We are knee-deep into the NFL playoffs, with four teams advancing to their respective Conference Championships. The next round will take place on Jan. 26 as two teams punch their tickets to the Super Bowl.
The teams that remain alive are the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Commanders, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo is our Team of the Week from the Divisional Round.
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The Kid From Firebaugh
When you first see how talented Josh Allen is at quarterback, you might assume he attended Westlake High School in Austin, Tex., where both Drew Brees and Nick Foles went, or Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, La., from where Peyton and Eli Manning graduated.
However, Allen went to Firebaugh High School, a school with a student population of 632.
After graduating high school in 2014, Allen attended Reedley Junior College, where he found success leading the ninth-ranked offense among JUCO schools. During the 2015 season, he continued his college football career at the University of Wyoming. However, he would only throw four passes in the 2015 season before suffering a broken collarbone. Nevertheless, Allen came back to the starting lineup in 2016 and had the best season of his career. He threw for 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Josh Allen started his collegiate career at Reedley Community College, where he dominated in his first season.
But the D1 schools never called, so he wrote an email & sent it to every coach he could find.
I plan on using this as a template for all cold emails going forward. pic.twitter.com/D5FwmOyUIZ
— Will Stern (@Will__Stern) September 22, 2021
Allen did consider entering the 2017 NFL Draft, but he ultimately decided to return for another collegiate season. Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl had convinced Allen to stay in college, noting that he would improve his long-term NFL prospects.
In 2017 at Wyoming, Allen threw for 1,812 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He was selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, going seventh overall to the Bills. Nearly seven years later, the kid from Firebaugh, Calif., is the front-runner for NFL MVP.
Sunday’s win proved why Allen is the MVP favorite; he went 16-for-22 through the air, and while he only had 127 passing yards, he added 20 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The 2018 NFL Draft
Sunday’s matchup highlighted the remarkable quarterback class from the 2018 NFL Draft, featuring two standout players: Allen, who was taken seventh overall, and Lamar Jackson, who was taken 32nd overall. Throughout the season, both have been in fierce competition for the coveted MVP award. Playoff games are not considered for NFL award voting, but Allen certainly cemented himself above Jackson on Sunday night. Although Allen secured the win, the official MVP awards will not be announced until the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 6.
Josh Allen went right to Lamar. Respect 🤝 #BALvsBUF pic.twitter.com/iBrg5PIsqH
— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
The Bills Can Beat You in Multiple Ways
The key factor in this Sunday night showdown was the performance of the Buffalo defense. The Bills managed pressure on Lamar Jackson, sacking him twice—once by Damar Hamlin and once by Gregory Rousseau. Additionally, Taylor Rapp contributed to the Bills’ win with an interception.
Buffalo’s running game also played a crucial role in securing this victory. On top of Josh Allen’s 20 rushing yards and two touchdowns, running back James Cook contributed 17 carries for 67 yards while Ty Johnson had five carries for 31 yards. Rookie Ray Davis added four rushes for 29 yards and one touchdown.
The Buffalo Bills won due to their strong defense, effective running game, and quarterback Josh Allen. Next, Allen and the Bills will face the Kansas City Chiefs with the AFC title and a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
The Bills-Chiefs ending in the 2021 Divisional Round will never get old. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/U54yNhMtmN
— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2025
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