The game was billed as a showdown between elite young quarterbacks but it was the Buffalo Bills defense that put on a showcase performance to vault the franchise into its first AFC championship game since 1994.
The Bills and Ravens played to a 3-3 tie through 30 minutes but the offense came alive to start the third quarter. The defense clamped the door shut on the Baltimore Ravens when cornerback Taron Johnson scored on a pick-six that went for 101 yards on the next series.
Buffalo advances to the next round after a 17-3 victory on Saturday night at Bills Stadium. The Bills will play the winner of Sunday’s AFC divisional game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns.
GAME RECAP LINKS:
- Buffalo Bills defense, Stefon Diggs lead Buffalo to AFC title game (Observations) (Syracuse.com)
- Bills defense throttles Jackson and Ravens in 17-3 divisional round victory (D&C.com)
- Vic Carucci: Bills’ magical ride continues to AFC championship game (BuffaloNews.com)
- AFC Championship Game Bound! Bills survive and advance with 17-3 win over Ravens (WKBW.com)
- Buffalo pummels Baltimore 17-3 to advance to the AFC Championship (WIVB.com)
- Bills are going to AFC Championship game (13Wham.com)
- Takeaways: Buffalo Bills advance to AFC Championship Game on defensive lockdown (BuffaloRumblings.com)
- Bills Postgame Spotlight | Buffalo Bills 17, Baltimore Ravens 3 (BuffaloBills.com)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
MEDIA:
BILLS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/hEBwLDswSs
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
For the first time since 1994, we’re… pic.twitter.com/9QmONpoT4g
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
MORE ? GOOD ? TIMES ?#GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/eSyYVqrWZr
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
We're LIVE for Bills Tonight after our win over the Baltimore Ravens to head to the AFC Championship! #BillsMafia
Stay tuned to hear from QB Josh Allen, HC Sean McDermott and more. https://t.co/yTu5sZneG0
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
The Buffalo Bills are in the AFC Championship for the first time since 1994.
How ya feelin, @StefonDiggs? pic.twitter.com/RFkzQPRULu
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 17, 2021
The definition of lit. #BudLightCelly | @BudLight pic.twitter.com/Y6hLhMYmIE
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
TARON JOHNSON PICK SIX‼️
? #BALvsBUF: https://t.co/VqXMJDH1vI pic.twitter.com/WjuPWerVod
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
Will the @BuffaloBills be hosting the Browns, or traveling to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the AFC Championship? ? pic.twitter.com/9vkpJ9b34h
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 17, 2021
W.#BALvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/4QKKogGUAT
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND. #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/gz2zwJocCx
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 17, 2021
6,700 sounds like 67,000.
The whole world hears you right now, #BillsMafia. pic.twitter.com/Xsoo94m8Ky
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
AFC Championship bound!#ShowtimeCam @BuffaloBills pic.twitter.com/QPGZ8qXVdb
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2021
#BillsMafia, how are we feeling?! #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Nux8RWJoZO
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2021
For the first time since 1994… the @BuffaloBills are back in the AFC Championship! #BillsMafia #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ANvjGj0G2f
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2021
FINAL: The @BuffaloBills are going to the AFC Championship! #BillsMafia #NFLPlayoffs
(by @Lexus) pic.twitter.com/xJPZnaSuhS
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2021
See you on Championship Sunday, @BuffaloBills. #BillsMafia #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/CPSG2ApFtk
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2021
Wishing @Lj_era8 a speedy recovery. ✊ #BALvsBUF https://t.co/7sUGkzNU1C
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 17, 2021
101-yard PICK SIX ✅
The whole squad HYPE ✅#ShowtimeCam @buffalobills pic.twitter.com/OUqdPPI6zs— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2021
After years of struggling, hope finally arrived for the @BuffaloBills and #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/pkwDX4xhHD
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 17, 2021
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND!
For the first time since 1993, the @BuffaloBills will play in the AFC Title game! #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/3WyrYI9Lf5
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 17, 2021
Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs: Best friends ? @JoshAllenQB @stefondiggs pic.twitter.com/idKTvvPYNp
— ESPN (@espn) January 17, 2021
The Buffalo Bills advance to their first AFC Championship Game since the 1993 season. pic.twitter.com/lWnwL8Xu53
— ESPN (@espn) January 17, 2021
Taron Johnson's 101-yard pick-6 is tied for the longest ever in an @NFL playoff game.
George Teague also went 101 yards against the Lions in 1993.@NFLResearch
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 17, 2021
No disrespect to any other NFL city/stadium but if I could only pick one moment for one stadium to be full, that was it, Buffalo…
— Steve Levy (@espnSteveLevy) January 17, 2021
The football gods, folks. EVERYTHING has gone their way in this game. EVERYTHING.
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) January 17, 2021
This place is going effing insane. #Bills
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) January 17, 2021
You just saw some history.
Bills have 2 rushing attempts.
It’s the fewest in the 1st half of an @NFL Playoff game since at least 1991.
(as far back as @NFLResearch can search)
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 17, 2021
Josh Allen. Stefon Diggs. Touchdown.
Diggs is the first Bill with receiving TDs in back-to-back playoff games since Thurman Thomas in 1996.
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) January 17, 2021
Stefon Diggs over 100 yards on the night.
Diggs joins James Lofton as the only Bills to ever tally back-to-back 100-yard receiving days in the same postseason.
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) January 17, 2021
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP LETSSSSS GOOOOOOOOO #Buffalo #BillsMafia #YouAlreadyShnow
— Dion Dawkins (@DDawkins66) January 17, 2021
AND THEY STILL THINK WE CANT DO IT!!!!! BILLS WIN AGAIN DAMNIT!!!! #BillsMafia
— Isaiah McKenzie (@_IsaiahMcKenzie) January 17, 2021
??BIIIIIIIGGGGG DUBBBBSSSS!!!!??????
— Jordan poyer (@J_poyer21) January 17, 2021
BIIILLLLLSSSSSS WIIIIINNNNNNN!!!!!
— Matt Barkley (@MattBarkley) January 17, 2021
2-0 ?#BillsMafia turned up AGAIN ? pic.twitter.com/1fkCSlw72Y
— Reid Ferguson (@SnapFlow69) January 17, 2021
All for you Western New York!!#BillsMafia deserves it all❤️?
— Harrison Phillips (@horribleharry99) January 17, 2021
#Bills LT Dion Dawkins at the fans in the stadium. "I honestly just hope that everyone gets home safe, because everybody was TURNT. In a good way."
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) January 17, 2021
Jon Feliciano
“It means a lot to Buffalo. The greatest fans in the world “#BillsMafia
— Mike Catalana (@MikeCatalana) January 17, 2021
Joshua Patrick Allen.#BillsMafia
(Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/qardqcAf1c
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) January 17, 2021
Jordan Poyer
“ I am going to enjoy this. I would love to be home next week. But either way we are in the AFC Championship “#BillsMafia
— Mike Catalana (@MikeCatalana) January 17, 2021
Taron Johnson admits that he heard the outside noise that the #Bills defense wasn't going to be able to stop the #Ravens run game.
"We stepped up."#BillsMafia
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) January 17, 2021
Micah Hyde "It's a blessing…we trusted the process along the way." #BillsMafia
— Jenna Cottrell (@JennaCottrell) January 17, 2021
Allentown is going nuts right now!
— Ashley Rowe (@TheAshleyRowe) January 17, 2021
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 17, 2021
Taron Johnson says he thought about taking a knee after his interception in the endzone.
"I caught the ball and looked down and then looked up a saw a whole bunch of green grass."#BillsMafia
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) January 17, 2021
Mitch Morse
“The effort our defense put in….
I am speechless”BillsMafia
— Mike Catalana (@MikeCatalana) January 17, 2021
Taron Johnson: we’re excited but we’re not done yet. We’re trying to get to the big show.
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) January 17, 2021
Last #Bills Divisional Playoff win was on Jan. 15th, 1994. Buffalo beat the L.A. Raiders 29-23 to face the Chiefs in the AFC title game.
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownBills) January 17, 2021
If this isn’t love, idk what is pic.twitter.com/wXzS4RGSTx
— Kimmy Coffey (@Kimmyjohns) January 17, 2021
THIS IS HAPPENING!!!!
IT’S REALLY HAPPENING!!!!!!#BillsMafia
— Duffy on WCMF (@DuffyOnWCMF) January 17, 2021
Jerry Hughes says he's excited to NOT host a AFC Championship viewing party this year? #BillsMafia
— Jenna Cottrell (@JennaCottrell) January 17, 2021
106 of Josh Allen’s 206 passing yards tonight went to Stefon Diggs
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 17, 2021
The leader of #BillsMafia@JoshAllenQB | #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/nFuzF8YvzK
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2021
Josh Allen on Stefon Diggs: when we needed him the most he stepped up. That's what he does #BillsMafia @WKBW
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) January 17, 2021
Congrats to everyone in the @BuffaloBills organization and the entire fan base!!! Going to be a fun week getting ready for the AFC Championship game!#BillsMafia #Bills
— Eric Wood (@EWood70) January 17, 2021
The Bills just beat the two best defenses in the AFC in back to back weeks while playing two of their worst games offensively. Team sport. What a performance by the Bills defense. What a moment for this franchise.
— Nate Geary (@NateGearySports) January 17, 2021
Josh Allen says Taron Johnson's pick-6 is a play that will be remembered for a long time.
— Heather Prusak (@haprusak) January 17, 2021
This team!!! Congrats Buffalo and #BillsMafia. Special stuff. Heard about it!
— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) January 17, 2021
Josh Allen joins Patrick Mahomes (2019) and Ben Roethlisberger (2005) as the only QBs under the age of 25 with multiple wins and a 100+ passer rating in a single postseason
Mahomes & Roethlisberger went on to win the Super Bowl in those seasons#BALvsBUF @BuffaloBills
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) January 17, 2021
Bills have won 8 in a row, and it would be 12 in a row if not for the Hail Mary caught by DeAndre Hopkins
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 17, 2021
2021: The freaking BUFFALO BILLS!!!
— Jill Kelly (@jillmkelly12) January 17, 2021
LETS GOOOOOOOO!!! #billsmafia
— Fred Jackson (@Fred22Jackson) January 17, 2021
Our beloved @BuffaloBills are going to the AFC Championship.
America’s Team continues to capture the imagination of the sports world unlike any team, ever.
2 to go.
Let’s shock the world.— Kevin Connors (@kevconnorsespn) January 17, 2021
If the Browns upset the Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills will host the AFC Championship. If that doesn’t give you goosebumps, you ain’t #BillsMafia.
— Jonah Javad (@JonahJavad) January 17, 2021
Josh Allen also gave a shout out to Tre'Davious White for his big play on Taron Johnson's pick-six: "For Tre White to go out and get a block on Lamar, it's unbelievable."
— Heather Prusak (@haprusak) January 17, 2021
This team is special!!! Great team win!! We ain’t done yet!! #BillsMafia
— Tyler Matakevich (@44_Matakevich) January 17, 2021
This win starts and stops with Kim and Terry Pegula. The owners of the team.. they bought the team in 2014 and have been focused on building a winner. Built world class facilities, hired the best people, set their egos aside.. it starts at the top #BillsMafia #BUFvsBAL
— Sam Acho (@TheSamAcho) January 17, 2021
How you living’, Bills Mafia?!?!
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) January 17, 2021
Josh Allen: "That's a really good team we just played, I'll say that over and over. Our guys played today with a hungry attitude and you saw the results."
— Heather Prusak (@haprusak) January 17, 2021
Buffalo is plugged in for the AFC Championship game ♨️ @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/t33H4sgIBe
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 17, 2021
I know the city going crazy!!!!!
— Jordan Phillips (@Bigphil9797) January 17, 2021
Here's a picture of a Bills fan ahead of Buffalo's LAST AFC championship game appearance in 1994.
A streak that lasted nearly 27 years comes to an end #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/3vIY7Hy04U
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) January 17, 2021
AFC championship‼️
— Isaiah Hodgins (@IsaiahHodgins) January 17, 2021
Hey #BillsMafia How you feeling !? I'm still amped !
Revels !!!— John Fina (@JohnFina) January 17, 2021
How do we even sleep now?#BillsMafia
— Ed Drantch (@EdDrantch) January 17, 2021
BUFFFFFFALO!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/z7MKBBHvmU
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) January 17, 2021
The Bills have the best fans. pic.twitter.com/pBtEKP2ADz
— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) January 17, 2021
17-3
That’s double digit wins in 8 of their last 10 games. This Bills team destroys people. pic.twitter.com/sB2P9f0frV
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) January 17, 2021
LFH
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 17, 2021
Party time pic.twitter.com/WvgvmNEpVK
— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) January 17, 2021
The MF @BuffaloBills!!!! Let’s GOOOOOOOO! #BALvsBUF #DivisionalWeekend
— Michael Robinson (@RealMikeRob) January 17, 2021
Let’s Goooo Bills!!!! God is Good!!! #BillsMafia
— JakefromStateFromm (@FrommJake) January 17, 2021
Big Dubs!! ??
— Aaron Williams (@ajwilliams23) January 17, 2021
"Hope you win the whole thing."
John Harbaugh to Sean McDermott after the game.https://t.co/EepLKq3agc
— ??? ???????? ???? (@sportingnews) January 17, 2021
The ENERGY in that stadium!!! Wow bills mafia love it. ?❤️?❤️
— Rachel (@Rachel__Bush) January 17, 2021
GAME PREVIEW:
The Buffalo Bills square off against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional round of the 2020 NFL Playoffs on January 16, 2021 at 8:15 PM ET on NBC. The contest’s over/under is set at .
The game marks the 10th meeting between the teams in a series the Ravens lead, 6-3. The most recent game between the teams unfolded in Week 14 of the 2019 season, when Baltimore recorded a 24-17 road win.
In that contest, the Bills limited Lamar Jackson to 3.6 yards per carry but surrendered three passing touchdowns to the 2019 NFL MVP. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s Josh Allen completed just 17 of 39 passes for 146 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while taking six sacks overall.
GAME WEEK LINKS:
- 5 things fans need to know about Bills vs. Ravens | Divisional playoff game (BuffaloBills.com)
- Anatomy of a Divisional Round win: What the Bills need to do to stop the Ravens offense (BillsWire.com)
- Bills vs. Ravens: Lamar Jackson has never played in snow and doesn’t want the chance (BuffaloRumblings.com)
- Similarities between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson start their respect for each other (WIVB.com)
- Wind may become a factor during the Buffalo Bills playoff game Saturday in Orchard Park (RochesterFirst.com)
- Ravens coordinator’s comparisons put Bills’ Josh Allen in great QB company (BuffaloNews.com)
- What they’re saying | National analysts provide Bills vs. Ravens divisional round playoff previews + Wild Card recaps (BuffaloBills.com)
- Who the Bills protected on their practice squad for Divisional round (BillsWire.com)
- ‘They’re the top defense that we’ve played all year’ | Bills coaches discuss the big challenge in facing Baltimore (BuffaloBills.com)
- Bills’ Devin Singletary on bigger role without Zack Moss: ‘I’m ready for it’ (BillsWire.com)
- Bills vs. Ravens: New York State won’t allow bars, restaurants to stay open during the game (BuffaloRumblings.com)
- Injury Report | Darryl Johnson is questionable for Bills vs. Ravens (BuffaloBills.com)
- TJ Yeldon to take Zack Moss’ spot in Bills lineup vs. Ravens (BillsWire.com)
- Bills elevate RB Antonio Williams, CB Dane Jackson from practice squad | Bills vs. Ravens (BuffaloBills.com)
GAME WEEK MEDIA:
TOMORROW. ⏰#BALvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/orgVx5CULL
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 15, 2021
#LeadingTheCharge: AFC Divisional Round (#BALvsBUF) game release: https://t.co/4zrNjUIDb7
? Bills Stadium
? 8:15 PM EST
? NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth & Michelle Tafoya)
? @WGR550 / @WestwoodOne pic.twitter.com/yg45uyVMA9— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) January 11, 2021
Prime time threads. ?#BALvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/pxYDw68dgo
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 13, 2021
Stay hungry. ?
Best #BALvsBUF Practice Photos: https://t.co/Afbz3P2zcF pic.twitter.com/aPSoEH1WNl
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 12, 2021
Putting in that work. ?
Best #BALvsBUF Practice Photos: https://t.co/vF8Un4yCYC pic.twitter.com/Wlzn7JzOep
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 15, 2021
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].