The second-seeded Bills advanced to a conference semifinal, which they’ll host next weekend at Bills Stadium. This was their first playoff win since December 1995.
“It’s obviously new territory for myself,” Allen said. “It just gives us a chance to play next week. So I’m super pumped to advance to keep playing.”
The triumph finally was secured after the Colts reached Buffalo territory, in controversial fashion, in the game’s final minute. Colts quarterback Philip Rivers tried a Hail Mary on fourth and 11 from the Buffalo 47-yard line, but the pass fell incomplete as time expired.
That came after Colts wide receiver Zach Pascal made a sliding catch for a 17-yard gain to the Buffalo 46-yard line on a fourth-and-10 play. Pascal got to his feet, then lost a fumble that was recovered by the Bills. The officials ruled Pascal down by contact, and Rivers and the Colts rushed to the line of scrimmage to run another play. The Bills called a timeout just before the snap, but an instant replay review allowed the call to stand.
“It was kind of 50-50,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said.
Mike Pereira, the NFL’s former vice president of officiating, was more direct. Pereira, now a rules analyst for Fox, wrote on Twitter, “I was watching that play here in the studios and to me that was a fumble and should’ve been a recovery by Buffalo.”
The Colts advanced no further, though, actually losing a yard from there.
“We did enough to win the game,” Allen said in a postgame video news conference. “That’s all that matters.”
The seventh-seeded Colts, who secured a playoff spot last weekend on the final day of the regular season, resembled the better team at times. They hung tough and kept coming back. But they failed to cash in on a few significant opportunities and made some glaring gaffes. The abrupt end of their season left them to contemplate a future that may or may not include the 39-year-old Rivers.
It made for an unceremonious return to Buffalo for Colts Coach Frank Reich. He spent 10 years with the Bills as a player, mostly backing up Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. Reich was on the Bills teams that lost four straight Super Bowls between the 1990 and 1993 seasons. He famously led the Bills back from a 35-3 deficit to beat the Houston Oilers in a playoff game, with Kelly injured, in January 1993.
“It was a tough loss,” Reich said. “I was not anticipating the end of the year winding up today. … I think we played a good game. I think we played a good football team.”
Allen was the difference. He completed 26 of 35 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs had six catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. Allen’s other touchdown pass went to tight end Dawson Knox. Tyler Bass made two field goals, including a 54-yarder with less than nine minutes remaining.
The Bills withstood Rivers’s 309-yard, two-touchdown passing performance. They were hosting their first home playoff game since December 1996, with a crowd of around 6,700 under a plan, approved by state health authorities, by which all attendees had to test negative for the coronavirus.
“That’s more than zero,” Allen said. “So I’m super excited for the fan base here.”
Said Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley, “I don’t know if I’ve been this excited or had this much adrenaline for a game for a while.”
The Colts led 10-7 late in the first half when Reich left his offense on the field for a fourth-and-goal try from the Buffalo 4-yard line. It didn’t turn out well. Rivers threw incomplete into the end zone for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. The Bills promptly moved 96 yards for a touchdown on a five-yard run by Allen 14 seconds before halftime. Colts defensive end Kemoko Turay jumped offside on that drive, with the Bills facing fourth and three from the Indianapolis 26-yard line.
It got worse for the Colts in the third quarter. Rodrigo Blankenship missed a 33-yard field goal when the ball struck the right upright. Allen gave the Bills some breathing room with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Diggs in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. That came on the play after Bills running back Zack Moss appeared to lose a fumble but was ruled down by contact first.
The Colts didn’t surrender. They moved quickly down the field and got a touchdown pass from Rivers to Pascal. But the Colts failed on a two-point conversion after a Buffalo offside penalty on the extra point moved the ball to the 1-yard line. They did add a two-point conversion after Rivers’s final touchdown pass to tight end Jack Doyle, but couldn’t pull out the win.
“A few too many self-inflicted wounds here and there,” Reich said. “But you’re going up against a good football team.”
The Bills were left hungry for more during an AFC playoffs in which they might be the most formidable challenger to the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
“One’s not good enough for us,” Allen said.
Colts get touchdown, two-point conversion to pull to within three
The Colts simply won’t go away. Philip Rivers threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jack Doyle, who was left open by the Buffalo defense. This time, the Colts succeeded on a two-point conversion, via another Rivers-to-Doyle pass. The Colts needed only five plays to move 76 yards for the touchdown, taking less than two minutes off the clock. (Bills 27, Colts 24 with 6:13 left in the 4th quarter)
Bills extend lead with long field goal
The Bills have a two-score lead again on a clutch kick by Tyler Bass. He connected on a 54-yard field goal to extend the advantage to 11 points. (Bills 27, Colts 16 with 8:08 left in the 4th quarter)
Colts get quick touchdown but fail on two-point conversion try
The Colts didn’t surrender after falling behind by 14 points. They moved quickly down the field and got a nine-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to wide receiver Zach Pascal. The Colts failed on a two-point conversion attempt after an offside penalty on the Bills on the extra point moved the spot of the ball to the 1-yard line. Many coaches say analytics support going for two when trailing by eight points. But not much that Colts Coach Frank Reich has dialed up on this day has worked. (Bills 24, Colts 16 with 11:32 left in the 4th quarter)
Allen-to-Diggs touchdown extends Bills’ lead after fumble that wasn’t
The Bills have given themselves a bit of breathing room with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen to wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The touchdown to Diggs, the NFL’s leader in catches and receiving yards during the regular season, came one play after Bills running back Zack Moss appeared to lose a fumble but was ruled down by contact first. Moss was taken from the field on a cart with an apparent leg injury. The Colts used an instant-replay challenge on the down-by-contact ruling but it failed. (Bills 24, Colts 10 with 14:10 left in the 4th quarter)
Colts miss field goal, come up empty on long drive
The Colts got no points out of a 14-play drive that took more than 7:30 off the clock. Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship missed a 33-yard field goal attempt when the ball struck the right upright and didn’t carom through the goal posts. Philip Rivers threw a pass behind wide receiver Michael Pittman on third and seven from the Buffalo 15-yard line, forcing the field goal try. (Bills 17, Colts 10 with 3:32 left in the 3rd quarter)
Bills add to lead with field goal
The Bills extended their lead with a 46-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Bass on the opening possession of the second half. Josh Allen was thrown for a five-yard loss on a third-and-two run from the Indianapolis 23-yard line. (Bills 17, Colts 10 with 11:05 left in the 3rd quarter)
Bills lead Colts, 14-10, to start second half
The second-seeded Bills, seeking their first playoff victory since December 1995, lead the Colts, 14-10, at the start of the third quarter in Orchard Park, N.Y.
The seventh-seeded Colts were the better team for much of the half. But they failed to cash in on some opportunities — including a fourth-and-goal gamble by Coach Frank Reich late in the half — and made some glaring blunders, as when defensive end Kemoko Turay jumped offside on fourth down to hand the Bills a first down soon after.
Quarterback Josh Allen was terrific for the Bills, throwing a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox in the first quarter and running for a five-yard touchdown 14 seconds before halftime. Allen pushed the ball forward with his throwing hand on the touchdown pass to Knox as he was being tackled after initially trying to run toward the goal line. His rushing touchdown capped a 96-yard drive after Reich’s questionable fourth-down decision.
A field goal would have extended the Colts’ lead to 13-7. Instead, Reich left his offense on the field for a fourth-down try from the 4-yard line and quarterback Philip Rivers missed an open receiver, wideout Michael Pittman.
Turay’s offside penalty came with the Bills facing fourth and three from the Indianapolis 26-yard line and perhaps not even intending to snap the ball.
Allen completed 11 of 16 passes for 138 yards in the half. He also ran for 43 yards.
Rivers had 167 passing yards for the Colts on 13-for-19 throwing accuracy. Pittman had four catches for 91 yards. Tailback Jonathan Taylor had a one-yard touchdown run and kicker Rodrigo Blankenship provided a field goal.
Bills take lead on Allen’s touchdown run
The Bills, stunningly, have the lead on a five-yard touchdown run by quarterback Josh Allen. They went 96 yards after the failed fourth-down attempt by the Colts. The Indianapolis defense committed a glaring gaffe when Kemoko Turay jumped offside on fourth and three from the 26-yard line. An end zone interception by cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was negated by an instant-replay review that showed Rodgers trapped the ball against the turf. Allen then ran 16 yards up the middle with a quarterback draw to set up the touchdown. The Bills also benefited from a pair of replay rulings during the drive that allowed catches along the sideline to stand. (Bills 14, Colts 10 with 14 seconds left in the 2nd quarter)
Colts fail on fourth-and-goal pass from Buffalo 4-yard line
Colts Coach Frank Reich left his offense on the field for a fourth-and-goal try from the Buffalo 4-yard line. It didn’t turn out well. Philip Rivers threw incomplete into the end zone for wide receiver Michael Pittman. Rivers had Pittman open but his lob traveled a bit too far and the ball went off Pittman’s hands. Tailback Jonathan Taylor was thrown for a three-yard loss on a third-down carry, a pitchout to the left, from the 1-yard line. Nyhiem Hines was stopped for only a one-yard gain on a second-down carry from the 2-yard line on a direct snap out of a wildcat formation. Earlier on the drive, Pittman went 31 yards with a screen pass. Tight ends Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox made tough catches in heavy traffic as the Colts got a first down at the Buffalo 4-yard line. (Colts 10, Bills 7 with 1:46 left in the 2nd quarter)
Jonathan Taylor’s touchdown puts Colts back into lead
The Colts are back in front on a one-yard touchdown run by tailback Jonathan Taylor. He found a seam in the Buffalo defense and reached the end zone on a second-down carry after backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett was stopped shy of the goal line on a first-down sneak. Philip Rivers reentered the game and handed the ball to Taylor on the second-down play. The Colts converted on third and four during the drive with a six-yard completion from Rivers to Taylor. Rivers found wide receiver Michael Pittman for a 32-yard gain to the Buffalo 11-yard line. (Colts 10, Bills 7 with 8:07 left in the 2nd quarter)
Bills move in front as Josh Allen pushes ball to Dawson Knox for touchdown pass
The Bills answered the Colts’ field goal with a touchdown when Josh Allen threw a three-yard scoring pass to tight end Dawson Knox. Allen took a shotgun snap and began to run with the ball tucked underneath his right arm. He moved to his right and, while being tripped and falling to the turf, slipped a pass to Knox, who was wide open and made a tumbling catch along the sideline in the end zone. The Bills moved 85 yards in eight plays. Allen had a 36-yard completion to wide receiver Stefon Diggs. (Bills 7, Colts 3 with 1:49 left in the 1st quarter)
Colts take early lead with field goal
The Colts have the early lead in Orchard Park, N.Y., but managed only a field goal rather than a touchdown. Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship connected from 30 yards. The Colts, on their second possession, reached the Buffalo 12-yard line. But Philip Rivers’s third-and-seven completion to tailback Jonathan Taylor went for no gain. The Colts have moved into Buffalo territory twice in two drives. They’ve outgained the Bills, 87 total yards to 7, but only have a three-point lead to show for it. (Colts 3, Bills 0 with 5:29 left in the 1st quarter)
Offenses stall, teams exchange punts to open game
Each team punted on its opening possession. The Colts moved into Buffalo territory on the game’s first drive but punted after Philip Rivers threw incomplete for wide receiver T.Y. Hilton along the sideline on third and 11. The Bills, pinned at their own 3-yard line after the punt, went three plays and out on offense. The Colts get the ball back at their own 36-yard line. (Colts 0, Bills 0 with 9:08 left in the 1st quarter)
The fatal flaw that could stop each NFL playoff team, including the Bills or Colts
None of the 14 playoff teams is without a weakness that, if properly exploited, could end its Super Bowl hopes early. Here are the potentially fatal flaws for the Seahawks and Rams; click below to see the rest of the field.
Buffalo Bills: Red-zone defense
The Bills defense is allowing opponents to convert 66 percent of their trips to the red zone this season. A soft spot appears to be the left side of Buffalo’s defensive line. Quinton Jefferson, who lines up on the left side as a defensive end and defensive tackle, is ranked as the 50th best interior lineman of 2020 per the game charters at Pro Football Focus out of 71 qualified players at the position. Teams have scored eight red-zone rushing touchdowns to that side on 27 carries against Buffalo this season. The Bills have allowed just four red-zone rushing touchdowns on 25 carries to the other side.
Indianapolis Colts: Lack of impact wide receivers
Philip Rivers couldn’t make much happen with his wide receivers this year and that could be a problem. His top target, T.Y. Hilton, caught 56 of 91 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns. His throws to Zach Pascal yielded a similar performance (629 yards and five touchdowns). Both receivers had difficulty getting separation from their defender. Pascal averaged 2.9 yards of separation at the time of catch or incompletion and Hilton averaged 2.5 yards. Those numbers ranked 59th and 78th, respectively, out of 98 qualified wide receivers per the NFL’s Next Gen stats. Overall, that led to Rivers’s throws to his wide receivers producing a below-average 91.4 passer rating.
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