Can the Bills win 3 games away from home to reach Super Bowl LX?
The Buffalo Bills' 22 projected starters on offense and defense Sunday average nearly eight games of playoff experience. Eight have appeared in double-digit games. Most, however, have never won on the road in the postseason.
Teal-and-gold clad Jacksonville Jaguars fans will yell Sunday afternoon inside EverBank Stadium each time the Buffalo Bills' offense approaches the line of scrimmage.
Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, the Bills' left and right tackles, respectively, won't be able to focus on the defensive ends they're supposed to block, because their eyes must remain fixated on the football until the end of the silent snap count.
"Winning on the road comes down to communication and execution," Bills center Connor McGovern said.
Playing in hostile environments is not new for these Bills. Their 22 projected starters on offense and defense average nearly eight games of playoff experience. Eight have appeared in double-digit games. Most, however, have never won on the road in the postseason
The Bills have not won a playoff game on the road since the AFC championship game in Miami on January 17, 1993.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The Bills have not won in the postseason away from Orchard Park since Jan. 17, 1993, the NFL's second-longest active drought. And if Buffalo is finally going to reach the Super Bowl again, it likely will need to travel a road only five other teams have successfully traversed since the wild-card format began in 1970.
The 1985 New England Patriots, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2007 New York Giants, 2010 Green Bay Packers and the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only NFL teams to win three road games to reach the Super Bowl. All but one hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.
"Backs against the wall," said Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the NFL's reigning MVP. "You have to have that mindset of, 'You win the game or you go home.' And that's exactly what the playoffs are about. You always want to end your season on a win, and that's our main goal."
The keys to success on the road are the same in any other game. Protect the football, take it away, win time of possession, avoid negative plays on offense and limit explosive plays on defense. The five teams to succeed on this path averaged more than 10 takeaways, more than 10 sacks, 106 points scored, 75 points against and five giveaways during the four playoff games in their respective postseasons.
There have been some challenging road games for the Bills. They went a combined 10-7 away from Highmark Stadium across the past two regular seasons. Three of the Bills' last five playoff losses, including twice in the AFC championship game, were at the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium.
In those three games, the Bills averaged 29.6 points per game, and they turned the ball over once. Offense was not the problem. Allen completed 64.7% of his passes for 284 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception, though Buffalo failed to rush for 100 yards in each of those losses. Combined, Allen got sacked eight times while Buffalo committed 13 penalties and converted just 13 of 43 third downs.
Overall, though, the Bills have been among the NFL's best road warriors. Since 2020, they lead the league in points scored on the road (1,338) and point differential (plus 323) while posting a 31-18 record. Buffalo also allowed the fewest road points (1,015) during that span.
"We've got a lot of experience on this team," wide receiver Gabe Davis said. "A lot of us have been in the playoffs. You already know what it feels like. It's just another game. You're trying to win each week, and this team knows what it takes. We just have to get to that last game. We've been everywhere but the Bowl, so we're focusing each and every week until we get there."
The Bills' eight playoff berths since 2017 are tied with the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles for the most during that span. None of the other teams to qualify in the AFC this season have played in as many recent close postseason games. Experience doesn't guarantee future success, though.
The Bills are a popular pick to be upset in Jacksonville this week because of the shortcomings the Bills showed in five losses this season.
During those games, Allen got sacked 21 times, Buffalo committed 12 turnovers, its offense averaged just over 15 points and the Bills went 1-4 when James Cook did not rush for at least 100 yards. Their maligned defense ranked 28th in rushing yards allowed per game and 12th in points allowed per game (12.5), but the group gave up fewer than 25 points in four of the five losses.
Bills running back James Cook III flips into the end zone on a 64-yard run against the Panthers on Oct. 26, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The passing game has not been as reliable for Buffalo on the road, with Allen totaling 15 fewer touchdowns and two more interceptions in one fewer game. Cook, the NFL rushing champion, led the offense by averaging 6.9 yards per carry and 1,066 total yards with 10 touchdowns in the Bills' eight road games (5-3).
"We've got to be dialed in on the challenge that's in front of us and be ready for the challenge," coach Sean McDermott said. "You've got to start by coming in and playing with great fundamentals, not beating yourselves, taking care of the ball. Those are things that are important to us as a football team and the discipline that goes with that."
David Edwards, the Bills' starting left guard, needed to win on the road in Tampa in the NFC divisional round with the Los Angeles Rams during their successful run to Super Bowl LVI. The key in any away game, Edwards explained, is for a team not to change its routines and processes. The approach on the road should be the same in January as it was in September, and the game planning and focus throughout preparation should not revolve around the opponent.
The Bills, through their playoff experience and the hindsight McDermott gained during his previous coaching stops, have developed a one-game-at-a-time mentality that is needed in situations such as the one they'll walk into Sunday in Jacksonville.
Buffalo's players were excited while training this week to face an opponent that has won eight games in a row. They work year-round for the opportunity to compete for the sport's ultimate prize. But there were no signs of angst. No one is underestimating the Jaguars, but no one is worrying about what will happen if the Bills lose, either. This team understands how to respond when adversity hits. Three times this season, Buffalo overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to win.
The Bills have won each of their last three road games, including their remarkable 21-point comeback to beat the New England Patriots.
"We've been battle-tested in a lot of different ways," Edwards said. "We've overcome so much since the season started. There's been so much success here over a sustained period that there are so many guys who know what it's like to play in the playoffs, so you don't have to change.
"We've been here before. We know what it's like. Let's keep it consistent, keep the process the process and not worry about the results. That's universal."
Six of the last 10 teams to win the Lombardi Trophy did not have to play on the road prior to the Super Bowl. The odds are stacked against the Bills. A win in Jacksonville likely will send them to Denver to play the top-seeded Broncos. If Buffalo is victorious, then it may have to go back to Foxborough to face the Patriots in the AFC championship game.
The destinations are different than past playoffs, but the Bills understand what they need to do to be the last AFC team standing. Reaching the Super Bowl isn't the goal, either. This team's mission is to win it all. And the road begins Sunday in a stadium that will host plenty of Bills fans.
"We really don't think about home versus away," fullback Reggie Gilliam said. "We just know we have to go execute no matter where it is, whether that's in Orchard Park or Jacksonville. Obviously, playing in front of the Mafia is different than playing in front of whoever's crowd, but the Mafia travels very well. We never feel alone, no matter where we go. And we know we create our own energy through execution."