
Sometimes, all you need is a unicorn of a quarterback to score a playoff win.
The Buffalo Bills found that out Sunday in Jacksonville, as Josh Allen willed them to a comeback victory on the road against the upstart Jaguars.
Allen completed 28 of his 35 pass attempts for 273 yards and a touchdown, adding 33 yards and two more scores, including the game-winner in the final moments.
Last year's MVP delivered an impressive performance despite the absence of a productive ground game, as the Jaguars' top-ranked run defenses held the Bills (and this year's league rushing champ, James Cook) to just 79 yards rushing. He also did it despite multiple injuries among his pass-catchers, including the loss of past playoff hero Gabe Davis to a knee injury in the second half.
He did it despite suffering three separate injuries himself throughout this game, too. Allen was evaluated for a concussion after taking a nasty hit in the first half, and suffered what could have been a serious knee injury on his first rushing touchdown of the game. Allen also smacked his throwing hand on a helmet while following through on a pass.
But despite a worthy effort from a Jaguars team that kept rising to the occasion and matching every Buffalo score with one of their own, Allen and the Bills saved their best for last, making big plays in the most clutch situations to seal the victory.
This short-yardage quarterback sneak turned into a 10-yard melee that was initially ruled a touchdown. When a review ruled Allen short, he punched it in on the following play to give the Bills the lead for good:
Josh Allen's 10-yard QB sneak on 4th & inches increased the @BuffaloBills' win probability by +49.9 percentage points (from 27.5% to 77.4%), the most win probability added on a QB sneak in the NGS era (since 2016).#BUFvsJAX | #BillsMafiapic.twitter.com/gCoST1pfwv
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 11, 2026
That game-winning score was set up by an incredible deep throw from Allen to veteran journeyman Brandin Cooks, despite oncoming pressure that put Allen flat on his back yet again:
ALLEN TO A WIDE OPEN COOKS. 36 YARDS.
— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026
BUFvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/lt9NbExrlx
The win made some impressive history for the Bills, breaking multiple postseason streaks that illuminated the difficulty of winning on the road in the playoffs:
The Bills had failed to win a playoff game each season they did not win their division since they made Super Bowl XXVII after the 1992 season.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 11, 2026
After 33 years, that streak is over.
Buffalo’s eight-game postseason road losing streak is snapped, as Josh Allen now has the first postseason road win of his NFL career. pic.twitter.com/YkDeEgiolw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2026
After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott lauded his quarterback's toughness, and how it sets the tone for the entire team:
"When your quarterback is that type of warrior, that type of competitor... it goes through the whole team."
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) January 11, 2026
-Sean McDermott on Josh Allen#BillsMafia @BuffaloPlus pic.twitter.com/MkyYsseRwZ
Allen and the Bills will now wait for the dust to settle from the rest of the wild-card results, but it's likely they'll have to go prove themselves on the road yet again next week.
If that's the case, you can bet they'll still have the utmost faith in their star quarterback, who continues to prove himself to be the ultimate cheat code, overcoming any kind of challenge to keep his team in pursuit of their first Lombardi Trophy.
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