Josh Allen | Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Buffalo avoids disaster as they come back to beat the Miami Dolphins
We barely had time to fully process what we saw Saturday night and then the Buffalo Bills were doing it themselves.
I think I can speak for the entire free world by saying the first thing on all of our minds when we awoke Sunday morning was exactly how the Los Angles Chargers blew a 27-0 lead and actually lost 31-30 at the Jacksonville Jaguars in an unforgettable Super Wild Card game the night before?
So Sunday, as we settled in for a seemingly more normal playoff day, the Bills decided to do their best Chargers impression.
The powerhouse Bills were supposed to thump the double-digit underdog Miami Dolphins, who were on their third-string quarterback, rookie Skylar Thompson. And the game started the expected way as the Bills punched the Dolphins in the face, taking an early 17-0 lead as quarterback Josh Allen did his usual playoff thing, dominate.
It seemed like the predicted rout was on.
Then, weird things happened and the Dolphins suddenly tied the game late in the second quarter at 17-17. Miami then took a 24-20 lead after scoring on an Allen fumble early in the third quarter.
It was shocking. CBS analyst Tony Romo brought up memories of the Jacksonville Jaguars knocking off Super Bowl favorite John Elway and the Denver Broncos in the 1996 playoffs. A Miami win would have had that type of vibes. And the Bills would have taken Brandon Staley and the Chargers off the hook. They would have been forgotten. Everyone’s minds would have been on how in the world the Bills blew this game.
But the Bills aren’t the Chargers. Thus, they did not Charger.
It wasn’t easy, of course, and Buffalo had to sweat it out until the end of this marathon nearly four-hour affair. But the Bills survived, beating their AFC East rival 34-31.
So all is still right in this perfect NFL world in which we’re all supposed to get a playoff rematch of the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game on a neutral field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
In the end, the Bills didn’t crumble after they saw their big lead disappear and they found themselves trailing. Allen led Buffalo to two big touchdown drives in the third quarter, and the defense did enough to hold off Miami.
They overcame their own warts and are advancing.
I wouldn’t worry too much about this game as being a sign that the Bills aren’t playoff-ready. Things happen. It was a weird game against a team they played for a third time this season.
If anything, it was a good lesson for Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and his team. He can now spend this week pointing to the Dolphins game as a reminder that it’s not going to be easy the rest of the way.
And the reality is: Each week is a new game. So I wouldn’t think the Bills chances of winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history are lessened because of this game. They dominated early. They stumbled. They recovered and they’re moving on. Unlike the Chargers, Buffalo found a way to persevere.
Those are the types of teams that can go a long way.
