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Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — For the first time in a quarter century, the Buffalo Bills have won a playoff game.
Playing in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, the Bills beat the Indianapolis Colts, 27-24 Saturday in what was also their first playoff game in Orchard Park since Dec. 30, 1995, when they beat Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins, 37-22.
General manager Brandon Beane, who signed a multi-year contract extension in December, said the prospect of bringing a once-proud franchise back to prominence influenced his decision to leave a path to the GM job with the Panthers and take over a Bills team in 2017 that hadn’t been to the postseason in 17 years.
Getting a playoff game at home was one of his top priorities once he and head coach Sean McDermott arrived.
“This was an opportunity in a place that’s been down for so long that had such a great tradition, and still has a great fanbase,” Beane said in December. “How exciting would it be to get this thing turned around and host playoff games here? That’s what Sean and I want, we want to win the AFC East so that we can host games here. That’s been the goal all along and I think at the end of the day, hopefully, we can get that done this year.”
The Bills won the AFC East in 2020 for the first time since that 1995 season, registering their best record (13-3) since 1991 in the process. Riding a six-game win streak entering the playoffs, Buffalo had beaten each its past six opponents by an average of 19.8 points. Playing in their first one-score game since Week 8, the Bills proved they can win the close ones, as well. Saturday marked its seventh consecutive win by multiple scores – but it didn’t come easy.
Indianapolis took a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter and nearly extended it when Philip Rivers slightly overthrew Michael Pittman in the end zone on a 4th-down attempt.
Buffalo scored 17 unanswered points following the stop and the teams traded points in the fourth quarter en route to a thrilling finish.
Trailing by three points with 2:30 remaining in the game, the Colts marched their way downfield, converted on 4th-and-10 on a pass from Rivers to Zach Pascal — who seemingly fumbled after the catch. Pascal was ruled down by contact and the call stood after a booth review.
Buffalo knocked down Rivers’ Hail Mary attempt with time running out to seal the victory.
The Bills will host a divisional playoff game next weekend, with their opponent to be determined.