The Buffalo Bills decisively beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 on Sunday night to advance to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon but was postponed to Sunday night due to a massive snowstorm that dumped over 3 feet of snow in the Buffalo area.
Game Delayed by Historic Snowstorm
The Bills-Steelers wild card matchup was slated to kick off at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday, but the onset of a ferocious lake-effect snowstorm Friday night into Saturday morning forced the NFL to postpone the game by a day. Snow fell at over 3 inches per hour, with some areas recording over 40 inches by the end.
This was the second most snow to ever fall in the Buffalo area from a single storm:
| Year | Snowfall Amount |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 80.3 inches |
| 2014 | 56.4 inches |
| 2024 | 42 inches |
Bills players helped neighbors dig out of the snow before turning their attention to game prep on Saturday. The team provided updates on the huge undertaking to clear the snow from Highmark Stadium so the game could be played. Stadium operations crews worked around the clock plowing and shoveling snow.
Game Takes Place Sunday Night
On Sunday, with the field cleared and weather conditions significantly improved, the Bills welcomed the Steelers and a national TV audience tuning into NBC. The long-awaited playoff clash got underway at 8:15 PM ET after referee Shawn Smith conducted the coin toss.
The Bills earned the right to choose heads or tails after winning a tiebreaker over Pittsburgh for best regular season record. When the coin landed heads up, Bills special teamer Taiwan Jones immediately chose to receive the opening kickoff to put the ball in Josh Allen’s hands first.
First Half Recap
The game could not have started better for the Bills and their frenzied fanbase. After forcing a three-and-out on Pittsburgh’s first possession, Allen promptly marched Buffalo 75 yards downfield in just 8 plays. The drive culminated with an impressive back-shoulder bullet throw to tight end Dawson Knox for the touchdown and early 7-0 advantage.
After a Steelers field goal got them on the board at 7-3, Buffalo responded with another 75-yard scoring drive finished off by a Devin Singletary 14-yard touchdown scamper. Allen overcame an offensive pass interference call against Stefon Diggs with clutch completions to Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, and Isaiah McKenzie to keep the chains moving.
The Bills took the 14-3 lead into halftime after a dominant first half from the offense and stifling defense. Allen outdueled Steelers rookie Kenny Pickett, throwing for 150 yards and a score while Pickett managed just 52 yards through the air. Meanwhile, Buffalo held Pittsburgh to only 63 total yards compared to their 271.
Second Half Recap
Josh Allen picked up right where he left off to begin the second half. After back-to-back completions to Davis and Diggs, Allen pulled off a spectacular 26-yard touchdown run that will live on in Bills lore. Never giving up on the play despite nearly falling down twice, Allen’s second effort and refuse-to-lose playing style electrified the frozen crowd at Highmark Stadium.
Pittsburgh responded with a touchdown of their own to trim the deficit to 21-10. But just like all game long, Allen overcame the Steelers counterpunch with a counterpunch of his own. After a long punt return by Shakir gave Buffalo prime field position, Allen fired a dart to Diggs on an out route near the left pylon for a 19-yard score.
Leading 28-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Bills corp of running backs salted away the victory. Singletary and James Cook ran hard while seldom-used Duke Johnson ripped off a long run late to put it completely out of reach at 31-10. Pickett hit Pickens for a late touchdown to finalize the score at 31-17.
Key Stats
- Josh Allen: 24/43, 348 yards, 3 TD (101.2 rating)
- Stefon Diggs: 10 catches, 114 yards, TD
- Devin Singletary: 81 yards rushing, TD
- Dawson Knox: 5 catches, 68 yards, TD
Looking Ahead
The monumental playoff win means Buffalo will host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday afternoon in a titanic rematch of last year’s epic divisional round overtime thriller. With a spot in the AFC Championship game on the line, Bills Mafia is already gearing up for the main event.
After last year’s devastating playoff exit, Allen and Buffalo exercised their demons to finally beat the Steelers in the postseason after two crushing prior defeats. Riding high after such a commanding performance, don’t count out the Bills from finally getting over the hump to reach their first Super Bowl since the 1990s.
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