The Buffalo Bills went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 to advance to the divisional round.
Buffalo's victory means they will play the No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs at home next Sunday, while the No. 1 Baltimore Ravens will earn their first berth into the playoffs against the No. 4 Houston Texans. will be acquired.
Buffalo got off to the start they wanted, and the main reason for that was Josh Allen. After the Bills defense stopped the Steelers on their first drive, Allen completed a perfect 5-on-5 pass and capped off a 10-play drive with a strike to tight end Dawson Knox to put Buffalo ahead. did.
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Josh Allen, No. 17 of the Buffalo Bills, scores a 52-yard touchdown during the second quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 15, 2024 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
Buffalo's momentum would then swing even further when Steelers wide receiver George Pickens fumbled on the first play of Pittsburgh's third offensive drive. Just one play later, the Bills' other tight end, rookie Dalton Kincaid, completed a 29-yard pass from Allen, immediately giving the home team a 14-0 lead.
As Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph was about to lead the team with a touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson, Bills cornerback Kaia Elam made a crucial interception in the end zone and the score soon became 21. It became -0.
Instead, Allen took advantage of yet another turnover to score points, this time using his legs to score the second-longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback. On third-and-7, Allen went for a first down, but found the seam after a broken tackle and gained 52 yards and more.
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The Steelers couldn't do much offensively, and it looked like the game was over at this point. But there was some hope when a field goal attempt was blocked and Rudolph & Co. closed in on Buffalo's 33-yard line near the two-minute warning of the first half.
A few plays later, Rudolph found Johnson on a diagonal for a 10-yard touchdown. This was the score Pittsburgh needed to take control heading into the second half.
No. 88 Dawson Knox of the Buffalo Bills catches a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
But the second half was a different story, one that Steelers fans liked because it gave them more hope. Chris Boswell made a field goal on the first drive to make it 21-10, but Buffalo also had a field goal from Tyler Bass on the ensuing drive.
But Rudolph commanded a six-minute drive that took 12 plays to find Calvin Austin's short touchdown pass, bringing the game within seven points.
Pittsburgh had a chance to tie the game with one more stop.
At least that was the hope until Allen forced the Bills downfield. Receiver Khalil Shakir shook off a tackle from Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, made several others miss, and ran into the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown for a two-point lead. -Score game again.
#14 George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches a pass with #23 Micah Hyde of the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
The touchdown ended up being the clincher in the game, as the Steelers couldn't score any more points.
Allen finished the game with 203 passing yards on 21-of-30 completion, three passing touchdowns and a rushing score, and 74 yards on the ground on eight carries.
He spread the ball wide, with Kincaid leading the pack with 59 yards and Stefon Diggs gaining 52 yards on seven receptions (on nine targets). James Cook also had 79 rushing yards on 18 touches for Buffalo.
Buffalo Bills No. 17 Josh Allen celebrates after his 52-yard touchdown run against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on January 15, 2024. (Timothy T. Ludwig/Getty Images)
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Rudolph completed 22 of 39 for 229 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Steelers, and tight end Pat Freiermuth had five catches for a game-high 76 yards. .
In Week 14, the Bills had only a 5% chance of making the playoffs. They are currently one of the most-watched teams in the NFL and will likely play one more home game against a powerhouse team with a chance to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
