1) The Super Wild Card Weekend started with a tense, tight and highly entertaining fight in Buffalo that ended with white knuckles while Bills held on to their first playoff victory and traveled to the Divisional Round since 1995. Josh Allen put a stamp on his All-season professional, javelin after javelin to thwart a stellar Colts defense. Allen’s ability to cast magic, escape pressure and launch from any platform was on display on Saturday as he compiled 324 yards in 26 of 35 attempts with two tank destroyers. Allen’s patience, making easy shots at Colts zones kept the drives alive. The smart launches were complemented with great splash moves when he had the time. Allen made 5 of 6 with a TD in passes in addition to over 20 air yards. QB’s performance was a continuation of what we saw throughout the young star’s season. Allen combines a rocket arm, can easily hit the entire field and pass opponents (leading the Bills on the ground with 54 yards and a TD in 11 totes). His only mistake at the end of the game came with a disaster while Bills tried to milk the clock. Fortunately, Buffalo recovered and held on, or he would have been another heartbreaker for Allen in the playoffs. A big difference this year in relation to the collapse of the wild card last season against Houston was Allen had Stefon Diggs to go in key places. The league’s top receiver hit a Colts defense designed to slow him down. When Allen needed an important move in the second half, Diggs appeared to catch the ball. Diggs ended with six receptions for 128 yards and a TD. The 35-yard score extended Bills’ lead to 14 points at the start of the fourth period and helped Buffalo overcome their six-game losing streak.
two) The end of the first half changed the appearance of the competition. Philip Rivers led the Colts to the door at the end of the second half, taking 10-7. Indy had four plays within the 4-yard line. On the fourth descent, Frank Reich chose to go to the tank destroyer. Rivers failed to connect with a Michael Pittman dive in the corner of the final zone. Instead of a deficit of 17-7 or 13-7, Buffalo had a chance to reverse the script. Allen connected with newcomer WR Gabriel Davis on a pair of side bombs that were pure QB magic. Buffalo drove 91 yards in 10 plays at 1:32 to score the green TD and take the lead he would never lose. Also catching the ball after the break, Bills marched into a field goal. It was a sequence of events that altered the rest of the epic fight.
3) Indy will kick himself for foul in a game in which he moved the ball up and down the field, dominated the clock and had the chance of final possession. Out of the error on the fourth descent near the goal line, Indy also missed a field goal, struggled to get a stop in the second half and spoiled the opportunities in the red zone. As they did throughout the season, the Colts struggled to hit the ball in the final zone when they had their chance. Indy went 2 out of 5 converting the red zone’s chances into TDs. Entering, the Reich club wanted to run the ball, control the clock, move the chains and keep Allen on the sidelines. Indy carried out that plan skillfully for the first three quarters, but the inability to punch in the final zone left the Colts struggling. Between their last charge of the second quarter and the opening of the third, the Colts advanced 115 yards in 22 moves, with the first six downs, devouring 11:55. They have zero points on these units. Rivers played well during much of the fight, helping to move the chains and giving his strokes when available. A few missed passes – including one right behind Pittman in the third quarter – will make the veteran shake his head on Sunday. There were opportunities for the Colts, who simply did not take advantage of them early. When they needed points in the end, Rivers took them to the field for two quick chances in the fourth period. In all nine of their non-kneeling possessions, the Colts entered the Bills’ territory, putting 472 yards in 76 moves, but scoring only 24 points. Again, Rivers and Co. did not go well with the game at stake.