Josh Allen scored a touchdown with a minute left, Trevor Lawrence was intercepted by Cole Bishop on the next play, and the Buffalo Bills broke the hearts of the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 27-24 victory in Sunday’s wild-card game.
Trailing 24-20 with 1.10 left in the game, Allen steamrolled to the 10 on a fourth-and-one, setting a 1-yard rushing score of his own and marking a postseason record fourth lead change in the fourth quarter.
Travis Etienne scored the third score on a 14-yard touchdown catch-and-run to put the Jaguars away with four minutes left in the divisional round.
Instead, Allen and the Bills will keep their Super Bowl dreams alive when Bishop picks off Lawrence on a pass to Jakobi Meyers with 59 seconds left in the called game in another round of late-game NFL playoff drama.
The Bills entered the postseason having lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in four of the past five years, including two losses in the AFC Championship Game. But with Kansas City missing the playoffs for the first time since 2024, the door was deemed ajar.
But if they’re going to end their Super Bowl woes, they’ll have to do it the hard way. That’s because Sunday represents what will likely be the first of three wins heading into the NFL’s final game on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium. To date, only five teams have captured the Lombardi Trophy with three wins en route to the Super Bowl.
By Sunday, the Bills were 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under McDermott, having lost eight consecutive playoff games since the 1992 AFC Championship Game.
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Phoebe Scheckter speaks with Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott after victory over Jacksonville Jaguars
Leader in statistics:
invoice
Passing: Josh Allen, 28/35, 273 yards, 1 TD Rushing: James Cook, 15 carries, 46 yards Receiving: Khalil Shakir, 12 catches, 82 yards
jaguars
Passing: Trevor Lawrence, 18/30, 207 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing: Travis Etienne, 10 carries, 67 yards Receiving: Parker Washington, 7 catches, 107 yards, 1 TD
A dramatic fourth-quarter victory between the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams in the NFL playoffs on Saturday followed suit Sunday, leaving the decisive exchange in the final round.
With 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Jaguars taking a 17-13 lead, Lawrence hit a perfect 6-yard touchdown run in the trusty hands of Parker Washington.
The Bills came back with a 15-yard touchdown reception from Dalton Kincaid, and Buffalo dialed up a well-designed fake screen to unleash a tight end on the side of the end zone.
It would add to a nine-play series in which Allen waited to convert on a fourth-and-inch quarterback sneak.
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Josh Allen counters with a throw to Dalton Kincaid for a touchdown at Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars.
One of the drives of the game then occurred when Etienne broke out of the backfield and reeled in a Lawrence pass before shaking off a tackle and huddling into the end zone for a 14-yard score. Jacksonville was given another down on a holding penalty by Christian Benford on third-and-eight, but Etienne himself saved the play by making a third-and-one from a wildcat formation and catching a particularly wayward snap with one hand.
Bills often comes back to life after death, but he wasn’t done yet. Allen ignited a response with a 36-yard completion to Brandin Cooks, turning what appeared to be a quarterback sneak scenario on fourth-and-1 into a 10-yard carry with the offensive line in tow.
The reigning MVP capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run and handed the responsibility to the defense to finish it off.
Look what they did. Lawrence, who was following the game, watched as a pass to Myers grappled with Tre’Davious White, deflected off the receiver and into the waiting hands of Bishop.
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Trevor Lawrence throws to Parker Washington for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ second touchdown against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo held a 10-7 lead going into halftime, and the streak ended at 20 when NFL field goal record holder Cam Little dragged a 54-yard kick and missed the goal as the clock hit zero.
The Bills increased their lead to 13-7 at the start of the second half when Matt Prater kicked a 47-yard field goal after an 11-play drive that lasted about seven minutes.
On the ensuing possession from the Bills’ 25, Lawrence targeted Brenton Strange on third-and-nine, but White saved the day with a pass breakup, connecting Little with a 43-yard kick.
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Trevor Lawrence throws to Blaine Thomas Jr. for the opening touchdown in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
Allen put the Bills ahead in the second quarter with a 2-yard rushing touchdown at the end of a 10-play, 92-yard drive off a turnover on Jacksonville downs.
Lawrence thought he was going for a first down on fourth-and-2 on the Bills nine, but was negated in the shin after Sean McDermott contested the call on the field.
At the start of the second quarter, just after Lawrence scored a 3-yard touchdown to Brian Thomas Jr., the Jags were looking to take advantage of a Ray Davis fumble on a Buffalo kickoff return.
Watch every NFL Playoff and Super Bowl I game live from Levi’s Stadium on Sky Sports NFL.
