The playoffs are here, and that means its time to talk about what it's going to take for the Buffalo Bills to win its first Super Bowl. It's Episode 13 of the Bills Roundtable Podcast
After 18 grinding weeks, it's finally time for the NFL Playoffs. The Buffalo Bills are back in the dance for the seventh year in a row. This year, however, the Bills get a "gift" with no Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, or Patrick Mahomes to deal with.
That said, that doesn't mean the teams and players in the playoffs this year are slouches. Buffalo has drawn, arguably, the toughest AFC Wild Card matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Buffalo is 0-2 all-time in the playoffs against Jacksonville, and go to a stadium where the Jaguars have just one loss this season, and it was to the NFC's No. 1 seed Seattle.
In their games at home this year, the Jaguars are averaging 28.1 points per game while giving up just 17.1.
On the road, the Bills went 5-3, and averaged 25 points per game while giving up 19.3.
But the big thing hanging over the Bills heading into this week is the lack of road success in the playoffs. It's been written about many times on this site, but the Bills are on a 30+ playoff road win drought.
Is this the year things change?
With Josh Allen and Sean McDermott, the Bills are 0-4. However, Allen shouldn't shoulder the blame for that.
In his four road playoff games, Allen is averaging 279 yards per game and has eight passing touchdowns and just one interception. He even has a receiving touchdown. Allen is 7-6 in his playoff career, but you can look at one game---2023 against Cincinnati---where he played poor. Overall, in NFL playoff history, Allen is:
- 1st in total yards per game (309.77 YPG)
- 1st in interception percentage (0.9%)
- 3rd in Total TD's per game (2.46)
- 3rd in QB Rating (101.7)
- 4th in completion percentage (65.7%)
For the Bills to take care of business this week and move on to the divisional round, they not only need Allen to continue playing the way he has in the postseason, but they need the defense to finally step up.
In their four road playoff losses since Allen joined the league, the Bills are giving up an average of 33.5 points per game while averaging 27. The defense can't afford another performance like that if Buffalo hopes to get to its first Super Bowl in over 30 years.
We'll see what McDermott and the rest of the team have planned when they take the field on Sunday afternoon at 1pm against Jacksonville.