Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - They told us Josh Allen was from Firebaugh, Calif. That can't be possible.
I firmly believe Josh Allen was sent down from Mount Olympus by his fellow gods.
With the Bills' 2025 season four minutes from ending, the NFL's reigning Most Valuable Player led a 66-yard game-winning touchdown drive, helping advancing Buffalo to its first road playoff win in 33 years, and a trip to the AFC Divisional Round for the sixth-straight season.
But the Bills' Superman donned his cape before that drive.
After managing to score just one touchdown over the first three quarters against a strong Jacksonville defense, Allen led back-to-back touchdown drives in that decisive fourth quarter. He was 9-of-11 for 103 yards and a touchdown, and added 17 yards on the ground along with the game-winning one-yard score.
Allen did all of this on a day when he took a serious beating from the Jaguars. Having come into the game with an already bad foot, Allen suffered head, throwing hand and knee injuries all in the first half, but he never missed a snap.
As is usually the case, when the Bills needed him most, Allen came through.
Allen also made NFL history, becoming the first quarterback to complete, at least, 80% of his passes and have multiple rushing touchdowns in the same playoff game.
What about succeeding while under the pressure of win or go home?
According to Pro Football Focus, when the Bills were trailing, Allen was 14-of-16 for 195 yards and had three total touchdowns.
That is what an MVP does.
On the first of the two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, the score came on a well-designed play. Allen faked a wide receiver screen to wide receiver Khalil Shakir (more on him in a moment), but then threw downfield to tight end Dalton Kincaid for the 15-yard touchdown completion.
On the next possession, Allen made his biggest throw of the day on a 1st-and-10 from his own 44-yard line. With a free blitzer flying towards Allen, forcing him to pass quickly and off his back foot, the Bills quarterbacl threw a strike to a wide-open Brandin Cooks for a 36-yard completion to the Jaguars' 20-yard line.
The Bills needed Allen to make plays, because the NFL's top run defense kept the league's leading rusher in check all day. It seemed like every time James Cook ran between the tackles, he ran into a wall of teal.
Cook ran 15 times for just 46 yards, his lowest total since the 2025 regular-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
Shakir was Mr. Reliable all game long for Buffalo. He caught all 12 of his targets for 82 yards.
Keon Coleman even made a big play, as his 36-yard reception in the second quarter gave the Bills the ball at the Jaguars' eight-yard line and eventually led to a touchdown.
The Bills defense did what that unit does on the regular: Bend, but don't break. It wasn't a perfect game, by any means, but they made some plays when they had to as part of the Bills' first road playoff win in the Sean McDermott/Allen era.
In the first half, a Ray Davis fumble on a kick return gave Jacksonville the ball at the Bills' 36-yard line. They eventually got a first down at the Bills' 17-yard line when the defense dug in.
On a 4th-and-2 at the Bills' nine-yard line, Shaq Thompson stopped Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence short on a run play to force a turnover on downs.
Thompson, who has turned out to be an excellent addition and started for the injured Terrel Bernard, also had an interception of Lawrence earlier in the game.
Another great pickup made by the Bills this past offseason made two game-changing plays on defense. It was cornerback Tre'Davious White that broke up a Lawrence pass that created the game-sealing interception by Cole Bishop on the Jaguars' final drive.
Earlier in the half, White broke up a pass for Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange inside the five-yard line. If caught, it was probably going to be a touchdown. At the very least, it would have been a 1st-and-goal at the two-yard line.
Jacksonville ended up with just a field goal on that drive.
A tip of the cap to kicker Matt Prater, too. He came back from an injury and was perfect on the day, connecting on all three extra point attempts and hit field goals of 50 and 47 yards.
Jaguars kicker Cam Little missed a 54-yard attempt at the end of the first half.
The win was the first road playoff victory for the Bills since Jan. 17, 1993. That was when the Bills clinched their third-straight Super Bowl berth with a win in Miami over the Dolphins.
My nephew, who lives on Long Island and is not a Bills fan, texted me just after the game ended and said it was a great game. I texted him back that I wish I could have enjoyed it.
That was incredibly stressful, but that is what the playoffs are all about.
The Bills won. The season continues. The Super Bowl championship dream is still alive.
That is all that matters.
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