ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The acute winter climate may solely delay the celebration for the Buffalo Payments.
Kicking off 27-plus hours later than initially scheduled at Highmark Stadium, the Payments made up for misplaced time by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in an AFC wild-card matchup that prolonged Buffalo’s win streak to 6 video games.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw first-quarter landing passes to tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. Allen added a private file 52-yard landing run within the second quarter to stake the Payments to a 21-0 lead, one they’d not relinquish.
The Steelers, in the meantime, noticed their unlikely late-season push finish amid Allen’s huge performs and their very own turnovers. Pittsburgh, which was taking part in with out All-Professional pass-rusher T.J. Watt, reached the postseason regardless of possessing a 4% probability of constructing the playoffs on Dec. 22.
This is a take a look at the highest storylines for each groups in Monday’s matchup:
Buffalo Payments
Coping with a wide range of defensive accidents because the Steelers bought the sport to inside one rating early within the fourth quarter, the ball was in quarterback Josh Allen’s palms to place collectively a drive and pull forward.
The Payments charged downfield and, with second-and-9 from the Steelers’ 16-yard line, Allen discovered broad receiver Khalil Shakir, who managed to someway discover his approach out of an tried deal with by security Minkah Fitzpatrick downfield and ran previous different Steelers defenders into the tip zone with 6:27 remaining.
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The rating punctuated a 31-17 win for the Payments during which the crew took benefit of miscues by the Steelers and located cohesion on offense, with Allen finishing 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He additionally ran for 74 yards and one rating on eight carries.
It was Allen’s fourth profession playoff sport with three passing touchdowns, passing Jim Kelly for probably the most in Payments postseason historical past. It was solely the second time since Week 4 that Allen didn’t flip the ball over.
Subsequent up for the Payments will probably be a Kansas Metropolis Chiefs crew led by Patrick Mahomes in his first profession highway playoff sport.
Describe the sport in two phrases: The 1st step. Successful within the wild-card spherical is a step in the correct path for a crew with the largest of targets, and whereas it wasn’t an ideal efficiency — the theme of the Payments’ season — a powerful begin led to Buffalo advancing to the following spherical.
QB breakdown: Allen posted a formidable all-around effort, however his 52-yard record-breaking landing run deserves a shoutout of its personal. On a third-and-8 play, Allen darted previous and thru defenders to attain the Payments’ third landing of the day regardless of security Damontae Kazee making contact to attempt to carry him down. The run was the second-longest dashing landing by a quarterback in postseason historical past and the longest dashing rating in Payments postseason historical past.
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Pivotal play: Kaiir Elam’s interception within the second quarter. The Steelers had been primed to attain on Pittsburgh’s fifth drive of the sport. Backup cornerback Elam got here in throughout the drive for Christian Benford (knee) and was run over on a 12-yard move to tight finish Pat Freiermuth then was known as for defensive move interference two performs later. Two performs after that, Elam redeemed himself and picked off a Mason Rudolph move in the long run zone to maintain the Payments up two scores and the Steelers scoreless.
Troubling pattern: Defensive accidents. With the return of defensive deal with DaQuan Jones late within the season, the well being of the Payments’ D gave the impression to be trying up. Then beginning cornerback Rasul Douglas, exterior linebacker Tyrel Dodson and security Taylor Rapp had been harm in Week 18 and missed the begin to the playoffs. And in Monday’s contest, beginning center linebacker Terrel Bernard was carted off and linebacker Baylon Spector (again) and cornerback Christian Benford (knee) each exited. Nickel nook Taron Johnson additionally left to be evaluated for a head harm. With a brief week, the variety of defensive accidents may take a major toll. — Alaina Getzenberg
Subsequent sport: vs. Chiefs (6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Taking part in with out NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr candidate T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers battled again from a 21-0 gap, however they fell in need of finishing the comeback in a 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Payments, ending their season within the wild-card spherical. The Steelers are winless of their final 4 playoff appearances, final profitable a playoff sport in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the 2016 divisional spherical.
The Steelers, taking part in a day later than initially scheduled due to a winter storm within the space, fell behind 14-0 after one quarter because the Steelers’ errors compounded the Payments’ dazzling playmaking. But, in a microcosm of their season, the Steelers did not surrender and fought to make it a one-score sport early within the fourth quarter earlier than Josh Allen and the Payments offense carved up the Steelers’ depleted protection.
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With the loss, the Steelers have reached a crossroads and an offseason filled with selections that might alter the course of the franchise. Will they decide to Kenny Pickett as their starter in 2024? Will Mike Tomlin, presently underneath contract by means of the 2024 season, return? The clock on these selections begins now.
Pivotal play: Trailing 14-0, the Steelers had their finest alternative to attain from the 4-yard line early within the second quarter. As an alternative, they got here away with zero factors after Kaiir Elam picked off Mason Rudolph as Elam dove in entrance of Johnson in the long run zone to nab the ball. On the following drive, the Payments went up 21-0 on a 52-yard Josh Allen landing run. That the Steelers even bought inside a sniff of the tip zone was a feat after gaining simply 34 yards on their first 4 drives. The Steelers’ fifth drive went 88 yards earlier than Rudolph’s decide.
QB breakdown: Making his fourth consecutive begin — and first of his profession within the postseason — Rudolph carried out higher than his stat line suggests. He accomplished 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, however probably the most spectacular factor about Rudolph was the poise he confirmed in high-pressure moments.
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A number of instances, Rudolph stood tall within the face of strain, delivering strikes from the pocket because the Payments move rush closed in. Within the third quarter, Rudolph climbed the pocket, dancing away from strain, and threw throughout his physique to hit George Pickens over the center for a 19-yard acquire on third-and-long. He capped that drive with a seven-yard landing to Calvin Austin to make it a one-score sport late within the fourth quarter.
Rudolph’s assured and constant play places the Steelers in a clumsy place. A brand new offensive coordinator is atop the record of Steelers’ offseason priorities, however did Rudolph do sufficient to problem Pickett for the beginning job? Does Rudolph, not underneath contract for 2024, need to return to Pittsburgh or go elsewhere the place he has a greater shot at a beginning job?
Silver lining: Rookie exterior linebacker Nick Herbig has the makings of the following Steelers’ defensive star. WIth Watt out, Herbig had a much bigger than ordinary function on the protection, however his most spectacular play got here on particular groups when he hustled down the sphere to recuperate a discipline objective blocked by Montravius Adams. Due to Herbig’s heads-up play, the Steelers bought their first factors of the day on a short-field drive capped by a 10-yard Rudolph to Diontae Johnson landing simply earlier than halftime. — Brooke Pryor