In a dominant wild-card round performance, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Denver Broncos 31-7 to advance to the divisional playoffs. Led by an efficient Josh Allen and a suffocating defense, the Bills took control early and never let up, wearing down Denver with six scoring drives.
Allen Shines as Bills Offense Rolls
Josh Allen put together another stellar playoff outing, completing 20 of 26 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. The MVP candidate spread the ball around to his playmakers, including a 55-yard bomb to Curtis Samuel that set up a fourth quarter score. Allen’s 23 career playoff touchdown passes surpassed Bills legend Jim Kelly for the most in franchise history.
The balanced Buffalo attack kept the Broncos defense on its heels all game. Rookie running back James Cook had a breakout performance, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries. His 5-yard scoring run in the second quarter gave the Bills a lead they would not relinquish. Ty Johnson also made a huge play, taking a short pass 24 yards for a touchdown on a crucial 4th and 1 late in the third quarter to essentially put the game out of reach.
“I’ve been saying it all year long that Ty Johnson’s the best third-down back in football,” Allen said. “The things that he’s able to do for us, the way we communicate, him in the pass game, blocking and running the ball. He does it all.”
Josh Allen on Ty Johnson’s touchdown
Buffalo Defense Stifles Nix, Broncos
After allowing a 43-yard touchdown pass from rookie Bo Nix to Troy Franklin on the opening drive, the Bills defense locked in and dominated the rest of the way. They held the Broncos to just 144 total yards and forced four turnovers, including interceptions by Jordan Poyer and Tremaine Edmunds. Denver’s high-powered pass rush, which led the NFL with 63 sacks, was held to just two sacks by a stout Buffalo offensive line.
- Broncos offense held under 200 total yards
- NFL-best pass rush limited to 2 sacks
- Four forced turnovers, two interceptions
Bills to Face Ravens in Divisional Round
With the win, the Bills advance to host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens next weekend in Orchard Park. It will be a rematch of their Week 4 game, a 35-10 Ravens win. But Allen and the Bills will be aiming to flip the script this time with a trip to the AFC Championship on the line.
“They got after us earlier this year,” Allen said of facing the Ravens again. “So we’ve got a lot of film to watch. It’s a great team. It’s a great quarterback, obviously with Lamar and what he’s able to do. He’s one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic, quarterback in the league.”
Josh Allen on the upcoming matchup with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens
The Bills will need to be at the top of their game to knock off the surging Ravens and keep their Super Bowl hopes alive. But if they can replicate their balanced, dominant performance from the wild-card win over Denver, Buffalo has to like their chances of reaching the AFC title game for the second time in three years.
