Buffalo Bills triumph in fourth consecutive AFC East championship

Little appeared to be going right for the Buffalo Bills. Injuries piled up throughout the fourth quarter, red zone difficulties persisted, and multiple opportunities to pull ahead of the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East championship race were missed.

This is a team, however, that has competed in tight games. The Bills’ six losses this season have all been by one touchdown, including the most recent, an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12. After a Week 13 bye, the Bills were 6-6, with a 21% probability of making the playoffs and a 4% chance of winning the division, according to ESPN Analytics.

However, the team’s performance in those tight games shifted following the bye week, with three of its last four wins coming by a single point entering Sunday.

So, with the No. 2 seed on the line, the Bills received a spark when they needed it most to seal a close game yet again, defeating the Dolphins 21-14 after scoring just seven points in the first three quarters. That 4% turned into 100%, as the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East for the fourth consecutive season.

“6-6. We knew what was in front of us and had several internal discussions. “I trusted the guys in this locker room,” quarterback Josh Allen said when the Bills realized they might still win the division. “At the end of the day, this is enjoyable and cool. I’d never say no to winning a division. However, it only confirms a home game and one more game. So it makes no difference if we go out there next week and fail to perform.”

The Bills are now the AFC’s second seed and will host the seventh-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

With little under 14 minutes left in the game against Miami, wide receiver Deonte Harty collected a punt deep in Bills territory, twisted his way through a sea of men, and bounced to the left. He then took off to the races, darting into the end zone. The 96-yard punt return was the longest in Bills history, and Harty’s first touchdown since 2019.

“Those are like adrenaline shots that our team is taking, and the other team is throwing up,” Buffalo left lineman Dion Dawkins explained. “It just goes to show how one play can have a significant impact on the outcome of a game.” But he definitely gets the game ball, since that was the turning point in the game. And I’m grateful to him because, all year, we hadn’t expected it, but he turned up.”

The touchdown and extra point knotted the game at 14. Buffalo’s defense then forced a three-and-out, and the Bills offense went on an eight-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Allen to tight end Dawson Knox with 7:16 remaining on the clock. The Bills would go on a four-plus-minute drive before handing it back over to the Dolphins with less than two minutes left. Buffalo safety Taylor Rapp then intercepted Tua Tagovailoa to secure the win.