Allen’s fourth-quarter touchdown clinches playoff berth for Buffalo

PITTSBURGH — The Buffalo Bills didn’t have many playoff experiences during a recent two-decade stretch.

Bills coach Sean McDermott and his quarterback Josh Allen are helping to change the culture in Buffalo.

Allen threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kroft with 7:55 to play and the Bills clinched a playoff spot, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-10 on Sunday night.

“(McDermott) preaches playoff caliber and that’s the standard we hold ourselves to,” Allen said. “The goal is to get yourself into the playoffs to have a shot at the Super Bowl.”

The Bills (10-4) have done that.

They secured their second playoff berth in three seasons under McDermott. Buffalo trailed 10-7, but scored on two possessions in the fourth quarter, as Allen rallied the Bills for a comeback win for the fifth time this season. Consecutive interceptions by Jordan Poyer and Levi Wallace on Pittsburgh’s last two possessions sealed the victory.

The surging Steelers (8-6) had an opportunity to leapfrog the Bills for the top AFC wildcard spot, but Buffalo snapped Pittsburgh’s three-game win streak. The Steelers remain the No. 6 seed in the AFC, but they have no room for error.

“We will learn from this and move forward to our next opportunity,” said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, a college teammate with McDermott at William & Mary. “There is scarcity in this business. You only get so many opportunities to state a case for yourself.”

Buffalo won for the fourth time in five games and recorded its first 10-win season since 1999. The Bills also beat the Steelers for the second time ever in Pittsburgh, first since a 21-point win in the 1993 AFC Divisional playoff round.

The Bills, who improved to 6-1 on the road, made their first Sunday night appearance in 12 years when they were dismantled by the Patriots in a 46-point loss.