The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders for the second time this season, 26-19, and the Buffalo Payments rolled over the New England Patriots, 47-17, as better-seeded groups held on to advance to the divisional spherical of the N.F.L. playoffs.
Saturday’s outcomes resolved a lot of the A.F.C.’s playoff bracket, with solely No. 2-seed Kansas Metropolis left to play the No. 7-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday to find out subsequent week’s matchups.
The No. 4-seeded Bengals’ win almost certainly signifies that Cincinnati will journey to face the top-seeded Tennessee Titans subsequent weekend, whereas the No. 3-seeded Payments may face Kansas Metropolis in a rematch of final season’s A.F.C. championship recreation, which the Chiefs gained. However these pairings rely upon Kansas Metropolis dispatching the Steelers, who, within the occasion of an upset on Sunday, would get the Titans (and presumably Derrick Henry) within the subsequent spherical, leaving the Payments and Bengals to scrap it out.
Buffalo Payments 47, New England Patriots 17
Payments quarterback Josh Allen had a near-perfect recreation, throwing for 308 yards and 5 touchdowns, and working for 66 yards to maintain the Patriots on their heels from the beginning.
Coming into Saturday evening having gained 4 of their final 5 common season video games, the Payments stored the momentum going, scoring on all 4 of their possessions within the first half to construct a 27-3 lead in entrance of the house crowd at Highmark Stadium.
They didn’t let up within the second half, sending the already amped up crowd right into a tizzy regardless of a temperature of seven levels at kickoff, the second coldest Payments residence recreation ever.
Although favored, Buffalo dominated each section of the sport, toying with Patriots at each flip in an A.F.C. East rematch that reaffirmed the division’s new hierarchy.
New England’s protection had allowed solely 17.8 factors per recreation, the second lowest whole within the league (behind Buffalo’s 17.0), but it surely couldn’t hinder the Payments’ offense, which transformed six of seven third-down makes an attempt, posted its highest scoring whole of the season and noticed Allen full all however 4 of his cross makes an attempt.
The Patriots’ rookie quarterback, Mac Jones, who overachieved for a lot of the season, regarded outclassed for a lot of the recreation, ending with 24 of 38 passing with two interceptions. His two landing passes got here late, and the Payments’ victory was by no means doubtful after the midpoint of the third quarter.
Allen rested late within the fourth as Mitch Trubisky was allowed to play within the Payments’ remaining sequence.
After 20 years of dominance by the Patriots, the Payments made it look nearly too straightforward. However the crowd, so used to seeing Invoice Belichick-led groups vanquish their Payments, danced and sang and stomped till the ultimate whistle. They cheered, “Hey, hey, goodbye” as the ultimate seconds ticked off the clock.
Cincinnati Bengals 26, Raiders 19
A big majority of gamers on each of those groups had by no means performed in a playoff recreation, however one aspect obtained a worthwhile little bit of preparation for its postseason run.
The Bengals’ 26-19 win over the Raiders at Paul Brown Stadium on Saturday, the franchise’s first playoff victory in 31 years, may show to be worthwhile expertise when Cincinnati hits the highway subsequent week within the Divisional Spherical.
The Raiders, a franchise which hadn’t made the postseason since 2016 and final gained a playoff recreation in 2002, suffered from a scarcity of relaxation and preparation that confirmed.
Quarterback Joe Burrow led the Bengals’ high-powered offense on scoring drives of their 4 possessions within the first half, connecting for touchdowns with receiver Tyler Boyd and tight finish C.J. Uzomah. The Bengals had extra hassle transferring the ball within the second half, and had been slowed by a minimum of one penalty not referred to as in opposition to the Raiders.
However Burrow, who completed with 244 yards on 24 of 34 passing and no interceptions, supplied simply sufficient offense to counter the Raiders, who moved the ball significantly better within the second half due to huge performs by quarterback Derek Carr, working again Josh Jacobs, and several other important penalties on the Bengals. The Bengals protection held off Carr and the Raiders, who mounted a feverish tried comeback, down 26-16, within the fourth quarter with no timeouts and fewer than two minutes to play.
Carr stored the sport shut, hitting DeSean Jackson on a cross to transform on fourth-and-5 from the Raiders’ 44-yard line. The Raiders kicked a area purpose on the drive with lower than 4 minutes remaining to slender their deficit to 26-19.
The Bengals drained greater than two minutes off the clock on the following possession, however couldn’t rating. The rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase completed with 9 catches for 116 yards.
The Raiders obtained the ball again on their very own 35-yard line with 1:51 remaining. Carr hit Jacobs for a 15-yard acquire and the Bengals had been charged with a roughing-the-passer penalty, bringing the Raiders previous midfield. With none time outs, Las Vegas had little margin for error and the burden of Cincinnati’s previous playoff failures heightened the drama.
However on fourth-and-goal from the Bengals’ 9-yard line, Carr was intercepted, ending the Raiders’ topsy-turvy season, and sealing the long-awaited playoff win for Cincinnati.