JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Buffalo Bills had been here before.
Close games with opportunities to win — yet failing to do so — were how the Bills had exited the postseason in three of the past four years. The offense had a chance for game-winning drives in the past two years. The defense had opportunities for game-sealing stops, with special teams mishaps along the way.
But this wasn’t one of those departures.
Fourth-quarter comebacks happen to be an important part of the team’s success this season — all behind quarterback Josh Allen — and that continued Sunday as the reigning MVP led the Bills past the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC wild-card round 27-24.
“It’s a beautiful feeling,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “When the ball is in our hands, shoot, the ball is in Josh Allen’s hands. We want the ball with the MVP, and he just needs to continue to depend on the other 10 guys that are on the football field to get the job done.”
Buffalo also exorcised another demon, ending the second-longest postseason road losing streak in NFL history (Detroit Lions, 12) with its first playoff win away from home since the 1992 AFC Championship Game (0-8 during that stretch).
Allen put together his first career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime in the playoffs, thanks to some help from his defense and specifically veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White.
“We feel like we’ve been in situations like this,” Allen said. “And now every game presents itself in a different way, but to understand the moment, to not ride the wave, again, that was stuff that we’ve learned throughout the entire season. We were able to utilize that and use it today.”
The Bills are tied with the Denver Broncos for the second-most fourth-quarter comeback wins this season at five (Chicago Bears, 7).
Both teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and following the Jaguars’ second of the frame, the Bills got the ball back with just over four minutes remaining. Allen led the offense down field to a fourth-and-1 play from the Jaguars 11, and the quarterback was tush pushed all the way down to the 1 (after review called back a score).
With 1:05 remaining, Buffalo coach Sean McDermott acknowledged the team discussed kneeling to take more time off the clock, but instead Allen was tush pushed in on the next play.
“You sit there and say you take a knee and lose some yards and you don’t score there, now you’re kicking yourself for not scoring earlier,” Allen said. “Again, we did what we thought was right, and it turned out to be.”
On the Jaguars’ ensuing drive, White tipped a Trevor Lawrence pass and safety Cole Bishop intercepted it to seal the game. White had three passes defensed on the day and has become a key part of the Bills’ defense in his return to the team.
“When [White] came back, he still wasn’t really Tre because he was working through two major injuries, and yet in Tre’s fashion, there’s nobody that works harder, and he’s gotten himself back now to where he’s playing really good football,” McDermott said. “… He’s just as good as there is in terms of his determination, his heart, and his resilient nature.”
McDermott’s first draft pick with the Bills in 2017, White played elsewhere in 2024 after being released by Buffalo following a torn ACL and a torn Achilles in a two-year span.
“These games come down to the last few minutes,” White said. “Like I’ve been saying for weeks, man, we’re calloused as a team. When we get in a situation like this, we don’t blink. Best quarterback in the league going to get us points. It’s just up to us to make big-time stops, and at the end of the game we was able to get one. We got a big-time pick today.”
Allen’s performance — 28-of-35 passing for 273 yards and one touchdown and 11 carries for 33 yards and two rushing scores — came despite two visits to the medical tent. During the first, he was evaluated for a concussion and cleared. In the second, he came up limping from his first touchdown run but did not miss a snap.
Allen said after the game he just got rolled up on and was fine.
“It trickles down from [Allen], the team’s toughness,” McDermott said. “When your quarterback’s that type of warrior, that type of competitor … from a leadership standpoint, it just goes through the whole team. We’ve got to get him as healthy as we can, though, for next week, and it’s not something we take lightly.”
Allen became the second player in NFL history with a go-ahead passing touchdown and a go-ahead rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter of the same playoff game (Alex Smith, 2011 divisional playoffs).
The Bills now head to the divisional round for a sixth straight year. They’ll play against the Broncos in Denver on Saturday.
“Feels good,” Allen said. “At the same time, it just means we get another game, and we’ve got to go find a way to put our best foot forward this week in practice, put together a good game plan, and go out there to execute again next Saturday or Sunday, whenever we play.”
