If not now, when? That’s the question many had been asking about quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills as they entered the NFL playoffs.
Buffalo has made seven straight postseason trips but has yet to reach a Super Bowl with eighth-year veteran Allen as its starting QB. The Bills’ 27-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday suggests that may soon change. Here are four takeaways from Buffalo’s win:
Josh Allen may be the best QB standing in the AFC playoffs
With Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) out of the playoffs, that gives Allen and Co. a much easier path to the Super Bowl. Allen, of course, has lost to Mahomes four times in the playoffs and to Burrow once.
Now that Allen has cleared one of his biggest obstacles — winning his first road playoff game — that only increases his chances of leading Buffalo on a deep postseason run. In their next matchup, the Bills will face the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers or Houston Texans. Allen gives his team a clear edge at QB in any of those potential matchups, particularly against the Broncos second-year QB Bo Nix.
Allen’s health will be a concern for the rest of the postseason. Against Jacksonville, He was checked for a head injury and battled hand and leg injuries. However, those didn’t seem to impact him. The QB completed 28-of-35 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown pass. He also rushed for 33 yards and two TDs on 11 carries.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence blew a chance at the biggest win of his career
Lawrence has already won a playoff game (a 31-30 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC wild-card round during the 2022 season). Beating 2024 league MVP Allen, though, would’ve been the biggest win of his career.
For much of the game, it looked like he would pull it off. Lawrence completed 18-of-30 passes for 207 yards and three TD passes and rushed for 31 yards on six carries. However, he threw two interceptions, one of which came on Jacksonville’s final drive.
With 0:54 seconds remaining in the game, Lawrence fired a pass over the middle, but the ball was batted in the air, and safety Cole Bishop grabbed the interception.