In Monday's postponed Wild Card game at Orchard Park, Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a 31-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with three touchdown passes from him and a 52-yard touchdown run.
The second-seeded Bills defeated any dreams of a comeback with a pivotal touchdown catch-and-run in the fourth quarter, securing their fourth consecutive postseason victory.
Buffalo jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to touchdown catches from Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid.
The Bills won their sixth straight game thanks to an efficient 21 of 30 passing from Allen, who also gained 74 yards on eight rushes, 79 yards from James Cook, and a crucial interception by Kaiir Elam.
In the divisional round the following weekend, Buffalo will now host the third-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
For the seventh-seeded Steelers, Mason Rudolph completed 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Calvin Austin III and Diontae Johnson were the receivers on his scoring passes.
The game was originally slated for Sunday, but it was moved to Monday due to a snowstorm that affected Buffalo and the neighbouring towns. On Monday, the temperature was 17 degrees when kickoff occurred.
With 10:32 remaining in the game, Rudolph and Austin connected on a seven-yard scoring pass to bring Pittsburgh within 24-17.
After a brilliant individual effort by the shifty Shakir, Buffalo responded to take a 14-point lead again. With 6.27 remaining, Allen completed a short ball to the receiver on second-and-nine from the Pittsburgh 17-yard line. The receiver then sidestepped a tackle attempt from top Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick at the 15, broke another tackle attempt and swerved through traffic for a 17-yard score.
With 7:02 remaining in the first quarter, Allen found Knox for a nine-yard touchdown. Taron Johnson then forced George Pickens of Pittsburgh to fumble, which Buffalo's Terrel Bernard recovered at the Steelers 29 to give the Bills a much-needed respite.
With 4:10 remaining in the quarter, Allen made it 14-0 with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Kincaid on the following play.
With 10:52 remaining in the first half, Pittsburgh had a chance to cut its deficit, but Elam intercepted Rudolph in the end zone.
After breaking a tackle and lowering his head to escape the Steelers defence, Allen converted a third-down scramble into a 52-yard house call, giving Buffalo the edge. The play set off wild celebrations among Bills supporters in the stands as they tossed snow.
With 1:39 remaining in the second quarter, Rudolph hit Johnson for a 10-yard touchdown throw to bring Pittsburgh within 21-7.
To maintain the lead at 14 going into the fourth quarter, the teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter: Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yarder for Buffalo and Chris Boswell converted from 40 yards out for the Steelers.
Why the Bills won:
Early on, the Bills played outstanding complementary football, which gave them an unstoppable lead. On their opening drive, Allen and company scored, and Buffalo's defence forced three straight punts from Pittsburgh. Additionally, the offence of the Bills converted two defensively forced turnovers into scores.
While the team did win, Allen's performance in the second half—which included multiple clutch plays—was the main factor in Buffalo's victory. Allen had made a huge play in the first half. One of those plays was an amazing 12-yard connection to Stefon Diggs on a third-and-8 play that set up a field goal that extended Buffalo's lead to 24-10 late in the third.
Following a Steelers touchdown on their subsequent drive, Allen answered with a 13-yard scramble, a second run that led to a Pittsburgh penalty, and the touchdown pass to Shakir that sealed the victory.
Why the Steelers lost:
It was going to be difficult enough for Pittsburgh to defeat the Bills; the team lost 38-3 in Buffalo the previous season. The Steelers trailed by three touchdowns, making the effort all but impossible.
Due in major part to two turnovers that resulted in 14 points for the Bills, Pittsburgh fell behind. It didn't help that the defence couldn't contain Allen and force an error. Buffalo gladly took advantage of Pittsburgh's defensive shortcomings, which were largely caused by a lack of depth at ILB. Myles Jack, the recently retired linebacker, had a particularly difficult afternoon.
Rudolph was benched early because the Steelers were once again unable to complete any throws over the middle. With the Steelers trailing by 14 points, Pickens' fumble and Rudolph's interception in the end zone were crucial plays.
With two minutes remaining in the third, Montravious Adams' blocked field goal gave Pittsburgh the momentum it needed to mount a comeback. Despite being behind 21-0 at the beginning of the game, Rudolph's play helped the Steelers score 17 of the next 20 points as they settled into a groove following their poor start. It was, however, too little, too late.
After suffering a knee injury during Pittsburgh's Week 18 victory over the Ravens, T.J. Watt was out for Monday's game, making the Steelers' lifetime record 1-11 without him.
Up Next:
For the third time in four years, Buffalo will meet Kansas City in the playoffs. In their two prior meetings, which took place in Kansas City, the Bills were defeated. This time, Buffalo will host Patrick Mahomes and company.
For the eighth year in a row, Pittsburgh's season concludes without a postseason victory, marking the longest drought without a postseason victory for the organisation since 1972.