The Best Player in Football Powered the Bills to a Road Playoff Win

Josh Allen lifted Buffalo to a rousing win over a tough Jaguars team, setting the tone for a promising postseason run.

Josh Allen led the Bills to a 27–24 playoff win over the Jaguars on Sunday. / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Forget, for a second, that football is a team game. Don’t worry about the quarterbacks who aren’t a part of this season’s NFL playoffs. 

The time is now for the Bills to win the Super Bowl. It’s all set up for them to go all the way, and not because Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are no longer standing in their way. 

It’s the Bills’ time because Josh Allen is officially the best football player on the planet. 

For those who strongly disagree, take a deep breath. Think happy thoughts and about all the exciting playoff games we’ve gotten halfway through wild-card weekend. Football is fun, and Allen is a big reason for that. 

The reigning MVP put aside all the aches and pains he accumulated in the back-and-forth battle against the Jaguars and willed his team to a 27–24 victory Sunday in a game that saw four lead changes in the fourth quarter. A pair of Allen runs—or Allen strolls, because there’s not much defenders can do to stop him in short-yardage situations—gave the Bills the eventual game-winning score before Tre’Davious White tipped an interception into the hands of Cole Bishop to complete the signature victory. Again, forget about those who didn’t advance this far. This was an impressive victory, especially for coach Sean McDermott, who finally got his first postseason road win.  

The Jaguars were one of the new faces that emerged in a season marked by the decline of the Chiefs and Lamar Jackson’s Ravens. Joe Burrow and the Bengals didn’t seize the opportunity to re-enter the Super Bowl picture. Trevor Lawrence did, and he went toe-to-toe with the great one from Buffalo. 

Putting aside Jacksonville’s lack of playoff experience, the Jaguars were a dangerous contender with a quarterback who was finally playing up to his lofty expectations thanks to the stellar coaching from first-year coach Liam Coen.

But forget about the past, and soak in this playoff thriller between Allen and Lawrence, a matchup that will be remembered for a long time. Allen went 28-of-35 for 273 yards with three total touchdowns and 33 rushing yards on 11 carries. Lawrence finished 18-of-30 for 207 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

And, no, I didn’t drink the Kool-Aid from CBS TV analyst Tony Romo, who has a habit of exaggerating nearly everything in front of him. And, no, I didn’t get riled up after Romo’s broadcasting partner, Jim Nantz, told the viewers that this wasn’t a watered-down victory for the Bills because Allen didn’t beat a team quarterbacked by Mahomes, Jackson or Burrow. As a reminder, the Bills did beat the Chiefs, Ravens and Bengals in the regular season. 

Mahomes, Jackson and Burrow missing the postseason action doesn’t take away from Allen’s greatness. It wasn’t his fault that the Bills’ defense couldn’t get a stop in 13 seconds a few years back, nor that he got a bad spot following a controversial fourth-down quarterback sneak in last year’s playoffs.

All that matters now is that Allen is still trucking along, and doing whatever it takes for his team to get that first ring—even on a day when James Cook II wasn’t at his best, rushing for only 46 yards. Allen’s the best because no one can generate the kind of production that he gets from his arm and legs. Go ahead and crown Mahomes as the best passer, and say Jackson is more athletically gifted. But go ask all those Jaguars defenders who appeared helpless when Allen picked up a new set of downs on fourth down, and the game-winning touchdown on the following play.

Allen is the ultimate weapon because he’s capable of turning a Tush Push–like play into an 11-yard touchdown run, which he nearly accomplished with the help of a few teammates on a critical fourth down with a minute left in regulation. 

JOSH ALLEN TUSH PUSHES FOR 10 YARDS

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This is only one of four wins required to bring the first Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo. There’s still a long way to go, and Allen might need to overcome the stout defenses of the Broncos and Texans to reach the ultimate goal. This Super Bowl path could be as daunting as the playoff wall the Chiefs have built over the past half decade. (Don’t forget to take a deep breath for those who disagree.)

And if you’re planning on giving Allen and the Bills an asterisk if they win the Super Bowl without beating the Chiefs in the playoffs, then so be it. Let that be fodder for the TV debate shows. It’s better to win one than to go ringless through an illustrious career. 

Also, there will likely be another Mahomes vs. Allen playoff matchup. Or maybe we’ll never get one again. That’s the beauty of football. It’s all about seizing the moment, or being forced to partake in a Jim Carrey movie based on that one time you didn’t win the big game. (I liked Dan Marino in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.) 

It’s impressive that Allen guided his team to the postseason during a down year for the other elite quarterbacks. It’s all about seizing the moment, and Allen appears ready to go all the way. The time is now for the Bills to win the Super Bowl.

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