Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills open playoffs with historic performance

The Buffalo Bills looked pretty good the last time they faced the New England Patriots on December 26th as they controlled the game, and the offense didn’t need to attempt to punt all game.

In the grudge match in the Wild Card round, the Bills matched that performance and then some in one of the most dominant playoff performances in NFL history. The offense somehow managed to improve on a performance where they did not punt by scoring a touchdown on every single drive.

With the varying styles between the team, we all knew that whoever landed the first punch would be significant. If the Patriots took the lead early, they could control the clock with their rushing attack, whereas if the Bills got the lead, they would force rookie Mac Jones to throw the football against the number one pass defense in the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills got the ball first and executed a beautiful drive, going 70 yards in nine plays and taking a 7-0 lead. The drive was punctuated when Allen extended a play for over nine seconds before finding Dawson Knox in the back of the end zone for a toe-tap touchdown over Kyle Dugger.

The Patriots had a promising counterattack going on their first drive until Micah Hyde made a Ken Griffey Jr. -esque play as he looked like a center fielder traveling across the field to turn what could’ve been a 35 yard Nelson Agholor touchdown into an interception. The Bills got the ball back marched right back down the field on a ten-play 80-yard touchdown drive to take a 14-0 lead, and the route was on.

The Bills averaged a staggering 9.8 yards per play and only faced seven third downs all game, where they were nearly perfect converting six of them. The Bills did not run a single play for negative yards the entire game (aside from a few kneel downs by Mitchell Trubisky), and the Patriots finished with 0 total tackles for loss and 0 sacks.

The Bills became the first team in NFL history to go an entire game without punting, kicking a field goal, or turning the ball over. It was one of the best offensive performances in NFL history, to do it in the playoffs and against a noted “defensive genius” in Bill Belichick makes it even sweeter. You can not have a more dominant offensive effort than the one the Bills just put on against their rival.

Josh Allen played nearly perfect for the Buffalo Bills against the Patriots

Josh Allen played one of the best games he has ever played, and that’s saying something given his track record. He finished his day with five passing touchdowns and just four incompletions and led his offense to seven touchdowns on seven drives. Allen sprinkled passes to 9 different receivers and fired accurate passes past every level of the Patriots defense. Allen also ran all over the Patriots’ defense, extending plays and at times making Patriots defenders look downright silly.

After three straight seasons of a committee approach at running back, the Buffalo Bills finally committed to Devin Singletary as their lead back during the season’s stretch run, and he has paid dividends. Singletary gained first downs on some critical short-yardage situations and finished his day with an impressive 81 yards and two touchdowns against a good Patriots defense.

After being much maligned for most of the season, the Buffalo Bills have finally found the right combination with their offensive line. The hogs up front gave Allen plenty of time all day and opened holes in the running game, this is perhaps the most important position group going forward, and their recent play has inspired tons of confidence.

The Bills’ defense continued to show why they are one of the best in the league, and despite Mac Jones making some nice throws, they held him to just 6 yards per attempt and turned the ball over twice. The front four did a great job taking away the run game, and the rest was history. Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for 17 carries and just 57 yards.

The Bills sent a loud and clear message to the rest of the NFL with their play; they have arrived and are playing their best football of the season. These Buffalo Bills can win the Super Bowl if they continue to play like this.