Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - One win down, three to go.
It was another slow start for the Bills in their AFC Wild Card Round matchup with the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but Buffalo found a way to adjust and control the pace of play in the second half, cruising to a 31-7 win at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
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While some Bills fans felt a bit worried at the start of Sunday's contest, especially after giving up a quick Broncos touchdown, many members of "Bills Mafia" were elated to punch their ticket to the AFC Divisional Round next weekend.
"Relief is my first reaction, because I was worried about the Bronco offense and how they manhandled the second-string Chiefs defense last week. I was a little concerned, but our defense held up, and they came through. I was impressed," said Bills fan Mark Grimmer from Lockport.
"All week, everybody kept talking about how it was just supposed to be a tough matchup, and we weren't going to match up well with their secondary. So just to come away with that type of win was awesome. Couldn't ask for anything better," added Bills fan Brian making the trek from Maryland for the game.
While the slow start to Sunday's playoff matchup has been a common theme for this Bills team over the course of the season, fans continue to trust in Buffalo's ability to adjust and secure a victory.
"It's been the normal, but they always find a way to make it work and make a win," said Bills fan Anthony from Grand Island. "That's what I love about Josh [Allen], love about the whole team. Everybody eats, and that's the motto."
"We need to get off to better starts. Today, we blew one coverage, and other than that, they got nothing. So I'm happy," added Bills fan Matt from Syracuse.
As for Allen, the Bills quarterback started slow, but ended his day with an impressive day in the air with 272 yards on 20-of-26 passing (76.9%) and a pair of touchdowns. He also added 46 yards on the ground on eight carries.
It's performances like this from Allen that continue to lead many to believe that the Bills quarterback should win the NFL's Most Valuable Player honor for the 2024 season.
"I don't know if he's going to win it or not, but he should. He's been impressive all year, and he's going to take us to the big game. I'm looking forward to that," Grimmer said. "Honestly, I actually teared up during the game because I knew that our destiny has been formed. I was so impressed with these guys, and how they just came together. I was just falling in love with them all over again."
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While the win over the Broncos was more than satisfactory for many fans, the focus now immediately shifts to next weekend in the AFC Divisional Round, where Allen and the Bills will square off against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
Earlier this season, the Bills suffered their most lopsided loss in years against this same Ravens squad in Baltimore on a Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bills let the Ravens get out to a large first half lead that they failed to come back from, resulting in a 35-10 loss in Week 4.
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Despite it being more than three months since the last time these two teams played in Baltimore, fans know next weekend's matchup won't be any sort of a cake walk when playing Jackson, Derrick Henry and company.
"I want to see what we do when we get out of zone defense and we stack the box. And we're going to have to against Lamar and Henry," Matt said.
"Ravens, they've got it all. They've got it all on offense. I'm just putting my faith in Josh, and that our offense can keep up with with the Ravens' offense, and maybe our defense can come up with a hold or an interception, or a stop when we least expect it. That's what I'm looking for," Grimmer added.
Being from Maryland, Brian hears all of the noise and chatter about the Ravens and Jackson, and how nobody in the NFL can stop them. He begs to differ, though.
"I think if we can just play our hard-nosed defense, stop the run, I think offensively, we can keep up with them. It's just, honestly, can we stop Henry? That's the biggest question," Brian said.
One of the major headlines heading into the AFC Divisional Round matchup in Orchard Park will be the matchup between Allen and Jackson, arguably, the two front-runners for the NFL MVP award in 2024.
"You're going to see both of them. You've got Lamar and Josh: Who could do the best? Who ends the game with a win? There could be nothing better. It's an MVP race, literally, to a playoff win," Anthony said.
While the Ravens certainly present their challenges on both sides of the ball, fans feel confident the Bills can get the job done in front of the home crowd, and inch that much closer to a trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
"I hope it doesn't come down to who has the ball last, but it very may well could be. And hopefully it's us that are coming away with the win at the end of it," Brian said.
"Every game from now until the end of the year, for me, is the game of the year, and I'm willing to keep going to games, so I like it!" Matt added.