Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday's action in Wild Card Weekend of the 2025 NFL season. Catch up on each game's biggest takeaways using the links below:
- Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24
- San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles
- Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
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- REWATCH: Bills-Jaguars on NFL+ Premium
- READ: Banged-up Allen rallies BUF to first road playoff win since 1992
- Allen leads Bills to comeback road playoff win. Battered, bruised, knocked around, Josh Allen still answered the bell in the clutch. The reigning NFL MVP came in with a foot issue, and before the first half was over was checked for a concussion, injured his hand on a throw and had his knee twisted on a touchdown run. Nothing slowed the Bills' Superman. Allen played a nearly perfect game, spraying passes all over the field. He completed 28 of 35 passes (80%) for 273 yards, 7.8 yards per attempt, with a touchdown for a 108.7 passer rating. The beast also added 11 carries for 33 yards and two rushing scores. With a questionable receiver corps, Allen fit the ball in tight windows with extreme accuracy. If not for a couple of dropped passes, his numbers would be even more impressive. In a wild fourth quarter, Allen was the best player on the field. Leading his first career postseason game-winning drive, the QB was magnificent. With a free-rusher in his face, Allen laid a ball perfectly to Brandin Cooks for 36 yards to put the Bills in charge of the final two minutes. With James Cook and the running game stuffed, Buffalo needed MVP Allen to carry the load. He delivered.
- Lawrence, Jags come up shy. Jacksonville stampeded over the Bills on the ground, gobbling up 154 rushing yards on 23 carries, for a 6.7 average. For stretches, the Jags' rushing attack was unstoppable, particularly on outside runs, where they generated 119 yards. Travis Etienne (10 carries for 67 yards) and Bhayshul Tuten (4/51) gashed Buffalo’s wobbly run D. Liam Coen might regret getting away from the run game at times. Trevor Lawrence experienced an up-and-down day against an excellent Bills pass D, completing 18 of 30 for 207 yards with two touchdowns. However, his two interceptions cost the Jags dearly. The first came in his own end on a misread that he threw directly to linebacker Shaq Thompson, allowing Buffalo to take an early lead. Lawrence bounced back, helping the Jags gobble up 359 total yards and making several clutch throws. However, with a chance to answer in the final minute, Lawrence was again intercepted to seal the loss. The turnovers will sting as Jacksonville’s magical run, which included winning the AFC South title, came screeching to a halt.
- Bills D comes up with key turnovers. Sean McDermott’s defense might not be the stingiest, but it came up with massive plays to help Buffalo into the Divisional Round. Buffalo’s run defense remains leaky, allowing Jacksonville’s top two backs to average 8.4 yards per carry and keep Josh Allen off the field for stretches. However, the pass defense remains stellar. The Bills came up with two INTs and a pivotal turnover on downs in the second quarter. Gregory Rousseau provided some pop up front with five QB pressures and a sack, and the secondary stepped up. Veteran Tre'Davious White had a turn-back-the-clock performance. The cornerback allowed just one catch for 3 yards on four targets with three pass breakups. White’s biggest play silenced the Jags. On the first snap after the Bills took the lead, the sage defender blanketed Jakobi Meyers, forcing a tight window throw over the middle. White tipped the pass and the ball fell into safety Cole Bishop’s lap. Ball game.
- Washington thrives in spotlight. The Jaguars offense, particularly the passing attack, was slow early. With Parker Washington getting checked for a concussion, the Jags pass attack couldn’t do much through two quarters. Then the dangerous slot returned. He jump-started the Jags' aerial attack, catching seven passes for 107 yards and a TD. Washington generated two catches of 30-plus yards (34 and 31) and gave the Bills' secondary fits over the middle, recording four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in the area. Washington was targeted on 50.0% of his routes run, the highest target rate of his career, per Next Gen Stats. His importance to the Jags offense moving into 2026 is evident.
- Bills get first road playoff win since 1992 to march to Divisional Round. Sunday’s win should silence the questions about Sean McDermott’s future in Buffalo. The Bills came in wallowing on the road in the postseason, not winning a travel playoff game since the George H.W. Bush administration. At times, it looked like Buffalo would add to that futility, with the defense allowing scores on three straight Jags drives to open the second half. However, with Josh Allen’s heroics and the game-sealing INT from Cole Bishop, the top playmakers stepped up. In a game with four fourth-quarter lead changes, Buffalo once again proved it has the mettle to play tight tilts as it marches into the Divisional Round.
NFL Research: The Bills snapped the Jaguars' eight-game winning streak with their wild-card win. That is the fourth opponent eight-plus-game win streak that the Bills have snapped since the start of the 2024 season, making them the first team in NFL history to snap that many such streaks in a two-season span.