Buffalo Bills Will Go as Far as Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs Can Carry Them

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Entering Saturday’s AFC Wild Card Round matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Buffalo Bills had gone a quarter-century without winning a postseason game. As such, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that this contest was a nail-biter that came down to the final seconds.

The Bills got that elusive victory, outlasting the Colts 27-24 to move on to the divisional round. But as the game progressed, a few things became evident at Bills Stadium.

The first is that Josh Allen is an outstanding young quarterback who is about to make approximately all the money ever.

The second is that trading for wide receiver Stefon Diggs last offseason was an absolute masterstroke by Bills general manager Brandon Beane.

And the third is that these Bills are going to go exactly as far in the postseason as the team’s quarterback and No. 1 wideout carry them.

Before the game had even kicked off, the day had already started out well for Allen, who obliterated his career highs across the board statistically this year on the way to a 13-3 record and AFC East title. Per Adam Maya of NFL.com, colleague Ian Rapoport reported earlier in the day that the Bills are expected to approach Allen in the offseason with a “massive” extension offer that could potentially make him the highest-paid quarterback in the league.

It’s good work if you can get it—and based off what he did Saturday, Allen is worth every penny.

The third-year pro out of Wyoming probably isn’t going to be named the league’s most valuable player at the NFL Honors ceremony the day before Super Bowl LV (looking at you, Mr. Rodgers). But based on what we saw Saturday in western New York, it’s hard to argue there is a player more valuable to his team.

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Simply put, Allen was Buffalo’s offense against the Colts. Taking on an Indianapolis defense that ended the regular season ranked eighth in the NFL, Allen accounted for 355 of the team’s 397 total yards Saturday with either his right arm or scrambling ability.

With running back Zack Moss on the sideline much of the game after being carted off with an ankle injury, it was Allen who led the team in rushing with 54 yards on 11 carries. He also scored Buffalo’s only rushing touchdown on a five-yard scramble to cap a 96-yard drive just before intermission.

But it was passing the ball where Allen really shined, just as he has all season long. He completed 26 of 35 throws (74.3 percent) for 324 yards and two scores, and his passer rating for the game was a beefy 121.6.

Buffalo’s first touchdown of the afternoon was a perfect example of both Allen’s abilities and improvements in 2021. When a designed quarterback run was cut off, he didn’t just bull into defenders or make a poor decision with the ball. Instead, he calmly flipped it to a wide-open Dawson Knox for six points.

Good luck defending that.

It wasn’t a flawless performance—Allen nearly committed a disastrous turnover on a late sack. But those poor decisions have been more exception than rule in 2020. The progress that he has shown relative to last year’s postseason loss in Houston is truly remarkable.

It’s that progress that got the Bills into the next round and will get Allen a massive payday in the offseason. When he cashes that signing bonus check, Allen may want to consider buying Diggs a nice fruit basket. Or maybe a boat.

Because Allen wouldn’t have had the season he did had Diggs not joined the team in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.

In the regular season, Diggs caught a jaw-dropping 127 passes for 1,535 yards and eight touchdowns. The first two numbers led the NFL and were Bills franchise records. He didn’t slow down even a little in the playoff win over Indy, either: six catches for 128 yards (21.3 yards per grab) and a score.

That 35-yard touchdown is a nice microcosm of what Diggs has meant for both Allen’s development as a quarterback and the Bills offense as a whole.

Yeah. Good luck defending that, too.

While speaking to CBS Sports after the game, Allen was all about looking forward.

“It’s been a long time since Bills Mafia has been able to celebrate like this,” Allen said. “But again, it’s one game, you know? I’m just happy for a chance to play next week. We gotta find ways to go get it done next week.”

The problem with looking ahead, though, is that it’s when the smiles start to fade. Because if Saturday’s game was any indication, the path to Tampa for the Bills is clear.

Allen and Diggs are going to have to stand on their heads two more times.

The Bills weren’t an especially good running team in 2020—20th in the NFL, at 107.7 yards per game. Allen was third on the team in that regard with 421 yards in the regular season, and with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reporting that Moss could miss the remainder of the postseason, the Buffalo ground game is down to Devin Singletary and Allen.

Buffalo’s 14th-ranked defense wasn’t especially helpful against the Colts, either. The Bills were gashed for 472 total yards, and Indy converted nine of 17 third-down attempts and possessed the ball for over 34 minutes. Buffalo didn’t force a takeaway or record a sack.

If Buffalo got carved up at home like that by Philip Rivers and the Colts, what’s going to happen against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City?

Adrian Kraus/Associated Press

Of course, that’s a problem for another day. There will be at least one more game in Buffalo, whether it’s against the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bills have already faced two of those teams, getting blown out at Tennessee in Week 5 and downing the Steelers in Buffalo in December.

Whether it’s a rematch with the Titans or Steelers or a meeting with the Ravens really doesn’t matter. Getting past that game and into the AFC Championship is going to take the same thing that will be needed to avenge a Week 6 loss to the Chiefs.

The Bills are going to have to do what the Bills do best.

And right now, that means climbing on Josh Allen’s back as he targets Diggs early and often.