Pittsburgh’s got their Terrible Towels, but those were no match for Buffalo’s jubilant, snow-filled celebrations Monday evening as the Bills defeated the Steelers 31-17.
Delayed a day due to a blizzard that stormed through Western New York and left Highmark Stadium buried in snow, the wild-card victory was worth the wait. And after a rollercoaster of a regular season, the home team made this win look easy. Cold? What cold? Buffalo’s offence got off to a hot start, giving Bills Mafia — some of whom spent their pre-game hours shovelling in the stands to help get the stadium game-ready — plenty to celebrate.
The Steelers were without star linebacker T.J. Watt, and it showed. While the Buffalo Bills, too, have suffered their share of injuries this year — and it looks like they lost another defender Monday night when linebacker Terrel Bernard was carted off the field — their offensive firepower was the key to earning a berth in the Divisional Round.
Like the Bills, the Buccaneers also sprinted their way down the stretch to clinch their own division. Or rather, Tampa Bay’s pace was a little more of a limp considering Baker Mayfield has been dealing with an ankle injury and some rib issues and only managed nine points in a Week 18 win over Carolina to book a playoff spot. You wouldn’t know it based on the Buccaneers’ wild card performance Monday night at home, though — their 32-9 walloping of the lifeless Philadelphia Eagles further proved wrong the pre-season doubters and sends a spiralling Philly club into a full-on tailspin.
We know what’s on deck for Tampa Bay — they’ve got a date with the Lions in Detroit on Sunday. But the Eagles? That’s a much more complicated question, and it will surely take some time for last year’s Super Bowl runners-up to come up with answers.
For now, let’s take a closer look at Monday’s wild card action with our collection of takeaways from the final matchups of the NFL’s first weekend of the post-season.
Bills 31, Steelers 17
Rudolph’s redzone turnover halts Pittsburgh’s first major scoring chance
While Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph outperformed expectations in his first career playoff start, the backup couldn’t cash in on his first major scoring chance — and it’s hard not to bring out all the what-ifs in its wake.
Down 14-0 early in the second quarter and with very little yardage gained in their first four possessions, it was clear from the start the Steelers would have to make every chance count. After a crucial gain thanks in large part to a penalty called against cornerback Kaiir Elam that placed Pittsburgh at the four-yard line, Rudolph’s touchdown toss was picked off by — who else? — Elam himself as the second-year CB earned some well-timed redemption.
Not only did the turnover steal away the Steelers’ best chance at cutting the Bills’ lead in half, it also led to another score from Buffalo. On the ensuing Bills possession, Josh Allen made a game-changing play of his own to extend his team’s lead to 21-0…
Bills offence braves the cold as Allen runs away with the game
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was impressive through the air on Monday — 21 completions on 30 attempts for 203 yards and three touchdowns, including two first-quarter TD tosses to tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. (It’s tradition, after all.)
But Allen’s most memorable play of the game came on the ground. Halfway through the second quarter of what was a 14-0 game at the time, Allen tucked the ball on third and eight and ran for the first down, made like he was going to slide, and then, well, he just kept going… all the way to the end zone.
Part of what makes Allen such a dynamic playmaker is his ability to create plays on his feet, but we rarely get to see him in an all-out sprint — and in the playoffs, no less. As measured by Next Gen Stats, Allen hit a top speed of 19.33 m.p.h, his fastest footspeed as a ball carrier this season.
Allen’s 52-yard dash was the longest run of his career and the longest scramble by any QB this season. It also marked the longest rushing touchdown in Bills playoff history and the second-longest rushing TD ever by a quarterback in the post-season.
Another impressive note on Allen: After a regular season in which interceptions were so often part of the every-Sunday experience, the QB kept his scoresheet clean on Monday. It was just the fourth game this season in which he didn’t throw a pick.
Shakir shakes off tackle in thrilling TD run to seal Buffalo’s win
Thirty minutes after Allen’s statement run, teammate Khalil Shakir put on a show of his own with a 24-yard run-after-catch that saw him shake off an attempted tackle by Minkah Fitzpatrick and juke his way into the end zone to make it 31-17 Buffalo.
No Gabe Davis in this game for Buffalo (knee injury) meant the Bills needed to lean on other playmakers, and the second-year wide receiver more than stepped up to the challenge.
Shakir’s TD was significant not just because of how it was scored, but when. After the Bills opened the game with three unanswered TDs, Pittsburgh began showing signs of life with a Diontae Johnson touchdown catch to close out the first half and a TD catch for Calvin Austin III early in the fourth quarter after momentum shifted Pittsburgh’s way following a blocked Bills field goal attempt.
Shakir’s dynamic score took what became a one-score game and put it out of reach for the Steelers, the exclamation point on what was an excellent showing for the home team.
Buccaneers 32, Eagles 9
Despite drops, Baker’s Buccaneers oust Eagles with ease
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had himself a game Monday against the visiting Eagles, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns.
While his completion rate — 22 for 36 — doesn’t exactly jump off the page, it also doesn’t tell the full story of his night. Tampa Bay struggled with dropped passes, including five in the first half alone. They’ll have to clean those up if they’re to turn this victory into a proper post-season run.
In spite of those drops, Mayfield’s impressive performance powered Tampa Bay to as dominant an offensive outing as they’ve had all season long. And while star wide receiver Mike Evans had a solid contest, this victory saw some lesser-known weapons shine in the post-season spotlight. Take David Moore, for example — he caught just five passes in seven regular-season games with Tampa Bay, and on Monday night caught a 44-yard score. Rookie Trey Palmer, too, put himself on the weekend’s highlight reel thanks to a dynamic catch-and-run for a 56-yard touchdown that saw him dodge several tackles. (The play not only showcased Palmer’s speed, but served as an indictment of Philly’s struggling secondary.)
Offence? What offence? Eagles have no answers for Buccaneers’ shutdown D
Just as obvious as their issues on defence are Philly’s offensive troubles. The Eagles couldn’t get any kind of momentum going Monday night — not even their signature Tush Push worked.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who entered the game with an injured finger, was held to a single touchdown pass in 25 completions for 250 yards and also had an endzone gaffe that resulted in a Tampa Bay safety. Without A.J. Brown in the lineup, the lone bright spot was the performance of DeVonta Smith — he led all receivers on the field in catches (eight) and yards (148).
Not even the Eagles’ run game could get through. Tampa Bay allowed just 42 yards on the ground, Philly’s effort was a far cry from the dominant run game of seasons past.
Lopsided wins for Bills, Buccaneers conclude wild weekend of blowouts
Of the six games this weekend, only one — the Lions’ 24-23 win over the Rams at home — was decided by a single score. The second smallest margin of victory was Buffalo’s 14-point win over the Steelers.
Overall, Wild Card Weekend winners outscored their opponents by a combined 104 points.
Who’s up next?
With Super Wild Card Weekend in the books, the Divisional Round is set:
Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET: Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
Saturday 8:15 p.m. ET: Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
Sunday 3 p.m. ET: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
Sunday 6:30 p.m. ET: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills
