Bills' Jordan Poyer Reveals How Early-Season Losses 'Helped' Buffalo

After several must-win games to close out the regular season, the Buffalo Bills advanced to the AFC Divisional Round with a 31-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For much of the second half of the season, the Buffalo Bills found their backs against the wall as they had to fight for a spot in the playoffs. 

The adversity Buffalo had to overcome for its fifth-straight playoff appearance and fourth-consecutive AFC East title paid dividends as it beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in the AFC Wild Card round on Monday at Highmark Stadium. For Bills safety Jordan Poyer, Monday's performance was just a culmination of everything they overcame to reach this point.

Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde / USA Today

"A lot of people counted us out," Poyer said. "Nobody blinked. Nobody panicked. We stuck together. Getting in a rhythm [and] getting wins [and] stacking them on each other helps. Those losses early in the season helped build our adversity. They helped build for these moments right here."

Buffalo was in control for much of the game, leading by as many as 21 points in the second quarter. Pittsburgh staged a rally and cut the deficit to 24-17 with 10:32 left to play, putting Buffalo in the same precarious position it has been in during much of its six-game winning streak with its playoff lives on the line.

And like they did to reach this point, the Bills stepped up and got a game-sealing drive from the offense that culminated in a Josh Allen 17-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Shakir, who spun through the defense en route to the end zone for what was the final dagger in Pittsburgh's upset bid.  

"That was huge because [Pittsburgh was] working their way back," Bills safety Micah Hyde said of Shakir's touchdown. "That was probably the biggest drive of the game just to create that gap and make them one-dimensional when they got the ball back."

The Bills' defense had a forced fumble by cornerback Taron Johnson that was recovered by linebacker Terrel Bernard and an interception from cornerback Kaiir Elam in the first half. Both turnovers led to touchdowns, as Elam's pick came in the end zone and kept Pittsburgh from cutting into Buffalo's 14-point lead early in the second quarter. 

Elam's interception epitomized how players have stepped up for a stellar Bills defense that has dealt with their fair share of injuries. Buffalo, who was already without cornerback Rasul Douglas and safety Taylor Rapp for the game, lost linebacker Terrel Bernard, cornerbacks Christian Benford and Taron Johnson and linebacker Baylon Spector during the game due to injuries. 

Hyde credits the defense's ability to overcome the loss of so many players to the culture instilled since he, Poyer and head coach Sean McDermott first arrived in 2017.

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"Once we got here, we created this foundation," Hyde said. "We created a culture and a way for guys to learn and also to go out there and play fast and play free. It's been a process throughout this whole time but I will say once guys get in here on day one, they can see it. They see the culture. They see how this organization is built."

Buffalo will meet a familiar foe in the AFC Divisional round when it faces the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Highmark Stadium. The Bills began their six-game winning streak with a 20-17 road win over the Chiefs on Dec. 10. 

This will mark the third time in four years they have met in the playoffs, with Kansas City winning the previous two matchups. While Buffalo has yet to get over the hump against Kansas City, Poyer knows his team is ready for the moment.  

"We're finding ways to win, and that's what's important," Poyer said. At the end of the day, a lot of that adversity that we dealt with throughout the season helped us for these moments right here, and we're prepared for them."