Payments open playoffs with methodical victory over Steelers

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The acute winter climate might solely delay the celebration for the Buffalo Payments.

Kicking off 27-plus hours later than initially scheduled at Highmark Stadium, the Payments made up for misplaced time by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in an AFC wild-card matchup that prolonged Buffalo’s win streak to 6 video games.

Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw first-quarter landing passes to tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. Allen added a private report 52-yard landing run within the second quarter to stake the Payments to a 21-0 lead, one they’d not relinquish.

The Steelers, in the meantime, noticed their unlikely late-season push finish amid Allen’s massive performs and their very own turnovers. Pittsburgh, which was enjoying with out All-Professional pass-rusher T.J. Watt, reached the postseason regardless of possessing a 4% probability of creating the playoffs on Dec. 22.

This is a have a look at the highest storylines for each groups in Monday’s matchup:

Buffalo Payments

Coping with a wide range of defensive accidents because the Steelers bought the sport to inside one rating early within the fourth quarter, the ball was in quarterback Josh Allen’s arms to place collectively a drive and pull forward.

The Payments charged downfield and, with second-and-9 from the Steelers’ 16-yard line, Allen discovered huge receiver Khalil Shakir, who managed to someway discover his manner out of an tried sort out by security Minkah Fitzpatrick downfield and ran previous different Steelers defenders into the tip zone with 6:27 remaining.

The rating punctuated a 31-17 win for the Payments during which the workforce took benefit of miscues by the Steelers and located cohesion on offense, with Allen finishing 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He additionally ran for 74 yards and one rating on eight carries.

It was Allen’s fourth profession playoff recreation with three passing touchdowns, passing Jim Kelly for essentially the most in Payments postseason historical past. It was solely the second time since Week 4 that Allen didn’t flip the ball over.

Subsequent up for the Payments can be a Kansas Metropolis Chiefs workforce led by Patrick Mahomes in his first profession street playoff recreation.

Describe the sport in two phrases: The 1st step. Successful within the wild-card spherical is a step in the fitting path for a workforce with the most important of objectives, and whereas it wasn’t an ideal efficiency — the theme of the Payments’ season — a robust begin led to Buffalo advancing to the subsequent spherical.

QB breakdown: Allen posted a formidable all-around effort, however his 52-yard record-breaking landing run deserves a shoutout of its personal. On a third-and-8 play, Allen darted previous and thru defenders to attain the Payments’ third landing of the day regardless of security Damontae Kazee making contact to attempt to carry him down. The run was the second-longest dashing landing by a quarterback in postseason historical past and the longest dashing rating in Payments postseason historical past.

Pivotal play: Kaiir Elam’s interception within the second quarter. The Steelers have been primed to attain on Pittsburgh’s fifth drive of the sport. Backup cornerback Elam got here in in the course of the drive for Christian Benford (knee) and was run over on a 12-yard go to tight finish Pat Freiermuth then was known as for defensive go interference two performs later. Two performs after that, Elam redeemed himself and picked off a Mason Rudolph go ultimately zone to maintain the Payments up two scores and the Steelers scoreless.

Troubling development: Defensive accidents. With the return of defensive sort out DaQuan Jones late within the season, the well being of the Payments’ D gave the impression to be trying up. Then beginning cornerback Rasul Douglas, outdoors linebacker Tyrel Dodson and security Taylor Rapp have been damage in Week 18 and missed the begin to the playoffs. And in Monday’s contest, beginning center linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) was carted off and linebacker Baylon Spector (again) and cornerback Christian Benford (knee) each exited. Nickel nook Taron Johnson additionally left to be evaluated for a head damage. With a brief week, the variety of defensive accidents might take a major toll. — Alaina Getzenberg

Subsequent recreation: vs. Chiefs (6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Pittsburgh Steelers

Competing with out NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months contender T.J. Watt, the Steelers battled again from a 21-0 gap, however they fell brief, placing an finish to their season within the wild-card spherical. The Steelers are actually winless of their previous 4 playoff appearances, final profitable in opposition to the Chiefs within the 2016 divisional spherical.

The Steelers, enjoying a day later than initially scheduled due to a winter storm within the space, fell behind 14-0 after one quarter, as their errors have been compounded by the Payments’ dazzling playmaking. But in a microcosm of their season, the Steelers did not hand over and fought to make it a one-score recreation early within the fourth quarter, earlier than Josh Allen and the Payments’ offense carved up Pittsburgh’s depleted protection.

With the loss, the Steelers have reached a crossroads and an offseason stuffed with decisions that might alter the course of the franchise. Will they decide to Kenny Pickett as their beginning quarterback in 2024? Will coach Mike Tomlin, at present below contract by way of the 2024 season, return? The clock on these choices begins now.

Pivotal play: Trailing 14-0, the Steelers had their greatest alternative to attain from the 4-yard line early within the second quarter. As a substitute, they got here away with zero factors after Kaiir Elam picked off Mason Rudolph as Elam dove in entrance of Diontae Johnson ultimately zone to nab the ball. On the following drive, the Payments went up 21-0 on a 52-yard Josh Allen landing run. That the Steelers even bought inside a sniff of the tip zone was a feat after gaining simply 34 yards on their first 4 drives. The Steelers’ fifth drive went 88 yards earlier than Rudolph’s choose.

QB breakdown: Making his fourth consecutive begin — and first of his profession within the postseason — Rudolph carried out higher than his stat line suggests. He accomplished 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, however essentially the most spectacular factor about Rudolph was the poise he confirmed in high-pressure moments.

A number of instances, Rudolph stood tall within the face of strain, delivering strikes from the pocket because the Payments go rush closed in. Within the third quarter, Rudolph climbed the pocket, dancing away from strain, and threw throughout his physique to hit George Pickens over the center for a 19-yard achieve on third-and-long. He capped that drive with a seven-yard landing to Calvin Austin to make it a one-score recreation late within the fourth quarter.

Rudolph’s assured and constant play places the Steelers in an ungainly place. A brand new offensive coordinator is atop the record of Steelers’ offseason priorities, however did Rudolph do sufficient to problem Pickett for the beginning job? Does Rudolph, not below contract for 2024, need to return to Pittsburgh or go some place else the place he has a greater shot at a beginning job?

Silver lining: Rookie outdoors linebacker Nick Herbig has the makings of the subsequent Steelers’ defensive star. WIth Watt out, Herbig had an even bigger than common position on the protection, however his most spectacular play got here on particular groups when he hustled down the sector to recuperate a subject aim blocked by Montravius Adams. Because of Herbig’s heads-up play, the Steelers bought their first factors of the day on a short-field drive capped by a 10-yard Rudolph-to-Johnson landing simply earlier than halftime. — Brooke Pryor