Bills earn 1st playoff win in 25 years
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. » The Buffalo Bills earned their first playoff victory in a quarter- century on Saturday when Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes, scored another rushing, and Micah Hyde batted down Philip Rivers’ desperation pass for a 27-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts in a wild-card game.
Buffalo snapped an 0- 6 postseason skid by winning its first playoff game since a 37-22 win over Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. And it came in the Bills’ first home playoff game in 24 years, with a limited number of 6,700 fans in attendance for the first time this season.
Allen finished 26 of 35 for 324 yards, with a 5-yard touchdown to Dawson Knox and a 35-yarder
to Stefon Diggs.
The game wasn’t decided until the final play, when Rivers faced fourthand-11 from Buffalo’s 47. Rivers heaved a deep pass for T.Y. Hilton, who was surrounded by defenders
in the right side of the end zone. Hyde broke through the crowd of bodies, leaping up and batting the ball to the ground.
It just so happens, Hyde was one of three Bills defenders that failed to do the same thing in allowing DeAndre Hopkins’ 43-yard leaping catch in the final seconds of Arizona’s 32-30 win over Buffalo on Nov. 15.
Buffalo (14-3) has won seven in a row since that loss. BUCCANEERS 31, WASHINGTON 23 » Tom Brady threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns to lead Tampa Bay past Washington in their NFC wild-card game for their first playoff victory since 2002.
In his 42nd postseason start and first not in a New England Patriots uniform, Brady had to outduel Washington’s Taylor Heinicke, who had a breakout performance in just his second pro start and first in the playoffs in place of injured starter Alex Smith. Heinicke ran for 46 yards and a touchdown and threw for 306 yards and a score.