Josh Allen and Bills defeat Ravens, will play Chiefs in AFC championship game
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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns, Buffalo’s defense forced three turnovers and the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game with a 27-25 win over the Baltimore Ravens in a divisional playoff game on Sunday night.
The Bills hung on when a wide-open Mark Andrews dropped a two-point conversion pass from Lamar Jackson, allowing the ball to bounce off his chest with 1:33 left. Jackson connected with a sliding Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown to give the Ravens a chance to tie.
The Bills advanced to the AFC championship game next Sunday against the conference’s top seed, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo snapped a three-year run of being eliminated in the divisional round.
The Rams had an opportunity to beat the Eagles on their last drive, reaching the red zone, but came up short in a 28-22 NFC divisional round playoff loss.
It’s a familiar matchup for Buffalo, which has been eliminated by Kansas City in three of the past four postseasons.
Allen scored on runs of one and four yards while Ray Davis also scored on a one-yard run. Tyler Bass hit both field goal attempts, including a 21-yarder with 3:29 left after the Bills stalled at Baltimore’s two. That drive was set up by the Ravens’ third turnover, when linebacker Terrel Bernard stripped the ball from Andrews at the Buffalo 44.
The Bills closed their season a perfect 10-0 at home. That included a 30-21 win over the previously unbeaten Chiefs in Week 11.
The Ravens had one of the NFL’s most productive offenses in the regular season but fell a win short of reaching the conference title game, which they lost to the Chiefs a year ago. Scrutiny of Jackson’s playoff performances will only increase as he fell to 3-5 in the postseason. He had two first-half turnovers in this loss, throwing an interception and losing a fumble.
Baltimore fell to 5-8 in the divisional round, including 1-4 in its last five.
It would seem Cooper Kupp, not what he used to be, might not be with the Rams next season unless his contract is redone. Matthew Stafford wants to come back.
The Bills continued playing complementary football to overcome a patchwork defense and an offense that didn’t have a receiver reach 900 yards this season. Buffalo finished the regular season with a league-best plus-24 turnover differential.
That continued on Sunday with a turnover-free game from Allen and the Bills that was just good enough.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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