To dispel doubts in a week where there was a lot of talk about a winless road playoff streak, Josh Allen guided the Buffalo Bills to a 27-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Sunday’s AFC Wild Card matchup.
More than three decades without a road playoff win
The Bills hadn’t won a road playoff game since 1992 (technically January 1993, when they defeated Miami in the AFC Championship Game), but that long negative streak finally came to an end after going 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under head coach Sean McDermott.
Josh Allen connected on a 36-yard pass to Brandin Cooks, then carried the ball into the end zone from the 1-yard line in a play where it was strategically better for the Jaguars to let him score-a classic tush push situation.
With the priority of getting rid of the ball quickly and neutralizing Jacksonville’s defensive pressure for much of the game, Josh Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown. He also added two rushing touchdowns, was sacked only once, and played a turnover-free game.
Allen’s performance was crucial, especially since the NFL’s leading rusher, James Cook, was well contained and finished with just 46 yards on 15 carries.
Buffalo (13-5) sealed the victory by intercepting a deflected pass on Jacksonville’s final offensive series. The Jaguars (13-5) had taken the lead with 4:03 remaining, but couldn’t hold it against the final push led by Josh Allen.
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