Josh Allen did it all for the Buffalo Bills Sunday. Despite facing a top three Jacksonville Jaguars defense, the reigning NFL MVP kept finding ways to thrive. Allen was battered on a day where he limped off the field nursing hand, leg and upper body injuries. He got little from All-Pro running back James Cook, who was limited to 46 yards on 15 carries in Florida. He was forced to rely on wideouts like a 32-year-old Brandin Cooks and still completed 80 percent of his passes.

The result? A 27-24 victory that stands as Allen’s first playoff win on the road. Buffalo survived to see at least one more postseason game as a visitor in next week’s Divisional Round.

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It wouldn’t have been possible without an embattled defense rising to the occasion to crush the Jaguars’ hopes.

Buffalo’s glaring flaw coming into January had been a defense liable to be absolutely gashed on the ground. Its 0.049 expected points added (EPA) allowed per opponent’s rush ranked 31st in the NFL, hitting 0.060 over the second half of the season. That looked like it could unravel the Bills after two different Jacksonville running backs, Bhayshul Tuten and Travis Etienne, averaged better than 12 yards per carry in the first three quarters.

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But that only came on eight carries. When Jags head coach Liam Coen tried to capitalize with a more run-focused approach in the final frame, Buffalo improved enough to keep the game close. Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville’s running backs combined for nine carries and only 23 yards in the fourth quarter, putting the focus on Lawrence’s passing game instead. The young franchise quarterback was up to the task, but it was clear it wouldn’t be easy.

The other concern? An injury-riddled secondary forced to bet heavily on the development of second-year safety Cole Bishop and a return to form from soon-to-be 31-year-old cornerback Tre’Davious White. With the game on the line, those two stepped up to ensure an unpleasant ride home for the fans in Duval County.

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Lawrence’s 0.236 EPA per play ranked fourth among NFL starting quarterbacks over the second half of the 2025 season, pushing the Jags to an eight-game run streak in the process. On Sunday, Buffalo’s secondary limited him to -0.04 EPA per dropback. He did plenty of damage with short targets, but the Bills stood up when it came to completing passes downfield. He threw 13 passes that traveled more than eight yards downfield. He completed five with a pair of interceptions.

While Allen deserves so, so much credit for willing his offense to a win, it would have disappeared into the ether without Sean McDermott’s defense creating enough chaos to erase big plays down the stretch.

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Doing so in the Divisional Round will be another challenge. Buffalo was gashed early by the league’s 19th-ranked rush offense to the tune of nearly seven yards per carry. Fortunately, the rest of the AFC is light on superstar tailbacks — the only teams remaining on that side of the bracket with a more efficient run game than the Jags are the Pittsburgh Steelers (seventh) and next week’s likely opponent, the Denver Broncos (16th). If the Bills defense can find its spine in the nick of time like it did in Jacksonville, it’ll create all the space Allen needs to drive his team to its first Super Bowl since Marv Levy roamed the sideline in western New York.

That’s a big ask, but Buffalo’s weaknesses became a strength just in time to escape the Wild Card round with a win over one of the NFL’s hottest teams.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Bills defense stood up when it mattered most to beat the Jaguars