Watch the NFL wildcard playoffs - including Buffalo @ Jacksonville - live only on Sky Sports this weekend
Sunday 7 January 2018 18:06, UK
The Buffalo Bills are in the NFL playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season!
The longest postseason drought in American sports is over, ended in the most dramatic fashion as a last-minute Cincinnati Bengals touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens, last week, knocked them out of the AFC playoff picture at the expense of Buffalo.
It sparked scenes of wild celebration in the Bills dressing room, and they now gear up for their Wild Card game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Action from 5.30pm.
Many expect the Bills to go one-and-done on the playoff return. But, here we take a look at why they can cause an upset...
Sure, it might be sentiment getting the better of judgement, but given the sad passing of long-time, legendary Sky Sports NFL presenter and Bills fan Kevin Cadle in October this year, it was fitting that Buffalo should end their long playoff drought this year.
Can they go even better and have a run at the Super Bowl?
Buffalo fans' suffering hasn't been limited to the turn of the century and their long playoff absence. There has been plenty of postseason heartbreak and heartache for the team to endue before, particularly their four consecutive Super Bowl losses from 1991 to 1994 - that included back-to-back blowout defeats to the Dallas Cowboys and a handy win too for the Washington Redskins.
Undoubtedly, the most painful of the four defeats though was the first, a 20-19 nail-bitter against the New York Giants, where the Bills had the chance to win late on, only for Scott Norwood's 47-yard field goal to famously miss wide right.
Also, at the very beginning of the playoff drought they've just ended, the Bills were incredibly beaten by the Tennessee Titans off the final play of a Wild Card game, dubbed the 'Music City Miracle' - Frank Wycheck throwing a lateral pass across the field to Kevin Dyson, who raced away for a 75-yard game-winning TD. It's safe to say, Buffalo are due some good fortune…
Each year, as the regular season reaches its conclusion, teams are fighting for position in the playoffs, hoping to wrap up a first-round bye or that supposedly all-important home-field advantage. But, that doesn't necessarily guarantee success.
For example, since Buffalo's last playoff appearance in 2000, only two No 1 seeds have won the Super Bowl - the 2003 New England Patriots and 2009 New Orleans Saints. That's the same amount of titles No 6 seeds have won over the same period - the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers and 2010 Green Bay Packers. Sure, the Steelers and Packers are the only two to have done it in NFL history but, still, don't sleep on the Bills or No 6 Atlanta Falcons from the NFC.
This offense revolves around McCoy, with the running back clocking another 1,000-yard year (1,138), but his health for Buffalo's Wild Card Weekend meeting with Jacksonville is in some doubt after sustaining an injury to his right ankle in Week 17, and he hasn't been able to put in a full day of practice since.
"He's a fierce competitor," head coach Sean McDermott said. "He's hard at work, maximising the treatment opportunities to get himself to where he can play." The six-time Pro Bowler McCoy would be a huge loss if he can't play or isn't at 100 per cent.
Just as Buffalo appeared to be building up a head of steam this season, streaking out to a 5-2 start, the wheels came off. Back-to-back defeats to the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints - the second a massive 47-10 blowout at home - prompted a change. But, it was the wrong one!
Sure, QB Tyrod Taylor threw for only 56 yards against the Saints, but the real reason for the loss was the 298 rush yards the defense allowed. That's what needed fixing, yet the change came at quarterback, and it was a catastrophic one! In came back-up Nathan Peterman for the next game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he proceed to throw FIVE interceptions from only 14 passing attempts.
Head coach Sean McDermott, suddenly under huge pressure following the premature change that could have cost the team a playoff spot, admitted his mistake and brought back in Taylor. Four wins from six followed - their only defeats coming against New England - to see Buffalo once again reach the playoff promised land.
If you take out those five interceptions thrown by Peterman in Week 11, the Bills have given the ball away the fewest number of times of any team this season (11), while the defense has 18 picks for the season, sixth-most in the league.
The turnover battle will once again be key to their progress in the playoffs. They come up against a Jaguars team this weekend, whose own fearsome defense has the second-most takeaways in the NFL. BUT, with Blake Bortles - who has thrown five interceptions in his last two games - at quarterback, there should be a fair few chances for the Bills D.
A win on Sunday would see the Bills book the daunting prospect of a Divisional Round date with New England. Daunting, why? Well, other than the fact that they're the defending Super Bowl champions, the two December defeats to their AFC East rivals saw Tom Brady break the record for most wins by a starting quarterback against a single opponent, with his 27th and 28th career victories - beating Brett Favre's 26 over the Detroit Lions.
But, Brady and the Patriots didn't have things all their own way in those two meetings. In the first game, Brady threw an interception and no TDs, enough to seem him throw a temper tantrum at offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on the sidelines, while the Bills also got under the skin of star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who earned a one-game ban for a late hit on cornerback Tre'Davious White. In the second, Buffalo held a 16ᆡ lead at one stage in the third quarter - a lead that could have been even greater were it not for a Kelvin Benjamin TD to be controversially overturned.
Get past the Jags on Sunday, and there would be no sweeter revenge for the long-suffering Bills fans than ending New England's quest for a sixth Super Bowl. It may be the stuff of dreams, but the playoffs are the time for dreaming!
Watch the Buffalo Bills in action against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wild Card Weekend in the NFL playoffs, live on Sky Sports Action on Sunday from 5.30pm.
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