The No. 6 seed Buffalo Bills opened the NFL playoffs with a dramatic 27-24 wild-card round win over the No. 3 seed Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium, securing their first road playoff victory since 1992. In a game defined by late swings, Buffalo finally delivered in a do-or-die moment, advancing to the divisional round.
Josh Allen capped a nine-play, 66-yard drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak with 1:04 remaining, putting the Bills ahead for good after Jacksonville had reclaimed the lead minutes earlier. The Jaguars’ final possession ended quickly, as Tre’Davious White tipped a Lawrence pass on the first play after the kickoff, allowing safety Cole Bishop to make the game-sealing interception.
Buffalo struck first after a Shaq Thompson interception set up a 50-yard Matt Prater field goal. Jacksonville answered with a 65-yard touchdown drive, ending with Lawrence’s three-yard pass to Brian Thomas. After Ray Davis fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Jaguars threatened again, but Thompson stopped Lawrence on fourth down. Allen responded with a 92-yard drive, scoring on a two-yard run to give Buffalo a 10-7 halftime lead.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, sending Buffalo into the fourth ahead 13-10. The final period featured four lead changes and 28 total points. Lawrence hit Parker Washington for a six-yard touchdown, Allen answered with a 15-yard strike to Dalton Kincaid, and Lawrence connected with Travis Etienne Jr. on a 14-yard touchdown to make it 24-20. Allen’s clutch drive, highlighted by a 36-yard completion to Brandin Cooks, set up the decisive score.
Allen finished 28-of-35 for 273 yards with a touchdown, adding 33 rushing yards and two scores. Khalil Shakir caught 12 passes for 82 yards. Lawrence threw for 207 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Washington totaled 107 receiving yards.
GAME RECAP LINKS
- Bills 27, Jaguars 24 | Final Score, recap + highlights (BuffaloBills.com)
- Rapid reaction as Josh Allen goes God mode, powers Bills to Wild-Card win vs. Jaguars (SI.com)
- Josh Allen scores winning TD for gritty win. Bills vs. Jaguars score, highlights, stats (D&C.com)
- Bills playoffs: Buffalo finally wins road playoff game in Wild Card clash against Jaguars in Jacksonville (BuffaloRumblings.com)
- 2025 NFL Wild-Card Good, Bad and Ugly: Josh Allen Delivers Again for the Bills (SI.com)
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].