New day, new teams, new result, but the same drama. The opening games of this Wild Card round set an extremely high bar, with every matchup decided by four points or fewer. Buffalo, as expected, lived up to the forecasts and, though it was far from comfortable, secured a spot in the Divisional Round.
Led by a notably composed Josh Allen, the Bills edged the Jacksonville Jaguars 27–24. The game featured more than five lead changes, underscoring the intensity of the contest. What also became clear, however, is that a lack of experience at this stage can still weigh on quarterbacks as young as Trevor Lawrence.
First road playoff win in more than 30 years
It’s worth noting that the last time Buffalo won a playoff game away from home was in 1992, against the Houston Texans. That same season, the Bills went on to reach the Super Bowl, where they eventually fell to the Dallas Cowboys. The path has begun in similar fashion this time, with that win in Houston also coming in the Wild Card round, though there is still a long road ahead.
With a place in the next round secured, the Bills will now face the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Denver Broncos, with a trip to the conference championship on the line. It’s a daunting task, but not an impossible one.
Is this finally the year for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills? They didn’t have their best regular season, nor were they as offensively dominant as in previous campaigns. But at least Patrick Mahomes and company are no longer in the way, after repeatedly ending Buffalo’s playoff hopes in years past.
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