Bills Edge Jaguars

For the sixth season in a row, quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills advanced to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Their latest march into Round II comes after they rallied Sunday to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 at EverBank Stadium. It was a career-first road victory in the playoffs for Allen.

Allen, the league’s reigning MVP, led the Bills on a last-minute drive that he capped with the game-winning 1-yard touchdown plunge on a tush push. The score followed an incredible 10-yard tush push on fourth-and-1 from the Jaguars’ 11-yard line. Allen finished the game with a pair of scores on the ground, while going 28-of-35 through the air for 273 yards and another score.

Following Allen’s go-ahead TD, Jacksonville, down three points, had a little less than a minute to score, but Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s first pass was deflected into the air and intercepted by Bills safety Cole Bishop, which effectively ended the game. It was Lawrence’s second interception of the game. He finished 18-of-30 passing for 207 yards, with three touchdowns and two INTs.

Waiting for the Bills in the divisional round is the top-seeded Denver Broncos, who earned a first-round bye.

The fourth quarter was a wild one, with each team trading blows. The Bills entered the final period leading 13-10, but the Jaguars regained the lead early with Lawrence hitting wide receiver Parker Washington for a 6-yard score to put Jacksonville up 17-13. Washington was spectacular again for Jacksonville on Sunday, finishing with a team-high seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. It was the fourth 100-yard game of Washington’s career and the third in his last four games.

Allen and the Bills quickly responded, however, as the QB led a 65-yard drive that he finished off with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid to take a 20-17 lead. Jacksonville answered with a long drive of its own, marching 63 yards before Lawrence connected with running back Travis Etienne for a 14-yard touchdown with 4:03 left to take a 24-20 lead.

However, the Jaguars’ defense was unable to hold up, as Allen punched in the game-winning touchdown to end the Jaguars’ season. While the loss surely stings for Jacksonville, it does not undo a fabulous season under first-year coach Liam Coen. The Jaguars went 13-4 and won the AFC South title for the first time in three years.