2 months ago
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- Josh Allen took a pounding and doled retired punishment - looking each spot similar the reigning MVP.
He carried Buffalo to its archetypal roadworthy playoff triumph successful much than 3 decades, 27-24 implicit Jacksonville successful the AFC's wild-card opener Sunday. Tough and tenacious, Allen did what helium does best.
With linebacker Devin Lloyd bearing down connected him, Allen recovered Brandin Cooks for 36 yards conscionable earlier the two-minute informing and past capped the go-ahead thrust with a 1-yard touchdown tally successful which Jacksonville fto him score.
On the fourth-down play earlier his score, Allen gained 10 yards connected a sneak, refusing to spell down portion being pushed and pulled to the extremity line.
"When your quarterback's that benignant of warrior, that benignant of competitor, it conscionable goes done the full team," Bills manager Sean McDermott said.
Buffalo (13-5) volition play astatine top-seeded Denver connected Saturday, a accidental to physique a roadworthy winning streak aft a decades-long skid.
"Now we person a accidental to bash it again," said Allen, who came up abbreviated connected last drives successful playoff games the past 2 years.
"Feels good. Feels good. At the aforesaid time, it conscionable means we get different game."
Focused connected getting escaped of the shot rapidly and negating Jacksonville's walk rush, Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 2 scores, was sacked conscionable erstwhile and played turnover-free football. Khalil Shakir caught 12 passes for 82 yards for the Bills.
"Such a competitor," Jaguars manager Liam Coen. "He was spitting it retired beauteous good, obviously. ... He decidedly carried them."
It was somewhat indispensable considering NFL rushing person James Cook was mostly bottled up, finishing with 46 yards connected 15 carries.
"We're going to play for each other, we're gonna combat to the precise past second, and you saw that present today," Allen said.
Jacksonville got the shot backmost with a accidental to thrust for the win, but Trevor Lawrence's archetypal walk was tipped and intercepted. Tre'Davious White got a manus connected the ball, and chap information Cole Bishop corralled to extremity immoderate accidental of a comeback.
"It was awesome," Allen said. "A feline that's been nether a batch of scrutiny passim the past mates years. To get him backmost and get him backmost successful a Bills azygous and making plays for america erstwhile we request it the most, that's Tre."
The Bills had been 0-5 connected the roadworthy successful the playoffs nether McDermott, starting with a 10-3 nonaccomplishment astatine Jacksonville successful the 2017 wild-card round. The Bills had dropped 8 consecutive postseason games connected the roadworthy since winning astatine Miami successful the 1992 AFC title game. It had been the NFL's second-longest, progressive roadworthy playoff skid.
"We were alert of what the speech was, but astatine the extremity of the day, the crippled is decided betwixt the achromatic lines, and our guys knew that," McDermott said.
Lawrence completed 18 of 30 passes for 207 yards, with TD throws to Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington and Travis Etienne. Washington finished with 7 catches for 107 yards.
"You've got to unrecorded with it," said Lawrence, who threw 2 interceptions. "It's life. You don't get do-overs. That's a bummer, but I cognize that we near everything retired there. I cognize I enactment everything into this this year, and it sucks that we don't get to support playing due to the fact that it's a peculiar group."
Coen surely volition get questioned for not moving the shot much against 1 of the league's astir porous tally defenses. Etienne and rookie Bhayshul Tuten combined for 118 yards connected conscionable 14 carries.
Allen, meanwhile, showed his toughness. He doubly ended up successful the aesculapian structure successful the archetypal fractional but didn't miss a snap. He got hammered successful the caput doubly during 1 play, with Josh Hines-Allen landing connected the broadside of his helmet close aft teammate Travon Walker tackled him to the ground. His near receptor appeared to beryllium bleeding, but helium got checked retired and returned.
Allen aboriginal slammed his close manus into the helmet of close defender O'Cyrus Torrence aft releasing the ball. And helium completed the wounded trifecta erstwhile his near limb got bent awkwardly connected his 2-yard TD run.
Allen stayed connected the crushed pursuing that past deed from Hines-Allen and gingerly walked to the sideline and backmost into the tent. But, arsenic usual, the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder powered done and was backmost connected the tract making plays.
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