Josh Allen has played plenty of playoff games where, no matter what he did, the Buffalo Bills would come up short. Sunday’s wild-card win showed Allen’s desire to let his game dictate the outcome.
With Buffalo trailing late, struggling to muster much on the ground against a stout Jaguars defence, Allen did what franchise quarterbacks are paid to do in January: he put the team on his back.
On fourth-and-inches with just over a minute left, Buffalo put its season in Allen’s hands. He took a quarterback sneak for the first down, kept his legs churning, and turned the play into the momentum that ultimately sealed the win.
This was no easy game for Allen to navigate. The Bills quarterback absorbed several heavy hits and twice disappeared into the medical tent, yet never altered his approach — continuing to invite and deliver punishment when the moment demanded it.
“When your quarterback’s that type of warrior, that type of competitor, it just goes through the whole team,” Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters after his team’s 27-24 win.
More impressive than Allen’s willingness to take on punishment for the win was his discipline and decision-making. This was not a night of reckless gambles or forced hero throws. He operated with patience, leaned on high-percentage completions.
For a franchise long defined by post-season frustration, Sunday represented a breakthrough. The Bills rallied from a late deficit for their first such playoff win and ended a more than three-decade stretch since their last road victory in the post-season.
Jacksonville had opportunities, especially at the end of the game, providing Buffalo with a chance to come up with the big play that eluded them in prior years.
A tipped pass by Tre’Davious White into the hands of Cole Bishop ended any hopes of a comeback for Jacksonville and eased any thought of another playoff collapse.
In the end, Allen set the table, but the Bills still needed the rest of the team to come together to ensure their quarterback’s effort wasn’t going to be wasted.
With no Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs standing in their way, the Bills have to feel good about their chances as they get set to take on the AFC-leading Denver Broncos.
Patriots get job done, but room for improvement
The New England Patriots were looking to show that they were ready to carry the legacy left behind, and the first impression was certainly a positive one.
Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel passed the first test in a commanding 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers — the Patriots’ first playoff win since Feb. 2019.
While many Patriots fans are excited to see their team back in contention, some shaky moments need to be addressed going forward.
Maye struggled to protect the football as the Patriots quarterback had two turnovers and struggled to get points in the red zone, as he was 0-for-3 in those situations.
At the end of the day, Maye also reminded people why he is a frontrunner for the MVP award. He finished with 66 yards on 10 carries, including a critical fourth-down play where he showed some great deception.
His touchdown pass to Hunter Henry was a clutch throw in a pressure moment that showed that, while he had some rough moments, Maye is more than capable of delivering in the tough moments.
While Maye got most of the attention from the win, his defence deserves a lot of credit for the tough challenge they presented to the Charters.
According to Next Gen Stats, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez did not allow a reception on any of his five targets across 26 coverage snaps.
The New England defence also allowed just one completion on 10 attempts on third down. If this is the type of performance we can expect from the Patriots’ defence going forward, they could be in line for a long playoff run.
New England will face the winner of Monday’s wild-card finale between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers to determine the final matchup in the divisional round next weekend.
Herbert, Chargers bullied in another tough playoff loss
Justin Herbert likely needed a few ice packs after seeing more time down on the field than in the endzone against the Patriots.
After getting sacked six times in another lacklustre playoff performance, the Chargers continue to look for their first post-season win with Herbert behind centre.
Herbert finished 19-of-31 passing for 159 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions and now owns an 0-3 playoff record. To be fair, Herbert did not have a lot of support as the Chargers had 87 rushing yards, with 57 yards being registered by their quarterback.
As The Athletic’s James Palmer noted from Next Gen Stats, Herbert was hit an NFL-leading 129 times this season, 18 more than any other quarterback. He also faced more pressure than any other quarterback.
Just to give you an idea of how difficult it has been for Herbert in the post-season, San Francisco 49ers receiver Juan Jennings now has the same number of passing touchdowns in the playoffs as the Chargers quarterback.
It’s truly a shame considering the L.A. defence held the Patriots to just six points in the first half. Unfortunately, the margin for error was quite slim for Chargers’ defence, and until they find a way to protect Herbert and get a run game going, they’ll struggle to take that next step.
Lawrence learns another tough playoff lesson
In a one-possession playoff loss, the margin for error is unforgiving — and for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, there were too many costly moments to ignore.
The mistakes surfaced early. Lawrence threw an interception that gifted Buffalo three points, then later came up inches short on a fourth-down run when his shin hit the turf before the line to gain, erasing another prime scoring opportunity. In a game decided by three points, those moments loomed large.
The final and most decisive error arrived with 59 seconds left and Jacksonville driving for a potential tying field goal. Just as Buffalo faced criticism for leaving time on the clock, Lawrence’s pass was tipped and intercepted, sealing the Bills’ win and ending the Jaguars’ season.
It was a frustrating contrast to Lawrence’s late-season form. He entered the playoffs after throwing 15 touchdowns against just one interception over his final six regular-season games. While he showed flashes Sunday — including rallying Jacksonville twice in the fourth quarter — turnovers once again proved his undoing.
This marked Lawrence’s first multi-interception game since late November, and it adds to an uncomfortable post-season trend. He now has seven interceptions across three career playoff starts — not the résumé a franchise quarterback wants attached to his name.
What makes the loss sting most is that, despite the mistakes, Lawrence still had Jacksonville in position to win. According to ESPN, he became just the third quarterback in NFL history to throw multiple go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of a playoff loss.
49ers display great heart despite tough injuries
A not-so-comfortable but familiar theme once again presented a tough hurdle for the San Francisco 49ers in their pursuit of a Super Bowl… injuries.
On defence, those injuries have been a factor all season long, with stars like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner dealing with significant ailments.
Injuries are a common hurdle for teams, and the 49ers’ resolve was put to the test when one of their star offensive players was carted off. All-Pro tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the second quarter, ending his post-season and taking away an important weapon for Brock Purdy.
San Francisco needed to find a way to keep pushing forward, and it led to some unexpected contributors stepping up.
Demarcus Robinson came into the game with 22 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown across 14 games in the regular season. He was not expected to be a major factor, but he was exactly that with six catches on seven targets for 111 yards and a touchdown.
As important as Robinson’s contribution was in Kittle’s absence, Christian McCaffrey continued to remind everyone why he is the workhorse of this offence.
The dynamic running back came up big in crunch time with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including one on a trick play. Credit head coach Kyle Shanahan for trusting Jennings to find McCaffrey for a 29-yard score.
Despite a quieter game through three quarters, there was no denying the impact McCaffrey made late in the game, as he also secured the game-winning touchdown.
Not to be overlooked was the play of Eric Kendricks, who led the 49ers with six stops on 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a pass break-up on fourth down that secured the win. Kendricks did not come off the field on defence, one of four Niners defenders to play all 72 defensive plays, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
This is a player who was signed on the practice roster back on Nov. 26 and only played in the final three regular-season games.
The path forward doesn’t get any easier for the 49ers, but their ability to adapt and push through adversity should not be overlooked.
Eagles’ offensive letdown leaves major questions going forward
Philadelphia fans were rightfully frustrated by what they were watching from their offence against the 49ers.
The Eagles’ defence provided many opportunities for the offence to take control of the game, intercepting Purdy twice. However, the Eagles scored just three points off the turnovers.
In the end, the offensive effort cost the Eagles their chance to repeat as champions, something that was a lingering concern going into the playoffs.
Part of the problem was that Jalen Hurts looked nothing like a Super Bowl MVP, throwing for only 168 yards and a touchdown.
“I just didn’t make the play,’ Hurts said after the game. ”I own it. I own it all.”
As admirable as it was for the Eagles quarterback to take ownership for the loss, there was certainly enough blame to go around. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has been on the hot seat for most of the season as the team struggled to get the explosive plays on offence that were a staple to their championship run.
Then there was the sideline confrontation between head coach Nick Sirianni and receiver A.J. Brown. Both got up and close and had to be separated by coaches and players.
How this all gets resolved in the off-season will be something to monitor, considering the expectations in the City of Brotherly Love.
