The New England Patriots finished 2021 with the league’s second-ranked scoring defense. They ranked fourth in defensive DVOA. They were, at times in the regular season, uncrackable.
This did not matter. The Buffalo Bills had Josh Allen.
Allen wasted no time making that high and mighty Pats defense look stupid. His Bills scored early and often to prove they were unquestionably the best team in the AFC East this season.
Six degree temperatures did nothing to deter the Bills’ star quarterback, who paid the dwindling holdovers of the league’s last dynasty little respect in a dominant 47-17 win. Allen pushed his team to the Divisional Round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs by dismantling the New England Patriots on a frigid night in western New York.
Through one quarter, he was responsible for 132 of Buffalo’s 150 yards of total offense. He was the guy who threw both touchdown passes to take an early 14-0 lead, dooming rookie Mac Jones to play from a double-digit deficit for the fourth time in his last five games. He picked up first downs with plays straight out of 1948. He gave the world what will probably be the craziest touchdown pass of the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
HOW?! 🤯
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/YJkJJEzOxX
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 16, 2022
Allen was equally devastating through the air or on the ground. He could loft touchdown passes to Dawson Knox or flick effortless deep balls to Stefon Diggs for 45 yards at a time. He ran quarterback sweeps and naked bootlegs and didn’t just pick up big chunks of yardage but embarrassed New England defenders in the process.
Allen was historic. His offense did something no other team in the Super Bowl era ever had, and he did it against arguably the greatest coach to ever take the sideline. No team in the Super Bowl era had ever scored touchdowns on five straight drives to start a playoff game. The Bills did it on their first seven:
via CBS Sports
Knox had two touchdown catches. Devin Singletary ran for a pair of touchdowns. Isaiah McKenzie repeatedly stretched the field for big gains. But the star around which those planets revolved was Allen, who was nearly flawless in his fourth playoff start.
Allen threw nine passes that traveled at least 10 yards downfield on a five degree night. He completed each of them for 231 yards, three touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
He finished his day with 308 passing yards and five touchdowns on only 25 dropbacks. That is genuinely stunning. Just a wonderful performance. Hot damn.
Now the Bills will likely get a rematch of last year’s AFC title game when they travel to Kansas City for a Divisional Round matchup (assuming the Chiefs handle the Pittsburgh Steelers). Allen averaged fewer than six yards per pass in that game and threw an interception in a 38-24 loss. But this year’s version of the Buffalo defense is better while Kansas City’s is a little worse.
Allen already sealed one rival in his wine cellar brick-by-brick. Now he’ll get another chance at revenge against a recent AFC powerhouse as long as the Chiefs don’t implode on Sunday night. If the Wild Card round was any indication, he’ll be up to the task.
