AFC Notes: Josh Allen, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

The MVP race is coming down to the wire with Bills QB Josh Allen and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson as the frontrunners. Buffalo HC Sean McDermott vouched for his quarterback to win the award because of the massive burden the team asks of him daily. 

“Josh Allen is the MVP,” McDermott said, via Eric Edholm of NFL.com. “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 and this organization, in this community — and no offense to anybody else — but I have a hard time believing that someone’s done more.”

Following their Week 17 win, Allen deflected a question about if he had done enough to win the MVP.

“I don’t really care about that,” Allen said. “The defense played fantastic. I’m watching that Coop highlight. Him and Keon had fantastic plays today.”

• The Bills worked out DB Tyrell Ford and WR Makai Polk on Tuesday, per Aaron Wilson. 

Dolphins

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel has “no idea” if QB Tua Tagovailoa will be able to play in Week 18 and he commented on his inability to play in Week 17.

“Ultimately he absolutely wanted to play. Wasn’t a pain tolerance thing,” McDaniel said via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “He not only was super susceptible to a much more significant injury but a major factor was the lack of strength due to the injury and his inability to protect himself and his teammates within the pocket doing the things he normally has to do. From a medical perspective, it was not an option for him to play.” 

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has heard murmurs of potential front office changes in

  Miami, though nothing concrete yet about GM Chris Grier‘s status. 

• McDaniel said Tagovailoa’s status is in the “gray area, firmly in the unknown” and his recovery is “all about time.” (Cameron Wolfe)
• McDaniel added that QB Tyler Huntley will get more first-team reps than Tagovailoa this week. (Wolfe)

Jets

The Jets were blown out by Buffalo in Week 17 in a game they fell behind 40-0 to drop to 4-12. New York CB Sauce Gardner thinks some players have checked out with nothing on the line and expressed his disappointment in the season where he believes they have a better roster than a year ago.

“If you ask me, that means it’s like the end of the season. Obviously, we’re not going to the playoffs, some people might be checked out,” Gardner said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “That’s just me going off speculation.”

“We enhanced our roster in all areas, so that just tells me we can’t be playing as a team. We’re probably just individuals because I know last year and the year before, you know, we had a roster that wasn’t as talented as this roster but we found ways to beat the Bills, found ways to win. So, what’s stopping that now with a more talented roster?”