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No team will suddenly be champions when the postseason starts. If anything, the even matchups and elevated stakes leave little room for experimentation, forcing opponents to rely heavily on their best performances throughout the year.<\/p>\n
The Bills have been on a rollercoaster of risk all along, riding quarterback Josh Allen’s daring postseason. In his first weekend of the NFL playoffs in 2022, Buffalo was never out of that routine and Miami his Dolphins were all but upset. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars have relied on the resilience they have shown all year to beat the volatile Los Angeles Chargers.<\/p>\n
Allen gives, Allen takes. One of the league’s most prominent heavyweights, Allen had his most volatile game of the season in Sunday’s 34-31 victory over the Dolphins. The deep throws and overtime plays that underpinned an otherwise ill-fated Buffalo offense were the same plays that led to turnovers and disjointed drives. It was a game that emphasized both how dangerous decision-making is for the Bills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Allen started firing the game on all cylinders. On Buffalo’s second drive, Allen stitched together two improbable throws to relieve the Bills and eventually scored a touchdown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The drive started with a 20-yard pickup, but the Bills soon faced a third and 15 near midfield. This is a classic case of the conundrum Allen presents to defense. Without blitzing he chunks the open of the play too much time to find his receiver, but blitzing Allen opens up the possibility of breaking a pocket on a run or finding an uncovered receiver. increase.<\/p>\n
The Dolphins paid the price by choosing to roll the dice with an all-out cover 0 blitz. Bills receiver Stephon Diggs beat defensive back Xavien Howard 1-1 on the field, and Allen got Diggs for 52 yards. On the next play, Allen pinned a touchdown pass rushing right, past the helmet of a Dolphins defender and into tight end Dawson Knox’s outstretched arm for the first score of the game.<\/p>\n
By the next quarter, Allen could no longer stop playing aggressively. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey continued to dial up shot plays.<\/p>\n
With 6:01 left in the second quarter, the Bills called their first and tenth play-action deep shots near midfield, with receiver John Brown sprinting down the sidelines. Brown never stepped on his man. Howard, whose Diggs had been burned for an earlier touchdown, was on top of Brown the whole time. Allen tore it up anyway, and he spat out pointless turnovers when both of the checkdown options beneath him (running back Devin Singletary and tight end Quintin Morris) were open.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Allen was stuck in big play mode from the start of the second quarter until midway through the third quarter. The Dolphins outscored the Bills 24-3 in that stretch, including Allen’s strip-sack touchdown. Allen eventually recovered by leading back-to-back touchdown drives, including a blinding cover two holeshot to Gabe Davis for a touchdown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n