After the Buffalo Bills sealed the win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans immediately began purchasing tickets for the next week's massive showdown against the Kanas City Chiefs. But how did we to this point? How did the Bills get the win against the Steelers? What players made it possible and who impressed us the most in the wildcard battle?
There were several players that you could put on this list, but there were a handful that made some huge plays in the game. What made this performance all the more impressive for the Bills was Buffalo's offense moved the ball using several members of the offense. Stefon Diggs was still targeted a team-high nine times, which led to seven receptions and 52 yards. But Allen targeted nine different players with his 30 pass attempts.
They also used James Cook and the running game very well, handing him the ball 18 times and he turned that into 79 yards, for a 4.4 yards per carry average. The defense was solid once again, however, several players on the defensive side went down with injuries, so we'll have to keep an eye on these guys throughout the week, plus the players that didn't play in this game to start, due to injuries.
I've got five guys here that I think were pivotal in the Bills' win against the Steelers and it will be vital some of these guys step up next week against the Kansas City Chiefs as well but until we there, let's get into the five players that impressed me in Buffalo's Wildcard win.
Josh Allen
This is not going to surprise anyone but once again Josh Allen rose to the occasion. Allen has always been great, but he just levels up a few notches in the playoffs. He completed 21 of his 30 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He added another 74 yards on the ground and another touchdown. Allen's four total touchdowns were the most of any quarterback during the wildcard round.
In nine career playoff games, the Allen-led Bills are 5 - 4 now. Allen has over 2,500 yards and 23 total touchdowns. He also has over 490 yards rushing and only four interceptions. Allen has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in NFL history in the playoffs and that trend should continue this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Khalil Shakir
Shakir has one of the most impressive runs after the catch I've seen from a wide receiver. His juke at about the ten was phenomenal and he's quickly becoming a problem for opposing defenses. He was only targeted three times against the Steelers, turning that into three receptions, 31 yards, and a touchdown. I like Shakir in the slot position and defenses are going to have to have a plan against him.
Linebackers cannot line up with him one-on-one and hope for any sort of success. When Shakir gets the ball in his hands, his after-the-catch ability is one of the best on the team and he's going to be a huge weapon for Allen and the Bills offense. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady will have to continue to find ways to get the ball in his hands and let him do his thing in the open field.
Dalton Kincaid
Allen targeted Dalton Kincaid six times, second among all Bills players, behind Diggs. He only had three receptions but one of those went for six on a beautiful 29-yard pass from Allen. It was good to see Buffalo targeting Kincaid a little further down the field and putting pressure on the Steelers' defensive backfield by stretching the seams. More of this going forward will open things up underneath even more for Diggs and Shakir.
The one knock on Kincaid this season has been his blocking but against the Steelers Pro Football Focus graded his run blocking at 66.4, which was better than Knox's grade of 63.7. Equally as great to see, is the Bills have not gone away from targeting Kincaid, despite the return of Knox a few weeks ago. Kincaid, like Shakir, is a huge matchup issue for defenses.
Greg Rousseau
Greg Rousseau has become one of the best run-defenders, not just on the Bills but in the league. He quietly goes about his business, and you rarely hear about it. Against the Steelers, he recorded a sack, four total tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a quarterback hit. According to Pro Football Focus, he earned a run-defense grade of 71.6.
If Rousseau can start adding sacks to his stat line more often, he'll quickly become one of the best defensive linemen on this team. Rousseau's sack of Mason Rudolph was his first career postseason sack. Let's hope he can build on that and get after Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in this weekend's divisional-round battle.
A.J. Klein
Bills Mafia just can't get rid of this guy. Every time we think he's played his last game with the Bills, Coach McDermott brings him back. With the injury to Tyrel Dodson, Klein was called up from the practice squad, and thankfully so, Terrel Bernard was later injured, and he too was out of the lineup. Klein doesn't jump off the page athletically and is a bit of a liability in coverage, but the staff trusts him, and he repaid that trust with an excellent performance.
Klein had a game-high 11 total tackles, including seven solo. Against a Steelers team that prides itself on its run game and toughness, Klein brought it and showed the Bills can play that game just fine. According to PPF, he had the highest tackle grade on the team, earning an impressive 83.0. He was the perfect man for the job against a Steelers team that plays to Klein's strengths.