The Buffalo Bills playoff run after the 1992 season began with the Comeback Game, also known as The Miracle at Rich, a game which I attended in early January of 1993. The Bills came back from a 35-3 deficit early in the third quarter for a thrilling 41-38 overtime win. This, the largest comeback in NFL history (a record since broken by the Vikings by one point in 2022), came with quarterback Jim Kelly injured in favour of back-up Frank Reich. The following week in the Divisional Round, the Bills won in Pittsburgh - this time quite convincingly - with Reich still under centre, 24-3. Kelly returned the following week for the AFC Championship Game in Miami which the Bills won easily, 29-10, earning their third consecutive Superbowl berth. That game, played on January 16th, 1993, is the last road playoff game won by the Bills. If they are to make a run to the Superbowl in the early weeks of 2026, it will require three road wins – unless the Los Angeles Chargers can win two road games over the next two weeks – in New England and in Denver. If the Bills and Chargers can between them post four road wins over the next two weeks, the AFC Championship Game – Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo - will become the last game to be played at Rich Stadium.
But in reality, of course, the last game at the concrete
slab 20 miles south of Buffalo was played yesterday. It was a good
showing by the Bills back-ups and a handful of starters who had their way with
the pathetic New York Jets who might consider folding the franchise, finding a
new owner and a new name and starting over as an expansion team. I can’t see
how they could do much worse than they did in 2026. Josh Allen maintained his
consecutive start streak which now stands at 71 and dates back to week 12 of
the 2018 season. After taking the opening snap and handing it off to James Cook
(more on him in a minute), Allen gave way to Mitch Trubisky who went 22 for 29
for 259 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. It did come against the Jets
but still, he looked comfortable and confident in what quickly became a
laugher.
James Cook became the first Bills running back to win the
NFL rushing title since OJ Simpson in 1976. His 1,621 yards, only 15 of which
came yesterday, was 24 yards more than Derrick Henry finished with and 36 more
than Jonathan Taylor of the Colts. Cook’s 15 yards yesterday before he gave way
to Ray Davis who went off for 151 yards on 21 carries (again, it came against
the Jets), could easily have not been quite enough as Derrick Henry piled up
126 yards in last night’s loss (more on that in a minute). Had Henry broken
just one more run for 25 yards, the title would have been his. But this morning,
the title belongs to Cook and to the Bills offensive line which takes great
pride in this accomplishment as clearly one of the best units n the league this
season. I hope that Cook got his five collaborators more than Isotoner gloves
for Christmas.
Week 18 in the NFL always produces plenty of drama. In a
curious scenario, the winner of the NFC South division - which would be either
the Panthers or the Bucs – was determined by the outcome of a game between the
Saints and Falcons. The Falcons won (but coach Raheen Morris was still fired),
giving the division title to the 8-9 Panthers who had lost the previous day in
Tampa. Although the upsets we often see in week 18 didn’t really materialize,
the final regular season game of the 2025 season was a thriller with four touchdowns,
each producing a lead change, coming in the fourth quarter. Two missed kicks in
the game’s final minute added to the drama with Steelers kicker Chris Boswell
missing what seemed like a crucial extra point then Ravens kicker Tyler Loop
missing what would have been the game-winning field goal on the final play. The
Ravens bowed out in excruciating fashion once again, after last year’s dropped
two-point convert attempt in Buffalo. One wonders if the 2026 season will see both
coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Lamar Jackson return. Each will be in demand
should they party ways with the Ravens.
For the second straight year, the Bills find themselves in
the familiar Sunday at 1pm window for the Wildcard playoff round. This time,
the game will be played at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. The Bills and
Jaguars have previously met twice in the playoffs with the Jags winning both
times. The first was in late December of 1996 in what would be Jim Kelly’s
final game – a 30-27 Jags win. The second time was in early 2018 in Sean
McDermott’s first season as Bills head coach (with Wyoming quarterback Josh
Allen still only a twinkle in Brandon Beane’s eye) after a miraculous win by
the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore earned the Bills their first playoff
appearance in 17 years. The game, with Tyrod Taylor under centre for Buffalo,
was an exceedingly frustrating punt-fest, won by the Jags 10-7.
Josh Allen and Sean McDermott are 0-5 in road playoff games,
with three of those losses coming at the hands of the Chiefs in Kansas City. Another
road playoff loss in Houston came two years after the Jacksonville loss. It’s been
33 years since the last Bills road playoff win – three years before Josh Allen
was born in Firebaugh, CA. Time to flip the script and also time to root for
the Chargers who play the Patriots in the Saturday night game.
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