ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Payments’ unfold the wealth method on offense that was so productive within the common season, proved unstoppable of their playoff opener.
Whether or not it was Allen finishing a 24-yard landing cross to sliding working again Ty Johnson on fourth down, or James Prepare dinner racking up 120 yards dashing, together with a 5-yard landing run, the Payments leaned on a balanced assault in a 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in a wild-card playoff recreation on Sunday.
“I don’t think there was one certain thing over another. We just wanted to come out and execute well,” Allen mentioned. “At the end of the day, we just wanted to come out and play our best football, and I feel like we did that today.”
With Allen finishing 20 of 26 makes an attempt for 272 yards passing and two touchdowns, and the working recreation combining for 210 yards, Buffalo methodically wore down the Broncos by scoring on six of its first seven drives in a recreation the place the Payments completed with a 23-minute edge in time of possession.
Allen accomplished passes to eight gamers, together with getting receiver Curtis Samuel concerned by primarily sealing the win with a 55-yard landing catch on the opening snap of the fourth quarter.
“I’ll speak on behalf of Curtis. He probably didn’t have the season that he wanted to have,” Allen mentioned of the eighth-year participant who was restricted to 31 catches for 253 yards and a landing. “But he just continued to work hard, and that’s kind of the mentality we’ve had all year is everybody eats. And today was his day.”
The five-time defending AFC East champion Payments, who grew to become the NFL’s first workforce to attain 30 touchdowns dashing and passing in a season, superior to the divisional spherical for a fifth straight postseason, and can face the third-seeded Baltimore Ravens subsequent weekend.
The Ravens, coming off a 28-14 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday, routed Buffalo 35-10 at Baltimore in Week 4 this season. The outing will mark the second playoff assembly between Allen and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson after Buffalo defeated the Ravens 17-3 within the 2020 divisional spherical.
“This is what everyone’s been waiting for, right?” coach Sean McDermott mentioned. “So it’ll be a nice week and everyone will be looking forward to it, and they’re a great football team. I mean they handled us pretty good the first go around and they’re certainly playing well.”
The seventh-seeded Broncos had been outclassed of their first playoff look since their Tremendous Bowl-winning season in 2015.
Denver’s offense primarily stalled after rookie Bo Nix capped a five-play opening drive with a 43-yard landing cross to former faculty teammate Troy Franklin. Nix completed 13 of twenty-two for 144 yards in an outing the place Denver punted 4 instances and turned the ball over on downs twice.
The sport served as a lesson in how a lot additional the first-round decide and the Broncos nonetheless should go after a promising season during which Nix threw 29 landing passes — two in need of the NFL rookie report.
“I’m really proud of these guys. We’ve overcome a lot and not really been counted in many games,” Nix mentioned. “But to make the playoffs was a special moment for this group. It’s something we can build off of. … Our goals are changing.”
Meantime, the Broncos attacking protection was saved at bay by an Allen-led assault that was greater than content material in gaining small chunks of yards on prolonged time-consuming drives. The Broncos, who had an NFL-leading 63 sacks this seasons, sacked Allen simply twice in an recreation the place the Payments punted as soon as.
“Who got punched in the mouth?” Payments edge rusher Greg Rousseau requested, dismissively, relating to the Broncos scoring 2:24 into the sport.
“It really was just a message to ourselves,” Rousseau mentioned. “We know who we are week after week, and what we’re capable of and what we’re supposed to do out there. That’s what it’s all about.”
Although the Payments didn’t pressure a takeaway, they made impactful performs in limiting the Broncos to transform simply two of 9 third down alternatives.
After which there was Cam Lewis’ diving deal with in shoving working again Jaleel McLaughlin out of bounds for no achieve on fourth-and-2 on the Buffalo 14 early within the fourth quarter.
With Buffalo main 13-7, Allen broke the sport open together with his landing cross to Johnson with 3:06 left within the third quarter. The rating held up following a replay evaluate, which confirmed Johnson’s foot touching out of bounds however after he secured the ball.
“You tell me it’s complete, I’m going to sign up for it every week,” McDermott mentioned in putting his religion in Allen to transform on fourth down. “You guys know that. I trust him and I believe in him.”
Allen’s landing to Samuel got here on Buffalo’s subsequent possession.
Prepare dinner grew to become Buffalo’s first participant to high 100 yards dashing in a playoff recreation since Corridor of Famer Thurman Thomas had 158 yards dashing in a 1995 wild-card playoff win over Miami. Allen elevated his playoff complete to 23 passing touchdowns, breaking the franchise report of 21 held by Corridor of Famer Jim Kelly.