The Buffalo Payments’ Tremendous Bowl lore is hardly tremendous.
4 straight journeys, 4 straight losses.
One heartbreaking end adopted by three blowouts. Over thirty years have handed, and Buffalo nonetheless hasn’t been again.
That’s about to vary.
Behind MVP candidate Josh Allen, a commanding run recreation and an opportunistic protection, the Payments are one win from a visit to New Orleans for his or her first Tremendous Bowl since “The Lion King” was launched in 1994.
First, Buffalo has to exorcise some playoff demons within the AFC Championship in opposition to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who’ve overwhelmed Allen’s Payments all thrice they’ve confronted off within the postseason.
After that, Buffalo will battle both the ground-and-pound Philadelphia Eagles or the upstart Washington Commanders for the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 9.
The Payments have an edge over every of the three remaining groups, and I’ll clarify how they’ll conquer Kansas Metropolis earlier than toppling whichever NFC East squad they face for the title.
Up first: The 2-time defending champion Chiefs, who the Payments will beat as a result of …
They run the ball nicely.
Buffalo averaged the ninth-most dashing yards within the common season (131.2) and has continued to roll within the playoffs. The Payments racked up 210 yards in opposition to Denver’s third-ranked run protection in a wild-card recreation and pierced Baltimore’s top-ranked unit for 147 within the divisional spherical, averaging at the least 4.1 yards per carry in each contests.
James Cook dinner has finished many of the work on the bottom this postseason, however Allen has chipped in 66 dashing yards and may be particularly harmful on improvised runs. The Chiefs realized the onerous manner in Week 11, when Allen rumbled for a 26-yard rating on fourth-and-2 to seal Buffalo’s 30-21 win.
Kansas Metropolis had the league’s eighth-best run protection within the common season however appeared weak in opposition to Houston within the divisional spherical. The Texans averaged 5.1 yards per carry, with Joe Mixon logging 88 yards on 18 totes despite playing with an injured ankle.
The Chiefs sacked Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud eight instances final Saturday, however their cross rush needs to be much less of a risk Sunday if the Payments set up the run early and maintain it all through the sport.
Now onto the Massive Simple, the place the Payments will beat the Commanders as a result of…
They keep away from turnovers.
Jayden Daniels has been fabulous leading Washington’s offense and can virtually actually win Rookie of the 12 months, however his teammates on protection have delivered a number of the Commanders’ greatest performs of the postseason.
Towards top-seeded Detroit within the divisional spherical final Saturday, Washington racked up a season-high 5 takeaways—together with a pick-six—that led to 21 factors in a 45-31 upset win. The week earlier than, the Commanders pressured a vital fourth-quarter fumble that led to a landing of their 23-20 wild-card victory over Tampa Bay.
Washington is 12-3 this season when it forces at the least one turnover and 2-2 when it doesn’t. That makes it much more necessary for the Payments to guard the soccer, which they’ve finished higher than each staff this season. Buffalo dedicated a league-low eight turnovers throughout the common season and has not had a giveaway since Week 16.
The Commanders have made groups pay for turning it over within the postseason, however the Payments shall be in nice form if Allen and firm keep away from uncharacteristic errors that offer Washington with very important jolts of momentum.
Even when the Commanders don’t emerge from the NFC, the Payments will beat the Eagles as a result of…
They will comprise Saquon Barkley.
Philadelphia’s star working again launched into simply the ninth 2,000-yard marketing campaign in league historical past and has appropriately carried the Eagles via the primary two rounds of the playoffs.
Buffalo’s run protection ranked twelfth throughout the common season, however the first half of the divisional spherical gave a glimpse of how stout that unit may be. After letting Derrick Henry run for 199 yards in Week 4, the Payments held Baltimore’s bruising again to simply 21 yards earlier than halftime final Sunday.
Henry ultimately obtained going within the second half and completed with 84 yards because the Ravens ended up with 176 on 30 carries. Buffalo’s protection softened after halftime as Baltimore successfully balanced the run and the cross, however the Payments nonetheless pressured three turnovers in opposition to a Ravens staff that had dedicated simply 11 all season.
Buffalo ought to be capable of lock in on Barkley with out worrying an excessive amount of in regards to the Eagles’ passing recreation, which was the fourth least proficient throughout the common season (187.9 yards per recreation). Barkley has remained the point of interest of Philadelphia’s offense throughout the playoffs, together with his 324 dashing yards accounting for simply over half of the staff’s whole offense.
The Payments gained’t stymie Barkley, however their opportunistic protection will make sufficient performs to assist Allen and assist ship Buffalo its long-awaited first title.
