Buffalo ends infamous streak by clinching playoffs

It took four months and a dramatic turn of events on one of the final plays of the NFL’s regular season for coach Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills to finally — and succinctly — put to rest any suggestion the team had any intention of tanking last summer.

“I’ll let you guys handle that,” McDermott said, referring to reporters on Monday. “We’re moving on after today to the first round of the playoffs.”

And that’s all that matters to the first-year coach, who took the high road rather than an “I told you so” approach about 18 hours after the Bills clinched the AFC’s sixth and final playoff berth and ended a 17-year postseason drought — the longest in North America’s four major professional sports.

Rather than packing up, as 17 of Buffalo’s preceding teams did on the day after the regular-season finale, these Bills returned home to a jubilant reception.

They were greeted at Buffalo Niagara International Airport by about 400 chanting fans, who braved 2-degree temperatures after Buffalo beat Miami, 22-16, and clinched its playoff berth once Baltimore gave up a last-minute touchdown in a 31-27 loss to Cincinnati.

McDermott is even considering sending the Bengals a gift — chicken wings, perhaps — as a thank you for Andy Dalton hitting Tyler Boyd for a 49-yard touchdown pass on fourthand-12 with 44 seconds left.

Browns

Hue Jackson apologized. There was nothing else to do after making unwelcome history. One day after his season ended without a win, Cleveland’s coach was grateful to still have his job and Jackson took steps to sooth an angry fan base and players who may have doubts about him. “This is going to be next to my name for the rest of my life,” he said Monday.

Colts

One day after firing coach Chuck Pagano, owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard laid out their plan for a successor and Irsay wasted no time making his strongest selling point — quarterback Andrew Luck’s return in 2018. “I am telling you that I have no doubt in my mind that Andrew is going to come back. I’m telling you that kid is a special kid. Special,” Irsay said raising his voice for emphasis.