Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports 550) - The Buffalo Bills will take on the New York Jets in the regular season finale for both teams on Sunday. It will also be the final regular season game played at Highmark Stadium.
With a victory, the Bills will win 12 games for the fourth time in six seasons.
In order to do that, and keeping the big picture of the playoffs in mind, here are my three keys to the game, plus notes and stats:
1.) Stay as healthy as possible
While there's no way to totally prevent injuries from happening during a football game, the Bills can still try to mitigate them as much as possible when it comes to their starters and other key players by not playing them much, or even at all.
We won't know the exact plan when it comes to all of that until the game starts, but the most important key to this game for the Bills is being as healthy as possible when it's over, as they get ready to start the postseason next weekend.
2.) Have fun with it
While playoff seeding can be impacted by the result, the Bills can't win the division. So this game will feel much more about the closing of Highmark Stadium than it will the game itself.
The players can embrace that and have fun with it. They know they will forever be a part of something special, and have a chance to send it off the right way with an emotional crowd.
3.) Make the Jets want to go home
The Jets have nothing to play for. Their season is over after Sunday's game.
They didn't put up much of a fight in the same situation last week against the New England Patriots. They're essentially the guests to the Highmark Stadium farewell party. The atmosphere and environment is going to be energetic, yet emotional.
If the Bills can jump on them early, they may very well just want to get back to New Jersey as quickly as they can.
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