SI

Bills Hang On to Beat Colts, Win First Playoff Game in 25 Years

The Bills ended their 25-year winless playoff skid by beating the Colts in Saturday's AFC wild-card game.

Jenna West

After 25 years, the Bills' winless playoff skid is finally over.

A quarter-century of heartache and pain ended with Buffalo's 27–24 win over the Colts in Saturday's AFC wild-card game in front of a small crowd at Bills Stadium.

Quarterback Josh Allen impressed while going 26 for 35 with 324 yards and two touchdowns. 

Down 3–0 late in the first quarter, Allen attempted a run on second-and-goal but was met by Colts defenders. Instead, he connected with Dawson Knox on a wild touchdown pass while falling down.

Allen later kept the Bills' lead in the fourth quarter with a 35-yard pass to Stefon Diggs, marking the first time the signal-caller completed three passes of 30-plus air yards in a single game.

The Colts added a touchdown halfway through the fourth, narrowing the score and causing many to wonder if Buffalo would blow another playoff lead. With less than two minutes to go, Philip Rivers connected with Zach Pascal, who was not touched and appeared to get up. Pascal then fumbled and the Bills appeared to recover, but officials said it was Colts ball. Bills coach Sean McDermott called a timeout and wanted a review of the play, but officials ruled that Pascal was down and Indianapolis kept the ball.

With the win, Saturday marked the Bills' first playoff game at home since Dec. 28, 1996, when they lost a wild-card game to the Jaguars. The year before Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly led the club to an 11–6 wild-card victory over the Dolphins, but they have gone 0–5 in the postseason since. Last year, Buffalo blew a 16-point second-half lead to the Texans in the wild-card round.

The Bills ended the 2020 regular season at 13–3 and first in the AFC East. Next week, they will face the winner of Sunday's Browns vs. Steelers game in the divisional round.

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Jenna West
JENNA WEST

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