Thanks to a strong performance from Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31:17 in the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs and thus booked another duel with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Steelers @ Bills: At a glance
- Josh Allen had an outstanding day and set a new quarterback record.
- Numerous injury problems decimated the Bills’ already ailing defense over the course of the game, which enabled the Steelers to get back on track after a very weak start.
- The Bills’ win means they will now face the Chiefs in what will be the all-time classic of recent times.
Steelers @ Bills: The game report
The Steelers were on the verge of making this game really exciting again. But then they got in their own way on defense. First linebacker Myles Jack kept the Bills’ decisive fourth-quarter drive alive with a hold, then with excessive force – a hit on Josh Allen, who had tried to slide – then Minkah Fitzpatrick failed to make a tackle in front of his own end zone against Khalil Shakir. Instead, the speedy receiver escaped and ran into the end zone for the touchdown that sealed the game.
Previously, the home team actually had everything under control. Their first drive ended with a touchdown pass from Allen to Dawson Knox. And after Steelers receiver George Pickens lost a fumble in his own half a few drives later, Buffalo struck again: Allen found Dalton Kincaid for a 29-yard touchdown pass on the very next play.
As a result, the Steelers gradually recovered and made it into the red zone in the second quarter, but then quarterback Mason Rudolph threw an interception to Kaiir Elam in the end zone. In return, Allen took matters into his own hands and ran for a spectacular 52-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.
But it wasn’t over yet because the Steelers blocked a field goal attempt by the Bills before halftime and Rudolph found Diontae Johnson in the end zone. 21:7 at halftime. After the break, the Steelers slowly but surely came back, helped by numerous injuries to the Bills – including linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerbacks Christian Benford and Taron Johnson, who had to leave early. Ten minutes before the end, the guests even reduced the score to seven points thanks to a touchdown from Calvin Austin. But afterwards the Bills slammed the door.
It is therefore clear that the Bills will host the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday.
Pittsburgh Steelers (#7) @ Buffalo Bills (#2)
Result: 17:31 (0:14, 7:7, 3:3, 7:7) BOXSCORE
Steelers @ Bills: Key stats
- Allen’s rushing touchdown was his 16th of the season including the playoffs. That’s the most any quarterback in the NFL has ever scored in one season, including the Plaoyffs.
- Allen’s 52-yard touchdown was also the second-longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback in the playoffs. Only Colin Kaepernick’s 56-yard touchdown run for the Niners against the Packers in January 2013 was longer.
- In terms of numbers, both teams were pretty close at the end. But the Steelers committed two turnovers, while the Bills made no mistakes.
The star of the game: Josh Allen (quarterback, Bills)
In the bitter cold, Josh Allen didn’t let it show and made the plays that were necessary. He made no mistakes, played extremely efficiently and was involved in all four touchdowns. In this form, the Bills can still go a long way.
The flop of the game: Myles Jack (linebacker, Steelers)
Myles Jack is representative of an overall weak defense that didn’t have enough access. Of course he played a prominent role with his two serious penalties in the drive that decided the game. But others had no fewer problems, including Fitzpatrick, who simply had to stop Shakir before his TD. The Steelers’ greatest strength is their defense and it wasn’t up to the task.
The highlight of the game:
Josh Allen once again took his team on his shoulders and ensured a preliminary decision in favor of the Bills with his 52-yard touchdown run before halftime.