With their bottom-five run defense and a complete lack of a true No. 1 option in the passing game, the Buffalo Bills really had no business winning a playoff game this season. But they have Josh Allen, so they did. And they might win a few more before all is said and done.
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Allen willed his Bills to a 27-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round. He accounted for 17 of Buffalo’s 20 first downs and was responsible for all three Bills touchdowns. He also completed 80 percent of his passes and did not turn the ball over. It even seemed like he picked up at least a half-dozen injuries during the game. But he soldiered on.
And that’s basically par for the course for Allen in the playoffs. While his team has not been able to win the big one, it has never been because of his performances. Allen has 35 total playoff touchdowns against just six turnovers, averaging 3.7 touchdowns per game. Despite all of that, he enters this Divisional Round matchup with the top-seeded Denver Broncos as an underdog for the second straight game.
Allen proved last week that he can win on the road in the postseason, but Denver’s home-field advantage at Mile High is a different challenge. And where the game is played may matter less than the pass rush Allen and company will have to deal with. Denver does not have many household names along the defensive front, but it does have depth and quality across the board, including two Pro Bowlers.
For the second straight season in 2025, the Broncos led the league in sacks by a very wide margin. This year, they had 68 sacks, 11 more than the next-best team. That total of 68 also sits fifth all-time for single-season team sacks.
However, let’s not forget they were nearly just as good with the pass rush in 2024. That year, they racked up 63 sacks, nine more than the next-best team. And that year, they also met Allen and the Bills in the playoffs. Buffalo was at home, but the rosters were very similar, and the Bills won that game handily, 31-7. Allen was sacked twice, but it didn’t seem to bother him as he put up a 135.4 passer rating in that one.
Allen is 7-4 this year when he’s sacked 2+ times, and he’s 3-2 against teams in the top 10 in sacks. We all remember when the Texans had eight sacks of Allen a couple of months ago. But even then, Allen and the Bills barely lost, falling by a score of just 23-19.
Despite Allen’s strong playoff track record against non-Patrick Mahomes teams, he comes into this one as a 1.5-point underdog to the Broncos, who did go 8-1 at home this season for their part.
Will it be Allen or the vaunted Broncos pass rush that wins out? We expect it to be neck and neck, and only time can tell who comes out on top.
