The Payments completely resemble and symbolize the area through which they play.
Why?
Resilience.
There aren’t many extra resilient communities than Western New York, the place the Payments reside and, as a rule, carry spirits on Sundays.
That resilience was evident 12 video games right into a season that regarded prefer it was going off the rails with head coach Sean McDermott’s standing in query, the offensive coordinator fired, killer accidents and a few participant discord.
The Payments entered Week 14 at 6-6 with a 5 p.c probability of creating the playoffs, based on analytics. Left for useless, they gained their last 5 regular-season video games to overhaul Miami, win a fourth consecutive AFC East title and snatch the No. 2 playoff seeding.
That resilience was on show as Buffalo was assaulted by a blizzard that dropped some 40 inches of snow over the weekend and postponed Sunday’s AFC wild-card recreation in opposition to the Steelers to Monday.
At recreation time, as a result of there wasn’t manpower nor hours within the day to shovel the seats and aisles clear, a lot of the seats had been lined with snow. The temperature at kickoff was 15 levels and that dropped as the sport wore on.
Regardless of.
The Payments would make all of it price it for the hardy house crowd, defeating the Steelers 31-17 to earn one other house recreation subsequent Sunday evening, in opposition to the defending Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs within the divisional-playoff spherical.
It was all made doable due to the Josh Allen Expertise.
It’s actual, and it’s spectacular.
The Payments’ dynamic quarterback accounted for all 4 Buffalo touchdowns when he threw for 3 and ran for one more and, as common, was the perfect participant on the sphere. By lots.
That ought to shock few individuals contemplating that Allen produced 44 TDs on his personal throughout the common season. Allen completed the sport 21 of 30 for 203 yards with the three TDs by way of the air and added 74 speeding yards and the scoring run.
When the sport was over, Allen sometimes deflected reward and pushed it towards his teammates.
“We’ve bought a resilient group,” he stated. “The veteran management that we’ve I actually assume is unmatched within the league. I simply recognize the blokes.”
Most likely not as a lot as they recognize him.
Allen gave the Payments a 7-0 lead on Buffalo’s first offensive possession of the sport on a 9-yard scoring go to tight finish Dawson Knox with 7:02 remaining within the first quarter.
After a fumble by Steelers receiver George Pickens that gave the Payments the ball on the Pittsburgh 29-yard line, Allen wasted no time making the Steelers pay, on the following play connecting with tight finish Dalton Kincaid for a 29-yard scoring strike and a 14-0 lead.
Then, after a killer interception within the Pittsburgh finish zone by Kaiir Elam, Allen once more made the Steelers pay. This time it was together with his legs as he burst by way of the Pittsburgh protection on a 52-yard scoring scramble to make it 21-0 with 7:01 nonetheless remaining within the first half.
“I discovered a lane, bought 15, 20 yards down the sphere and there have been numerous guys screaming, ‘Slide,’ and I didn’t slide,” Allen stated.
After all he didn’t.
After the Steelers, a resilient bunch themselves, minimize the Buffalo result in 24-17 within the fourth quarter, Allen once more saved the day, connecting with Khalil Shakir for a 3rd TD go with 6:27 remaining within the recreation to make it 31-17. That may seal the destiny of the Steelers and ship the Payments to the divisional recreation in opposition to the Chiefs, who eradicated them in Kansas Metropolis within the 2020 and 2021 postseasons.
This time, the Chiefs must undergo the Payments at their place. The Payments earned this. They earned it with their resilience.
Fittingly, Allen started his postgame press convention thanking the individuals of Western New York for his or her efforts to make the stadium playable after the storm.
“The followers that got here out and shoveled by way of final evening and this morning, that speaks volumes about our group and the way a lot help that we’ve from our followers,” he stated. “We simply cherished that we got here out and had been capable of give them that [win].”
And there could also be extra for the most popular crew within the league that performs within the coldest local weather.
“I’m not going to say we bought scorching on the proper time, however we began profitable on the proper time,” Payments receiver Stefon Diggs stated earlier than the sport. “Issues occurred all through the season that sort of reveals you the desire to win is actual.”
After final week’s win at Miami within the regular-season finale, a win that clinched the division, the No. 2 seed and these house playoff video games, Diggs stated to Allen: “4 extra,” referring to the variety of postseason wins wanted to win the Tremendous Bowl.
One down, three to go.
