Josh Allen, Bills outlast Jaguars to advance to AFC divisional round

Jacksonville, Florida – The buffalo bill Needs a touchdown. Down four points with only four minutes remaining in the game, the ball was in the quarterback’s josh allen‘s hands, exactly as the team would want.

After Allen launches a 36-yard pass to wide receiver brandin cookHe then brought the ball down to the 1-yard line on a tush push play to set up the game-winning score. The quarterback punched it into the end zone on the next play, allowing the Jaguars to score.

On the Jags’ ensuing drive with less than a minute remaining, the defense did its job to preserve a win 27-24as a cornerback tradavious white informed a trevor lawrence pass and security cole bishop Came up with the game-ending interception.

Allen once again led the Bills, donning his postseason Superman cape despite a shaky first half performance – requiring two trips to the medical tent, including a concussion test that had to be cleared – to aid a struggling offense that posted its lowest score of the year.

He completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards, including one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns. wide receiver Khalil Shakir He was his security blanket, catching all 12 of his targets for 82 yards (the second-most catches in a game in Bills postseason history).

After scripting several of their comeback wins this regular season, the Bills won a playoff game for the first time after trailing in the final two minutes. And for the first time under coach Sean McDermott, the Bills won a playoff game on the road, keeping their Super Bowl ambitions alive.

Most Amazing Performance: Defense in the second half.

The final two quarters are when this Bills defense typically thrives, but against Jacksonville the opposite was the case. After giving up only seven points in the first half, Buffalo gave up scores on the Jaguars’ first three drives of the second half, including consecutive double-digit-play touchdown drives. The Bills’ inability to stop the Jaguars continued to put pressure on the offense.

But when the Bills’ defense needed a game most, it came up with a game-ending takeaway to seal it, as has happened in some of the biggest games this season.

Viewing Trends: Injuries have been a frequent occurrence for the Bills this season, and Allen was not immune to that trend. The Bills QB didn’t miss a beat, but the team continued to lose other key players and his absence was felt. Security jordan poyer Did not return after halftime due to hamstring injury and wide receiver gabe davisThe former Jaguar was sidelined by a left knee injury (he suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in his left knee last season).

stat to know: The Bills are now 19–0 since the start of the 2024 season (including playoffs) – the only team with a perfect record in that span. They continued that trend despite struggling early in the second half and falling behind in the fourth quarter. The win also snapped a streak of eight consecutive road playoff losses for the franchise (since the 1992 AFC Championship Game). –Aliana Getzenberg

The Jaguars’ season ended with a heartbreaking loss at home, but there is optimism that the franchise will continue to be a playoff contender.

The Bills’ game-winning touchdown with 1:04 remaining and Lawrence’s interception on a deflected pass with 54 seconds remaining will sting throughout the offseason, but at no level should it take away from what Liam Coen did in his first season as a head coach. The Jaguars won 13 games, including an eight-game winning streak to end the regular season and secure the AFC South title.

The Jaguars also set a franchise record for points scored (474) and Coen managed to unlock quarterback Lawrence, who had the best season of his career with a total of 38 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards passing. But the Jaguars weren’t as tough on the Bills as they were in the final two months of the season.

Lawrence (who threw just one interception in December) had two picks, the kicker cam little (who hit 68- and 67-yard field goals this season) missed a 54-yard attempt at the end of the first half, and the defense couldn’t put enough pressure on Allen (28 for 35, 273 yards).

What is meant by QB performance: A day of ups and downs for Lawrence. He threw an interception in the first half (tied for his sixth in three career postseason games). patrick mahomes the most since 2021, according to ESPN Research) and missed on a fourth-down rush inside the Bills’ 10-yard line because he stepped up when he didn’t need to to get a first down. Lawrence led the comeback for most of the second half, including a receiving touchdown. travis etienne jrWith 4:03 remaining, But the game was sealed with a Lawrence interception with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter,

Biggest hole in the game plan: Run game in the first half. The Bills defense ranks 28th in the NFL, but the Jaguars didn’t run the ball as well as expected in the first half, while they had success. he drove it Carried 11 times and gained 99 yards, including 51 yards on four carries fearful trumpeterDespite their effectiveness on the floor, the Jaguars committed 15 free throws in the first half, resulting in a 10–7 deficit,

turn: The Jaguars allowed the Bills to get into scoring position on their final drive when Allen connected with Cook for a 36-yard reception at the Jaguars’ 20-yard line just before the two-minute warning. Cook was completely open to CB Greg Newsome IIand s Antonio Johnson Cook was unable to reach him in time before the ball arrived. linebacker devin lloyd Allen was hit as soon as he released the ball, but Allen was still capable of making the throw. The Bills scored the winning TD after five games. –Michael DiRocco