Buffalo Bills end playoff curse
The Buffalo Bills entered the 2020 campaign with the belief that they could not only win the AFC East, but win a playoff game for the first time in 25 years. The last time the Bills won a game in the postseason was when they had eliminated division rivals the Miami Dolphins in the 1995 Wild Card round. 1995 was also the last time the Bills has won a division title.
While they ended their AFC East title drought with an impressive 13-3 record during the regular season, it would mean nothing if the Bills couldn’t get the job done when it really mattered – in the playoffs. On Saturday, the Bills exorcised their postseason demons with a huge win at home against the Indianapolis Colts. They knocked off the Colts 27-24 at Bills Stadium in front of a limited crowd of just over 6,500 fans.
“It’s been a long time since Bills mafia has been able to celebrate like this,” Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen said postgame on CBS, via ESPN. “But again, it’s one game. I am just happy for a chance to be able to play next week.”
Allen was impressive on Saturday afternoon in just his second-ever NFL playoff appearance, throwing for 324 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown.
“I think the turning point of the game was that 4th-and-goal stop by our defense and then our offense driving down right before the half, getting a chance to double dip,” Allen said.
It was a big step for the Bills’ organization who were desperate to finally get past the Wild Card round after some close calls over the years – including the infamous Music City Miracle against the Tennessee Titans that saw Buffalo lose the game in the dying seconds. But Buffalo have proven themselves to be one of the league’s elite sides this season and will not be satisfied with their victory over the Colts.
“One’s not good enough for us,” Allen said. “We’ve got to find a way to put our best foot forward this week and get another one.”
The Bills get set to host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens next weekend in a crucial AFC divisional round showdown. Baltimore picked up a big win on the road in the Wild Card round against the Tennessee Titans to book their trip to Buffalo. The Ravens have now won six straight games and will not be intimidated to play on the road at Bills Stadium. They have travelled well throughout the 2020 campaign, going 6-2 away from home during the regular season.
The Bills also like their chances though and have already begun to sell the limited tickets they are allowed to distribute. The game is scheduled to kick off on Saturday evening at 8:15 pm ET.
The Indianapolis Colts will now be looking ahead to next season as they hope to build on what had been a fairly successful 2020 campaign. The team finished with a respectable record of 11-5 and narrowly missed out on claiming the AFC South.
