By The Associated Press’s John Wawrow
New York’s Orchard Park. With a 27–25 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in a divisional playoff game on Sunday, Josh Allen ran for two touchdowns, Buffalo’s defense forced three turnovers, and the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game.
The Bills persevered after a wide-open With 1:33 remaining, Lamar Jackson dropped a 2-point conversion pass to Mark Andrews, who let the ball bounce off his chest. The Ravens had an opportunity to level the score when Jackson connected with a sliding Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown.
Next Sunday, the Bills will play the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, in the AFC championship game. Buffalo ended a three-year streak of divisional round elimination.
Buffalo is accustomed to this battle, having lost to Kansas City in three of the previous four postseasons.
Ray Davis scored on a one-yard run, while Allen scored on rushes of one and four yards. After the Bills stalled at Baltimore’s 2, Tyler Bass made both of his field goal attempts, including a 21-yarder with 3:29 remaining. The Ravens’ third turnover, when linebacker Terrel Bernard took the ball away from Andrews at the Buffalo 44, set up that drive.
At home, the Bills finished the season with a perfect 10-0 record. In Week 11, they defeated the Chiefs, who had never lost, 30–21.
Despite having one of the most effective attacks in the NFL during the regular season, the Ravens lost to the Chiefs a year ago and missed out on a conference title game. Jackson dropped to 3-5 in the postseason, which will only make his playoff performances more scrutinized. In this defeat, he lost a fumble and threw an interception in the first half.
After losing 1-4 in their previous five games, Baltimore dropped to 5-8 in the divisional round.
To get past a patchwork defense and an offense that didn’t have a receiver top 900 yards this season, the Bills kept up their complementary football strategy. Buffalo had the best plus-24 turnover differential in the league at the end of the regular season.
That continued on Sunday when Allen and the Bills played a mediocre game without making any turnovers.
Injuries
Ravens: Due to a knee injury, star receiver Zay Flowers missed both postseason games.
Bills: Security After suffering a hip injury in the second quarter, Taylor Rapp did not return.
Up next
The 2020 AFC championship game, which Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs won 38–24, will be rematched for the Bills.
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