ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen rushed for 2 touchdowns, Buffalo's defense forced three turnovers and the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game with a 27-25 victory over the Baltimore Ravens within the divisional round on Sunday night.
The Bills held on when a wide-open Mark Andrews took a 2-point conversion pass from Lamar Jackson and had the ball bounce off his chest with 1:33 left. Jackson connected with a sliding Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown to offer the Ravens a probability to tie the rating.
“How about the Buffalo Bills defense?” said Allen, the Bills’ potential MVP quarterback. “All year long this team has heard that we have no talent, we're too small, we can't stop the run, we're not good enough to compete. We just put our heads down and worked hard. I'm so proud of our defense. I am so proud of our offensive and special teams. What a complete victory.”
The Bills will play for the AFC title next Sunday against the conference's top seed, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo was eliminated within the divisional round for 3 years.
It's a well-known matchup for Buffalo, which has been beaten by Kansas City in three of the last 4 postseasons.
Allen scored on runs of 1 and 4 yards, while Ray Davis also scored on a 1-yard run. Tyler Bass scored each field goal attempts, including a 21-yarder, with 3:29 left after the Bills stalled at Baltimore's 2. This drive was arrange by the Ravens' final turnover, when linebacker Terrel Bernard Andrews picked off the ball on the Buffalo 44.
The Bills finished their season at home with an ideal 10-0. That included a 30-21 win over the previously undefeated Chiefs in Week 11.
“We know what they are. They are the perennial leader of what you want to be in the NFL,” Allen said. “You have to beat them to get past them. So, you know, we’re going to enjoy this tonight.”
The Ravens had certainly one of the NFL's most efficient offenses through the regular season, but with a win they missed out on the conference title they lost to the Chiefs a yr ago. Jackson's playoff performances will only come under more scrutiny as he fell to 3-5 within the postseason. In that loss, he had two turnovers, threw an interception and lost a fumble in the primary half.
Baltimore fell to 5-8 within the divisional round, including 1-4 within the last five rounds.
“Such ball losses were untypical. “There were opportunities for us not to have that, but we had it,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “You try to recover from them as the game goes on. You can’t take her back.”
Andrews was unavailable after the sport but received loads of support from his teammates.
“A piece doesn’t define anyone. “He’s the all-time leading touchdown receiver in Ravens history,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “He has been a consistent leader of success the entire time he has been here.”
The Bills continued to play complementary football to beat a patchwork defense and an offense that had no receiver reach 900 yards this season. Buffalo finished the regular season with one of the best turnover differential of plus-24 within the league.
That continued Sunday with a turnover-free game by Allen and the Bills that was just adequate on a slippery and snow-covered field.
Buffalo's defense held firm, limiting Derrick Henry to 84 yards rushing and one touchdown on 16 carries. In Week 4, Henry rushed for a season-best 199 yards within the Ravens' 35-10 win, the Bills' most lopsided lack of the season.
In a matchup of MVP candidates, Jackson went 18 of 25 for 254 yards and two touchdowns.
Allen finished 16 of twenty-two for 127 yards, and his 1-yard run with 8:49 left within the second quarter gave the Bills the lead for good, 14-7.
That rating was arrange by Jackson's fumble. Facing second-and-10 on the Buffalo 28, Jackson first needed to secure a high snap. After gaining control, he attempted to scramble forward but lost the ball when safety Damar Hamlin grabbed the quarterback's ankle.
Von Miller recovered the fumble and was eventually chased down at Baltimore's 24. Allen scored 4 plays later amid chants of “MVP!” MVP!”
The Ravens failed on each 2-point conversion attempts, with linebacker Matt Milano blocking Jackson's pass attempt after Henry scored, making it 21-19.
Baltimore took the primary kickoff and ran a touchdown, with Jackson hitting Rashod Bateman from 16 yards out.
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