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Bills quarterback Josh Allen appeared to suffer multiple injuries against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Buffalo Bills will face the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs — and will have a short week to recover from some significant injuries before facing the AFC’s top team.
Buffalo’s next playoff opponent was set when the New England Patriots knocked off the Los Angeles Chargers in Sunday night’s wild-card game. The Bills will be the lowest remaining seed in the second round, leaving them a matchup with the well-rested No. 1 seed.
The NFL announced that the game times on Saturday will be at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., with Buffalo’s time determined after Monday’s game.
Bills Have Less Than a Week to Prepare
While the Bills don’t have their kickoff time known just yet, they know that the game will take place on Saturday. The final game of wild-card weekend takes place on Monday night, with the AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Houston Texans. The winner of that game will face the Patriots on Sunday, leaving the Bills to play the remaining AFC divisional game on Saturday.
The time frame could give an added advantage to the Broncos, who earned the sole bye week for earning the No. 1 overall seed in the conference.
The Bills will now have just six days to recover from a bruising win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the Bills prevailed 27-24 thanks to a late touchdown drive capped off by quarterback Josh Allen’s 1-yard touchdown run, they suffered some serious injuries.
Wide receiver Gabe Davis was knocked out of the game with a knee injury that appeared significant. The veteran receiver was seen wearing a leg brace and walking with crutches after the game.
The Bills also lost safety Jordan Poyer, who was knocked out of the game with an apparent hamstring injury and replaced by rookie Jordan Hancock.
Allen also took some hard shots during the game, at one point being taken to the medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion before being cleared to return. But Allen also appeared to suffer a foot or leg injury and later hit his hand on an offensive lineman’s helmet while throwing a pass.
But the Bills also saw several veterans step up, including cornerback Tre’Davious White. He returned to the Bills after being released prior to the 2024 season and has been on a stretch of stellar play.
He had several key pass breakups against the Jaguars, including one that led to the game-clinching interception on Jacksonville’s final drive.
“It was awesome,” Allen said after the game, via The Associated Press. “A guy that’s been under a lot of scrutiny throughout the last couple years. To get him back and get him back in a Bills uniform and making plays for us when we need it the most, that’s Tre.”
Bills Won’t Return Home This Postseason
With New England’s win, Buffalo’s distant hopes of hosting one more game at Highmark Stadium were dashed. The Bills had a chance to host the AFC Championship game if both they and the Chargers advanced, but now the team will stay on the road for the rest of the playoffs.
Sunday’s win snapped an eight-game road losing streak on the road for the Bills in the playoffs, giving the franchise its first win away from Buffalo since the 1992 AFC Championship game.
Allen said he was excited for the chance to continue the streak — and play another week.
“Now we have a chance to do it again,” Allen said, via ESPN.
“Feels good. Feels good. At the same time, it just means we get another game.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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