On a windy day in Buffalo, at a stadium described as “a VIP section” with 6,772 fans in attendance, the Bills made a choice of 101 yards for six to a 17-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens to advance to their first championship game since the 1993 season.
The Bills will face the winner of Sunday’s game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday.
Baltimore was on Buffalo’s 9-yard line at the end of the third quarter when in the third and goal Lamar Jackson threw an interception that Taron Johnson returned for 101 yards and a touchdown – tying the biggest interception return in the history of the NFL playoffs – to make it a Game of 14 points.
“I’m just reading the quarterback’s eyes,” said Johnson of his choice of six. “I’m having trouble with that coverage. He took me to the side. All I did was cheat and he didn’t see me. He threw the ball and I took it and made a move.”
“He will be remembered for a long time here in Buffalo,” said Bills quarterback Josh Allen. “This is one of those moves to change the franchise.”
Jackson was injured on the next trip and left for the locker room under concussion protocol before being declared out. He ended the day with 162 passing yards and 34 running yards, in addition to the interception.
Allen led the Bills with 206 yards and a touchdown on 23 of 37 passes, while Stefon Diggs added 106 receiving yards and a touchdown.
“We are very excited about the chance to go and play this game next week,” said Allen. “It was fun to be a part of. Our team found a way. Our defense intensified. Taron Johnson, the game changed the game.”
While the defense of the Bills kept the Ravens at 190 passing yards and no touchdown, their attack was only 220 yards in total. Depending on the results of Sunday’s Browns-Chiefs game, the Bills would be faced with the regular season’s No. 1 attack in Kansas City (415.8 yards per game) or Cleveland (390 yards per game in the postseason).
Buffalo hasn’t made an appearance in the Super Bowl since the 93 season.