The Buffalo Bills outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars in yet another Wild Card weekend classic on Sunday afternoon, largely thanks to the heroic efforts of QB Josh Allen. It's Buffalo's first road playoff win since 1992, and it moves the Bills one step closer to finally making it back to the Super Bowl.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this game's impact. It's not just the futures of both of these teams that were affected; it ripples out to some of the biggest names around the league, as well as other teams still alive in the AFC.
Winner: Josh Allen
Allen's numbers are impressive enough: He completed 28 of his 35 passes at nearly eight yards per attempt, all while adding 33 yards and two scores on the ground — including consecutive sneaks on the game-winning drive. But if you actually watched Sunday's game, you'd know that doesn't come close to encapsulating his impact.
To put it bluntly: Allen put the Bills on his back. Buffalo's defense stood up when it had to, but it also allowed 6.6 yards per play, and on a day when James Cook couldn't get out of second gear, it fell on Allen to save his team from the fire. And he did just that, delivering big plays time and again despite getting routinely battered by Jacksonville's defensive front. Allen fought through head and knee injuries to keep the Bills' season alive, and in the process reminded everyone of his place in the league's QB pecking order.
Loser: Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence wasn't bad per se, and he wasn't the primary reason Jacksonville lost this game (if anything, blame Liam Coen for not sticking with a running game that was gashing Buffalo all day). But it was yet another big spot in which the former No. 1 overall pick couldn't avoid the big mistake, as Lawrence threw two picks that proved crucial.
Lawrence is too good to give up on, and the Jags are too invested even if he weren't. But he's at risk of falling into the league's dreaded QB purgatory: good enough for a big second contract, but not good enough to win big with once he gets it.
Winner: The Steelers and Texans
Had Jacksonville won on Sunday, both Pittsburgh and Houston would've known ahead of time that the winner of Monday night's Wild Card clash would have to go on the road for the Divisional round. Now, though, Buffalo advancing means that either the Steelers or Texans have the chance to host a playoff game next weekend. Of course, it's a narrow chance: The No. 2 seed Patriots would need to lose to the No. 7 seed Chargers at home on Sunday night. But hey, it's something.
Loser: The rest of the AFC bracket
Sure, he sustained what appeared to be multiple injuries, and sure, Buffalo spent much of Sunday on the ropes. But come on: You know there's no way that any of the other teams still left in the AFC bracket are thrilled that Josh Allen is still alive.
It doesn't matter the circumstances, and it apparently doesn't even matter what talent he has around him. As long as Allen is healthy enough to be on the field, he's a force to be reckoned with. And given how many unproven quarterbacks are in his path, a big test awaits the likes of Herbert, Bo Nix, Drake Maye and CJ Stroud.
Winner: Sean McDermott
McDermott isn't the most popular guy in Buffalo these days, and I understand why; he's been the face of Buffalo's repeated playoff failures in the Allen era, and his defenses have seen diminished returns of late. But when you look at the personnel on the field (more on that in a minute), it's hard to really hold him too responsible for not fielding elite units. And when the chips were down on Sunday, McDermott got aggressive and forced enough negative plays to escape with a win — one that may well have saved his job ... for now.
Loser: Brandon Beane
After nearly a decade at the helm in Buffalo, this is the roster you've got around Allen smack in his prime? Really? The Bills receiving corps was non-existent, the interior of the offensive line got whipped and a beleaguered defense was hanging on for dear life for much of the afternoon. For as gutsy of a win as this was, it's hard to feel great about Buffalo's Super Bowl chances moving forward, and the blame for that has to fall squarely on Beane.
Winner: Travis Hunter
Okay, so maybe Hunter wouldn't consider himself a winner; he's made no secret about his desire to play both ways as much as possible in the NFL. But based on how Sunday went, that might not be in the cards — and both Hunter and the Jags will be better off for it.
Slot man Parker Washington led Jacksonville in receiving yards on Sunday, reeling in seven balls for 107 yards and a score. It's an excellent capper to a breakout season, one that should establish him as a mainstay in this receiving corps moving forward. With Jakobi Meyers as a reliable winner over the middle and Brian Thomas Jr. as the game-breaking vertical threat, that position group would seem to be set moving forward.
That doesn't leave a ton of room for Hunter on the offensive side moving forward, which is probably for the best: As good as he is with the ball in his hands, his future should lie at cornerback, and he can only realize his potential there if he commits to it on something resembling a full-time basis.
Loser: Lamar Jackson
Maybe this is uncharitable of me, but this felt like precisely the sort of playoff game that Jackson has had a hard time winning over the course of his career. Many times, the results haven't really been his fault: He can hardly be held responsible for Mark Andrews not holding onto the ball, or for his kickers melting down. But like it or not, Jackson and Allen will be tied at the hip for the remainder of their careers, especially while they're fighting it out for the title of best quarterback without a Super Bowl ring.
Right now, it's hard to shake the feeling that Allen is winning that battle. He took over this game when everything seemed to be going against Buffalo, something that Jackson just hasn't been able to do in his playoff career. And now with John Harbaugh out, the pressure will only ratchet up moving forward.