The Buffalo Bills are moving on.
Josh Allen's team defeated the Denver Broncos 31-7 in the third and final AFC wild card game, locking themselves into the divisional round for the fifth straight year. The Bills will face Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens next weekend in Orchard Park.
Denver pulled ahead 7-0 on the opening drive before Buffalo rattled off 31 straight points to cruise to victory. Allen led the way with 272 passing yards and two touchdowns, while running back James Cook added 120 rushing yards.
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Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. Bills running game keys victory
Despite surrendering a touchdown in the first few minutes, the Bills' offensive game plan did not change.
Buffalo rushed for 33 yards on its opening drive to get them a field goal, then another 67 yards on its second drive to take the lead for good. Those 100 rushing yards through two drives were especially impressive against a Broncos defense that allowed just 96.4 rushing yards per game (!) in the regular season.
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Once the Bills took the lead, it became even easier to run the ball. They finished the game with 210 yards on the ground, which led to a massive discrepancy in time of possession (41:07 to 18:17). Whether it was Cook leading the charge or Allen scrambling when he had to, Buffalo simply did whatever it wanted with its offensive line bullying the Broncos.
2. Bo Nix cools after hot start
It was going to take a generational performance for a rookie quarterback to win a playoff game in Buffalo. Bo Nix started strong, but was unable to keep up in his first postseason trip.
The Oregon product completed his first three passes for 64 yards and a touchdown, making it look easy against a tough Bills defense. Then, it all fell apart -- Nix went 10 of 19 for 80 yards the rest of the way. While he didn't turn the ball over, the Broncos' offense couldn't move the ball consistently with Nix often bailing out of the pocket.
Despite the discouraging playoff result, the Broncos have to be pleased with how this season turned out. A rookie quarterback led them back to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Nix has his limitations, but he proved in his first season that he's a capable NFL quarterback when given good coaching and line play. Now, the challenge becomes building up the roster around him in an AFC that's loaded with star quarterbacks.
3. Battle of the MVP candidates awaits
While the AFC Wild Card matchups were underwhelming (every game decided by two or more touchdowns), the divisional round could be epic.
The No. 2 Bills will host the No. 3 Ravens in a matchup of the two MVP favorites. Allen accounted for 41 touchdowns in the regular season compared to 45 for Jackson. The two teams met in the regular season way back in Week 4, with the Ravens dominating in a 35-10 victory in Baltimore. This time, the game will be in Western New York.
Allen and Jackson both shined in their first playoff wins of this season against lesser opponents. The Bills QB had 318 total yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, while the Ravens QB had 256 total yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers. This will be their second postseason meeting after the Bills beat the Ravens three years ago in the divisional round. While this game won't be able to sway any MVP voters (it is a regular-season award), both stars will want to show out on the big stage.