

On first and 15 courtesy of a silly false start penalty on Devin Singletary, Josh Allen finally hooked up with Stefon Diggs on a deep ball and it happened as Diggs hauled in a perfect pass down the left sideline and took it 57 yards to the Jets 23.

And then, he went to Diggs on back to back plays from the 12, both of which were called touchdowns. The first one was correctly determined to be incomplete because Diggs didn’t get both feet down, but Allen went right to Diggs and this time there was no doubt.

It was a big drive for the Bills to close out the half, and they also get the ball to start the third quarter.

New York avoids turnover and gets on board with FG - Bills 10, Jets 3

It had looked like Buffalo forced a turnover when Ed Oliver hit Mike White and forced a fumble. It was recovered by defensive end Mario Addison, who returned it to the Bills' 47. The play was reversed to an incomplete pass, which allowed Matt Ammendola to kick a 48-yard field goal.

Allen crushed on safety blitz sack - 5:32 2nd quarter

Buffalo came up empty after a 10-play drive. Josh Allen was dropped for an 8-yard sack by safety Jarrod Wilson, who came off the edge untouched on second down. Isaiah McKenzie couldn't hold onto a pass on third down and Buffalo punted to the Jets' 23.

Jets forced to punt after delay of game - 11:09 2nd quarter

New York's offense finally picked up a couple of first downs and dug itself out of a first-and-20 but a delay of game penalty ruined its changes of going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Bills' 45. A flag was initially thrown on ensuing Braden Mann punt. A Bills' player made contact with Mann after the kick but the referees picked up the flag and didn't call running into the kicker.

Allen is sacked to force Bills' punt - :51 1st quarter

Buffalo was in field goal range before its drive began but was unable to come away with points. Running back Devin Singletary recovered his own fumble on first down and Josh Allen completed to Singletary on second down to set up third-and-1. A holding penalty by tackle Dion Dawkins negated a 16-yard Allen run and then Allen was sacked by former Bills' first-round pick Shaq Lawson make it fourth-and-19 from the Jets' 49 and force a punt.

Isaiah McKenzie punt return gives Bills great field position again - 3:25 1st quarter

Buffalo forced another three-and-out and Isaiah McKenzie took a punt 26 yards to the Jets' 40-yard line. The Jets have been held to 30 total yards in the first quarter.

Bills extend early lead to 10-0 on Tyler Bass field goal

Taron Johnson’s interception of a Mike White pass after the Jets quarterback had been hit by defensive tackle Efe Obada gave the Bills possession at the Jets 43.

However, after moving into the red zone, the offense stumbled and had to settle for Bass’ 29-yard field goal which made it 10-0 Buffalo.

The Bills once again got Matt Breida involved, but after Breida gained three yards on a pitch to the 10, Brian Daboll made two lousy decisions that killed the drive. He ran Zack Moss up the middle for no gain, and then tried a fade to Stefon Diggs in the left corner which did not connect.

A wasted touchdown opportunity in the red zone, which has been a problem for the Bills all year.

Taron Johnson picks off Jets' QB Mike White - 9:17 1st quarter

Buffalo intercepted New York quarterback Mike White and will take over in Jets' territory. On third-and-10 from the Jets' 36, White's arm was hit by defensive end Efe Obada as he threw a pass intended for Jamison Crowder. The pass floated in the air to cornerback Taron Johnson, who nabbed his first interception of the season.

Bills strike quickly with Allen TD to Breida - Bills 7, Jets 0

Well, if the Bills are looking to make a statement, that was quite a start. They opened the game with a three-and-out on defense, and after taking over at their own 42 following the punt, the offense needed only five plays to cover the distance.

Josh Allen completed passes to Emmanuel Sanders, Dawson Knox and Matt Breida, the last a 15-yard TD throw to Breida for a 7-0 lead just 2:45 into the game.

Allen looked sharp, Knox’s return already made a difference, Devin Singletary broke off a 15-yard run, and then Breida finally gets a chance to make a play and he delivers.

Offensive line under the microscope for Bills

As expected, Spencer Brown is back at right tackle after missing the last two games, and that enables the Bills to move Daryl Williams back to right guard.

However, there is still a weakness at left guard where Jon Feliciano remains sidelined. Ike Boettger is probably going to start with Cody Ford on the bench, but at this point, it really doesn’t matter who plays. The Jets should be looking to exploit that spot on the line whenever they can, and they have a tremendous inside defensive linemen in Quinnen Williams who could create problems for Buffalo.

Jamil Douglas was elevated to the 53-man roster last week, but the veteran is inactive for the game. There was some speculation during the week that he might replace Boettger or Ford, but that’s not happening. The other reserves are Ryan Bates and Tommy Doyle.

The return of Brown and move of Williams should, in theory, help solidify things up front for the Bills, and it will be interesting to see if they try to establish a running game beyond what they have showed thus far.

Matt Breida back in the lineup for Bills

The inactive list for the Bills is out and here’s how it reads: WR Jake Kumerow, DT Star Lotulelei, and QB Mitchell Trubisky are out and on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and the players who are out are LB Tremaine Edmunds, CB Cam Lewis, OL Jamil Douglas and DT Brandin Bryant.

What this means is Breida is active and that presents an interesting situation for the offense. Breida is likely going to be the replacement for Kumerow on special teams because Kumerow has been on the reverse/COVID-19 list since early in the week and can’t play.

But Breida may also get some playing time on offense as the Bills try to inject some life into their stagnant running game. Breida has more speed than either Devin Singletary or Zack Moss, and the Bills may try to get Breida out in space in certain situations, either with wide zone runs or perhaps with quick passes.

Moss came through concussion protocol and is active, but Breida could steal some snaps from both he and Singletary. The Bills had Breida active for the first two games but he was a non-factor on offense with just 12 snaps played, four rushes for four yards, and no passing targets.

On the defensive line, with Lotulelei out and DT Justin Zimmer done for the season, the Bills will go with Ed Oliver, Vernon Butler, Harrison Phillips and Efe Obada in their tackle rotation. Boogie Basham, who is active again after a few games out, could also move inside.

Lewis being inactive seems to indicate that Taron Johnson, who also came through concussion protocol, must be good to go without worry. Lewis is the best option at nickel corner if Johnson were to get hurt, but the Bills believe he’s fine and they would turn to Siran Neal if need be.

Davis Webb is active again and serving as the backup to Josh Allen.

Bills DT Star Lotulelei out with COVID-19

As further proof that coronavirus isn’t going anywhere, the Bills continue to experience problems in their building and Sunday morning, it has cost them the services of Lotulelei. He tested positive and will not play against the Jets.

Lotulelei opted out of playing in 2020 due to concerns over the virus, and in his return this season has played well for the Bills No. 1-ranked defense, so this is a blow for the Bills. With DT Dustin Zimmer out for the season due to a knee injury, the Bills now have some depth issues on the interior of their defense.

They have Ed Oliver, Harrison Phillips and Vernon Butler, and there are two options available if they want to go with a four-man tackle rotation. The team announced that DT Brandin Bryant was elevated from the practice squad to take Lotulelei’s roster spot, but it’s uncertain whether he’ll be active for the game. The Bills could use edge rusher Efe Obada in their tackle rotation, something they’ve already done this season.

The Bills now have Lotulelei, Jake Kumerow and Mitchell Trubisky unavailable in New York due to COVID-19. And the virus even extends up to the broadcast booth.

For those of you who won’t be watching the Bills-Jets game on TV and will be listening on the radio, the broadcast is going to sound a little different Sunday afternoon.

Long-time play-by-play announcer John Murphy is not in New York because he tested positive for COVID earlier in the week and was unable to make the trip. It’s the first game he has missed since October 2001 when he did not do a game in Jacksonville as the analyst for Van Miller due to the passing of his father.

WGR, the flagship station of the Bills, has brought in New York-based Paul Dottino, who works for the all sports station WFAN, to handle the call alongside analyst Eric Wood.

Murphy, who is vaccinated, told The Buffalo News that he’s feeling fine and thinks he’ll be able to return to the booth for next week’s home game against the Colts once his 10day quarantine has run its course.

How to watch, listen to Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets game

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: MetLife Stadium

TV: CBS (Spero Dedes and Jay Feely)

Satellite radio: Sirius 121, XM 384

Radio: 96.5 FM/950 AM

Series: Bills lead 65-56 counting playoffs

Tipico betting line: Bills -10.5

NFL rankings

Bills Jets

Total offense: 390.1 yards (8th); 328.9 (24th)

Rush offense: 119.8 yards (11th); 77.1 (30th)

Pass offense: 270.4 (7th); 251.8 (14th)

Points scored: 29.4 (4th); 18.0 (27th)

Total defense: 262.6 yards (1st); 408.1 (32nd)

Rush defense: 85.6 yards (4th); 133.3 (27th)

Pass defense: 177.0 yards (1st); 274.9 (29th)

Points allowed: 14.8 (1st); 31.4 (32nd)

Buffalo Bills and New York Jets individual leaders

Rushing

Bills: Devin Singletary 73 carries, 355 yards; Josh Allen 57-319; Zack Moss 65-233; Mitchell Trubisky 10-27; Isaiah McKenzie 3-10.

Jets: Michael Carter 86-328; Ty Johnson 39-137; Tevin Coleman 21-73; Elijah Moore 2-23; Zack Wilson 8-22.

Passing

Bills: Josh Allen 209 of 319, 2,236 yards, 17 TDs, 5 interceptions.

Jets: Zach Wilson 104 of 181, 1,168 yards, 4 TDs, 9 interceptions; Mike White 64 of 88, 702 yards, 5 TDs, 4 interceptions.

Receiving

Bills: Cole Beasley 51 catches, 446 yards; Stefon Diggs 48-588; Emmanuel Sanders 28-478; Dawson Knox 21-286; Devin Singletary 21-82; Zack Moss 18-166; Gabriel Davis 10-133; Tommy Sweeney 9-44.

Jets: Jamison Crowder 28-241; Michael Carter 27-263; Corey Davis 24-349; Elijah Moore 22-230; Braxton Berrios 20-174; Ty Johnson 19-227; Keelan Cole 16-257; Ryan Griffin 14-99; Tyler Kroft 10-104; Denzel Mims 7-129.

2021 Buffalo Bills schedule

9/12 vs. Steelers, L 16-23

9/19 at Dolphins, W 35-0

9/26 vs. Washington, W 43-21

10/3 vs. Texans, W 40-0

10/10 at Chiefs, W 38-20

10/18 at Titans, L 31-34

10/24 Bye week

10/31 vs. Dolphins, W 26-11

11/7 at Jaguars, L 6-9

11/14 at Jets, 1 p.m

11/21 vs. Colts, 1 p.m

11/25 at Saints, 8:20 p.m.

12/6 vs. Patriots, 8:15 p.m.

12/12 at Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m.

12/19 vs. Panthers, TBD

12/26 at Patriots, 1 p.m.

1/2 vs. Falcons, 1 p.m.

1/9 vs. Jets, 1 p.m.

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills 45, New York Jets 17: Final score, recap, highlights