Allen knows what this win means
Orchard Park, N.Y. - Sixty-seven hundred Buffalo Bills fans watched their team for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon inside Bills Stadium, and witnessed the franchise’s first playoff win of the century.
Josh Allen has spent the last three seasons getting to know Bills Mafia like no quarterback has since Jim Kelly. He knew, looking up at the faces in the seats as he made his way off the field following the first playoff win of his career, what it meant to every Buffalonian screaming his name.
He’s made it a point to embrace the city that his returned that love a million times over.
But Allen explained in the moments following the Bills’ 2724 win over the Indianapolis Colts that not everybody in the room fully knew what their team had just done for their city.
“It was crazy. For the fans to be allowed and experience that with this team - it would have been a shame if we couldn’t do it. I know it was only 6,700,” Allen joked. “But it’s more than zero. I’m super excited for the fan base here. I don’t think the guys really understand the meaning and impact of winning a playoff game for this franchise”
The Colts didn’t make it easy on the Bills. They showed up for all four quarters and had the ball late with a chance to tie or win in the final moments. Allen took a massive sack on the Bills’ final offensive drive and fumbled it, conjuring up the bad memories of last season’s playoff loss against the Houston Texans when he took a similar sack. Luckily for the Bills right tackle Daryl Williams was able to pounce on the loose ball, and the Bills defense was able to knock down Philip Rivers’ last-ditch “Hail Mary” attempt in the final moments to secure the win.
Allen and the Bills offense wasn’t nearly as sharp as they’ve been the past month of the season. He threw for 324 yards, two touchdowns, ran for 54 yards and one touchdown on the ground. But Buffalo struggled to convert on third down and allowed Indianapolis to hang around in the game.
Despite the struggles - including the Bills defense allowing nearly 500 yards of total offense to Rivers and the Colts - the Bills proved something in their first home playoff game in 24 years: they can win a close game against a good opponent.
Allen said his teammates in the locker room aren’t in tune with how big of a win this was for the city of Buffalo and all of Bills Mafia because to them, they’re just getting started.
“We want to win more,” Allen said. “One’s not good enough for us and we have to find a way to put our best foot forward this week and try and execute next week no matter who we play.”
The Bills relied heavily on their two best receivers in the game: Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley. The two combined for 13 receptions for 185 yards and Diggs caught an absolute dime from Allen at the start of the fourth quarter to put the Bills ahead by two scores.
Beasley was a game time decision because he’s been battling a knee injury that he suffered in Week 16 against the Patriots. Allen made sure to specifically give him a shout out for toughing it out and making a few game-changing plays, that Diggs said probably float under the radar.
One perfect example came on a catch in the first half that didn’t go
for many yards. But Beasley caught it well short of the sticks on a 3rd down and knew it. He stopped immediately, planted his foot, and ejected himself upfield to be able to gain a few yards to give the Bills a first down.
Plays like that get noticed by Beasley’s teammates, even if they tend to fall underneath the radar.
“Cole’s one of those guys that step up at any given time. He’s been making plays all season and he’s been a guy that’s been vocal with us as far as being an older guy,” Diggs said. “Even if he was battling injuries, we’re all battling injuries, it’s the end of the season. . He made a lot of plays that people, you know, might be brushed over or looked over. But
I don’t miss it. He plays a huge part on this team.”
Allen has 11 carries in the game as offensive coordinator Brian Daboll elected to utilize him more as a runner than he has the past two months. The 24-year-old QB hasn’t had double digit carries since Week 8, but he said the Bills always know it’s a viable options depending on how teams choose to play against him.
“It’s playoffs, man. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win football games,” Allen said. “If ‘Dabes’ dials it up, I got to do my job. They put an extra guy in the box and gave us numbers. ... We made some good plays today and that’s what I’m happy about.”