Buffalo Bills Eviscerate New England Patriots to Move on to Divisional Round
All doubts were erased on Saturday night about the top team in the AFC East and new questions were raised about which team is best-equipped to win the Super Bowl as the Buffalo Bills destroyed the visiting New England Patriots, 47-17, in the first round of the playoffs, winning the rubber match in shocking fashion.
Scoring a touchdown on every possession of the first half and their first three series of the second and intercepting rookie quarterback Mac Jones twice, the Bills rolled into the divisional round, where they would wind up with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals if the Pittsburgh Steelers upset the Kansas City Chiefs. Otherwise, they will travel to Kansas City, where they won 38-20 in Week 5.
The Bills became the first team in the Super Bowl era to score touchdowns on the first five possessions of a playoff game. They extended that unprecedented streak to seven in the fourth, after making the prudent decision to keep their foot on the gas against a franchise with a reputation for making big comebacks in the postseason.
And it came against the NFL's second-ranked scoring defense.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen (21-for-25, 308 yards, five TD passes) and his receivers were on top of their games, and running back Devin Singletary added 81 yards and two TDs on 16 carries.
Before he even walked off the field, the focus already was on what's ahead.
"It doesn't matter what we do today," Allen said. "It's what we do next week and we're going to put our foot forward and be ready for the next one."
In this one, he was on fire, thanks to a full complement of receivers and tight end Dawson Knox, who caught all five targets for 89 yards and two TDs.
The defense was almost as dominant and delivered a huge momentum boost early when Micah Hyde intercepted a pass in the end zone to squelch New England's first series and preserve the Bills' 7-0 lead.
Cornerback Levi Wallace had their other interception off a deflection by teammate Matt Milano. Boogie Basham, Star Lotulelei and Jerry Hughes added one sack apiece for a defense that did not allow a touchdown until late in the third quarter, after the competitive portion of the game was over.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
