The Buffalo Bills clinched their spot in the 2019 postseason with a 17-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The game carried a large weight on the AFC postseason picture, as the Bills and Steelers held the two Wild Card spots coming into the primetime matchup. At the end of the night, it was Buffalo’s defense who came out on top in this low-scoring, defensive affair.
Tre’Davious White intercepted Steelers quarterback Devlin Hodges twice on the night. Jordan Phillips recorded two sacks, while Shaq Lawson and Trent Murphy contributed sacks as well.
Buffalo limited Pittsburgh’s offense to 229 yards on offense. The Steelers leaned on the passing attack for a good chunk of the game. Pittsburgh attempted 38 passes while rushing only 15 times. Pittsburgh mustered only 51 yards on those rushing attempts.
Buffalo’s defense was called upon twice in the closing minutes of the game to seal the deal. Jordan Poyer intercepted Hodges in the end zone just after the two-minute warning.
The Bills offense produced a three-and-out after the turnover, giving the Steelers a final shot at tying the game. However, as it happened to be all game long, Buffalo’s defense rose to the occasion and closed out the contest for Buffalo. Jordan Phillips recorded a sack and with time ticking down, Hodges threw up a prayer which Levi Wallace intercepted in the end zone.
Tremaine Edmunds led the Bills with eight total tackles.
Buffalo’s offense primarily ran through Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, and John Brown. Allen scored the game’s first touchdown, a one-yard rush in the second quarter. The touchdown gave Allen the team’s rushing record for most touchdowns scored on the ground by a quarterback.
Allen ended the night 13-of-25 for 139 passing yards. He managed the game well, limited mistakes and taking whatever the challenging Steelers defense would allow at Heinz Field. The signal-caller added 28 yards on seven carries.
Singletary and Brown had strong games as well, as Singletary gained 87 yards on the ground on 21 carries. Brown racked up 99 receiving yards on seven receptions. The duo gained 186 of Buffalo’s 261 total offensive yards.
The game-winning touchdown came from an unfamiliar source this year, as Tyler Kroft caught a 14-yard pass from Allen midway through the fourth quarter.
There were a few miscues throughout the game, but none really haunted the Bills in end. Allen’s only interception was a pass that went off the hands of the usually reliable Cole Beasley and dropped into the arms of Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson.
Devin Singletary fumbled twice, losing one of the miscues. However, head coach Sean McDermott relied on the rookie despite putting the ball on the ground. It paid off, as the FAU product found a way through an aggressive Pittsburgh defense.
White left the game for a few moments after making a tackle, suffering an apparent shoulder injury. He returned on the next series, and his interceptions from tonight give him six on the season, which is tied for the league lead.
The game followed the script if the Bills were to be successful. The defense led the way, dominating the game. The offense, while not necessarily a juggernaut, finalized drives when it was most needed. Pittsburgh’s defense is very good, and the Bills were able to punch in two touchdowns when needed.
The defense put the ball in the hands of Devlin Hodges and without a doubt, that worked into Buffalo’s favor. They forced four interceptions and thwarted virtually every attempt the Steelers made in the red zone.
It was an impressive performance for Buffalo, as now they are playoff-bound for the second time in three seasons. The Bills hit double-digits in the win column for the first time in two decades.
Buffalo travels to Foxboro next Saturday to face off against the New England Patriots. The Bills still have an outside shot at winning the AFC East, so a victory Saturday and some help along the way could give the Bills a chance at a home playoff game.
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