Bills open playoffs with methodical victory over Steelers

ORCHARD PARK, NY — Extreme winter weather could only delay the Buffalo Bills' celebration.

Starting more than 27 hours later than originally scheduled at Highmark Stadium, the Bills made up for lost time by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in an AFC wild card matchup that extended Buffalo's winning streak to six games.

Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw touchdown passes in the first quarter to tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. Allen added a career-high 52-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give the Bills a 21-0 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.

The Steelers, meanwhile, saw their improbable late-season push end amid Allen's big plays and their own turnovers. Pittsburgh, playing without All-Pro pass rusher TJ Watt, made the postseason despite having a 4% chance of making the playoffs on December 22.

Here's a look at the top storylines for both teams in Monday's matchup:

buffalo bills

Dealing with a variety of defensive injuries as the Steelers brought the game within a score early in the fourth quarter, the ball was in quarterback Josh Allen's hands to put together a drive and take the lead.

The Bills charged downfield and, on second-and-9 from the Steelers' 16-yard line, Allen found wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who somehow managed to get out of an attempted tackle by safety Minkah Fitzpatrick downfield and ran past another Steelers . defenders into the end zone with 6:27 left.

The score marked a 31-17 victory for the Bills in which the team took advantage of the Steelers' mistakes and found cohesion on offense, with Allen completing 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 74 yards and a score on eight carries.

It was Allen's fourth career playoff game with three touchdown passes, surpassing Jim Kelly for the most in Bills postseason history. It was just the second time since Week 4 that Allen didn't fumble.

Next up for the Bills will be a Kansas City Chiefs team led by Patrick Mahomes in his first career road playoff game.

Describe the game in two words: Step one. Winning in the wild card round is a step in the right direction for a team with the biggest goals, and while it wasn't a perfect performance (the theme of the Bills' season), a strong start led to Buffalo moving forward. to the next round.

QB Breakdown: Allen put together an impressive overall effort, but his record-breaking 52-yard touchdown run deserves its own recognition. On a third-and-8 play, Allen darted through defenders to score the Bills' third touchdown of the day despite safety Damontae Kazee making contact to try to tackle him. The run was the second-longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback in postseason history and the longest rushing touchdown in Bills postseason history.

Fundamental game: Kaiir Elam interception in the second quarter. The Steelers were poised to score on Pittsburgh's fifth drive of the game. Backup cornerback Elam came on during the drive for Christian Benford (knee) and was hit on a 12-yard pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth and then was called for defensive pass interference two plays later. Two plays after that, Elam redeemed himself and intercepted a Mason Rudolph pass in the end zone to keep the Bills up by two scores and the Steelers scoreless.

Worrying trend: Defensive injuries. With the return of defensive tackle DaQuan Jones late in the season, the Bills D's health appeared to be improving. Then starting cornerback Rasul Douglas, outside linebacker Tyrel Dodson and safety Taylor Rapp were injured in Week 18 and missed the start of the playoffs. And in Monday's game, starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) was pulled and linebacker Baylon Spector (back) and cornerback Christian Benford (knee) went out. Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson also left to be evaluated for a head injury. With a short week, the number of defensive injuries could take their toll. –Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: vs. Chiefs (6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Pittsburgh Steelers

Competing without NFL Defensive Player of the Year contender TJ Watt, the Steelers recovered from an 0-21 hole but fell short, ending their season in the wild card round. The Steelers are now winless in their last four playoff appearances, last winning against the Chiefs in the 2016 divisional round.

The Steelers, who played a day later than originally scheduled due to a winter storm in the area, fell behind 14-0 after one quarter as their mistakes were compounded by the Bills' dazzling play. However, in a microcosm of their season, the Steelers did not give up and fought back to make it a one-score game early in the fourth quarter, before Josh Allen and the Bills offense carved up Pittsburgh's depleted defense. .

With the loss, the Steelers reached a crossroads and an offseason filled with options that could alter the course of the franchise. Will they commit to Kenny Pickett as their starting quarterback in 2024? Will coach Mike Tomlin, currently under contract through the 2024 season, return? The time for those decisions begins now.

Fundamental game: Trailing 14-0, the Steelers had their best chance to score from the 4-yard line early in the second quarter. Instead, they were held to zero points after Kaiir Elam intercepted Mason Rudolph as Elam dove in front of Diontae Johnson in the end zone to catch the ball. On the next drive, the Bills took a 21-0 lead on Josh Allen's 52-yard touchdown run. That the Steelers were even a step away from the end zone was a feat after gaining just 34 yards on their first four drives. Their fifth drive was 88 yards before Rudolph's errant throw in the end zone.

QB Breakdown: In his fourth consecutive start, and the first of his career in the postseason, Rudolph performed better than his statistics suggest. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, but the most impressive thing about Rudolph was the poise he showed in high-pressure moments.

On multiple occasions, Rudolph stood tall in the face of pressure, throwing punches from the pocket as the Bills' pressure closed in. In the third quarter, Rudolph climbed into the pocket, dancing away from the pressure, and threw across his body to hit George. Pickens up the middle for a 19-yard gain on third and long. The signal-caller capped that drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III to make it a one-score game early in the fourth quarter.

Rudolph's confident and consistent play puts the Steelers in an awkward position. A new offensive coordinator tops the Steelers' offseason priority list, but has Rudolph done enough to challenge Pickett for the starting job? Does Rudolph, who is not under contract through 2024, want to return to Pittsburgh or go somewhere else where he has a better chance of landing a starting job?

Silver lining: Rookie outside linebacker Nick Herbig has the makings of being the Steelers' next defensive star. With Watt out, Herbig had a larger role than usual on defense. But his most impressive play came on special teams, when he ran down the field to recover the ball after a blocked field goal by Montravius ​​Adams. Thanks to Herbig's one-on-one effort, the Steelers got their first points of the day on a short drive, capped by a 10-yard touchdown run from Rudolph to Johnson just before halftime. –Brooke Pryor