Result: Buffalo 17, Pittsburgh 10
Regular season records: Buffalo (10-4), Pittsburgh (8-6)
What it means:
The Buffalo Bills are heading to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. At 10-4, the Bills are locked into at least one wild card spot and still have a chance to win the AFC East. If Buffalo wins every game and New England loses each of its matchups the Bills will be AFC East champions.
In a nutshell:
The Bills might want to add Styx's Renegade to the in-game music repertoire. A traditional hype song for the Steelers fans at Heinz Field was played right before the Bills took the ball with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Buffalo's offense came out and jumped all over the Steelers from the first play of the go-ahead touchdown drive. Josh Allen hit John Brown for 40 yards. Devin Singletary followed it up with a 15-yard run, then an incomplete pass, then Allen found Kroft in the end zone from 14 yards out to give Buffalo a 17-10 lead.
Tre'Davious White led the Bills defense with two interceptions. Each ensuing offensive possession resulted in points for the Bills.
With two minutes on the clock, Hodges attempted one final pass into the end zone that was picked off by Jordan Poyer. The Steelers got the ball back with 1:31 left on the clock, needing a touchdown to tie.
The Steelers were able to get it to Buffalo's 26 before Jordan Phillips came up with his second sack of the game and Hodges desperate heave to the end zone was picked off by Levi Wallace in the final seconds.
How it went down:
Allen scrambled for 12 yards, completed a pass to Brown for 10 yards on 4th-and-6, Singletary run for 14 yards, Allen one-yard keep for the touchdown. Hauschka extra point was good. 7-0
Boswell made a 49-yard field goal. 7-3.
Hodges completed a pass to Johnson for 19 yards, Conner ran for 17 yards and Hodges hit Conner from 11 yards out for the touchdown. Boswell's extra point was good. 7-10
Tre'Davious White's interception gave Buffalo the ball at the Pittsburgh 18. Hauschka kicked a 36-yard field goal. 10-10
Allen opened the drive with a 40-yard pass to Brown. Singletary followed up with a 15-yard run. Allen connected with Kroft for 14 yards and the touchdown. Hauschka kick was good. 17-10
Subplots:
Bills inactives: RB T.J. Yeldon, S Dean Marlowe, OG Ike Boettger, OT Ty Nsekhe, WR Duke Williams, TE Tommy Sweeney, Dt Corey Liuget
Steelers inactives: QB Paxton Lynch, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, CB Artie Burns, LB Tuzar Skipper, OL Chukwuma Okorafor, TE Vance McDonald, DE Isahiah Buggs
Tre'Davious White picked off his fifth and sixth pass of the season which establishes a new single season career-high for the third-year corner. He is tied with New England's Stephon Gilmore for the league lead.
Josh Allen established a new franchise record for rushing touchdowns (9) by a QB in a single season. He also tied Doug Flutie (20) for the most consecutive games accounting for a TD by a Bills quarterback.
Allen has now tied Steve Grogan (10) for the second-most games with a passing and rushing touchdown in a player's first two NFL seasons.
Tight end Tyler Kroft recorded his first touchdown in a Bills uniform with his catch during the fourth quarter.
Up next: The Bills play Saturday at New England at 4:30 pm on NFL Network.
