Bills Advance to Divisional Round with Victory Over the Steelers
After being postponed a day due to blizzard conditions in Upstate New York, the Bills and Steelers finally kicked it off at Orchard Park, on the final day of Super Wild Card weekend. Despite the delayed start, the Bills and Josh Allen made sure to make up for lost time, as they pulled out a 31-17 AFC Wild Card victory against the Steelers to advance to the Divisional Round. The Bills came into the playoffs riding a hot hand, as they had won their last five regular season games and kept that going Monday afternoon, and in the midst of Allen's big plays and their own mistakes, the Steelers saw their improbable late-season surge come to an end. Pittsburgh had a 4% chance of making the playoffs on December 22, yet they made it to the postseason despite playing without All-Pro pass-rusher T.J. Watt. Let’s take a look at how the Bills were able to come away with the Wild Card victory.
The Bills would come out strong on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter, as Allen connected with tight end Dawson Knox for a nine-yard touchdown reception. Following a fumble by Steelers’ wide receiver George Pickens on their third drive of the game, the Bills would capitalize on the forced turnover to extend their lead to 14-0 on an Allen 29-yard-deep pass to a wide-open Dalton Kincaid. To begin the second quarter, the Steelers would have a chance to cut into the Bills’ lead, as they had possession within the red zone. However, Steelers’ quarterback Mason Rudolph would be intercepted by cornerback Kaiir Elam in the end zone. The Bills would once again score on a Pittsburgh turnover, as Allen would scramble for a 52-yard touchdown run to extend their lead to 21-0. The Steelers would finally get on the scoreboard following a blocked Bills field goal attempt, which set up a 10-yard touchdown pass by Rudolph to wideout Diontae Johnson, to trim the Bills’ lead to 21-7 heading into halftime.
On their first drive of the second half, the Steelers would convert on a 40-yard field goal by Chris Boswell to cut their deficit to 21-10. The Bills would respond on their subsequent drive with a 45-yard field goal of their own by Tyler Bass to extend their lead to 24-10. Early on in the fourth quarter, the Steelers’ offense would make the contest a one-score affair, after a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Austin III, to cut Buffalo’s lead to 24-17 with 10 minutes left. Led by Allen, the Bills’ offense would put the game on ice, following a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who shook off a missed tackler and walked into the end zone to extend their lead to 31-17. The Steelers would turn the football over on downs on their next drive after Rudolph failed to complete a 4th and three pass to Pickens, which sealed the Steelers’ hopes of a late-game comeback.
In the win, Allen would have a marvelous game with multiple game-changing plays, as he finished the game going 21 for 30, with 203 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Bills’ running attack played a major part in their win over the Steelers, as running back James Cook led the way with 79 yards on 18 carries. In his fourth straight game as Steelers’ quarterback, Rudolph would have a decent game in the loss, as he finished going 22 for 39, with 229 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. A deciding factor in the Steelers’ loss to Buffalo, was their inability to get the run game going, as their top two backs (Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris) were both held to under 50 yards. The Bills will now turn the page to the Divisional Round, as they will host the defending Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
