Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Bruised and battle-hardened, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills face Denver on Saturday as their star quarterback seeks to reach his first Super Bowl and add the NFL’s biggest prize to his list of accolades. The league’s reigning Most Valuable Player suffered a head blow, a sprained knee, and a hand injury in last weekend’s hard-fought clash with Jacksonville, but almost single-handedly dragged his team over the line. Now, Allen has been cleared fit to play against the Broncos — the AFC’s top seed — in their highly anticipated divisional round game, knowing victory would leave them just one win away from next month’s NFL championship decider.
“I feel good. Honestly, I feel better than I have the last few weeks,” Allen, who has also been managing a long-term foot injury, told a press conference. Allen’s run of 122 consecutive starts is the longest streak among active quarterbacks and has led to his teammates and fans jokingly referring to him as “Superman.” But the quarterback, who hails from the agricultural Central Valley of California, told reporters his toughness came from being a “country boy” from “out in the middle of nowhere.” He also acknowledged that the defensive line he will be facing is notoriously robust.
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“They’ve got some absolute studs over there. Obviously, they rush the passer extremely well,” said Allen. “Interior, again, some big stout guys that can really push the pocket.” For Denver, the match-up comes after a bye week and offers another chance to prove that one of this season’s surprise packages can be the real deal at the business end of the campaign. Despite finishing top of the AFC with the league’s joint best record (14-3), the Broncos figure only fifth on the betting market’s predicted Super Bowl winners. Star cornerback Pat Surtain said the team would be relying on a raucous crowd to spur them on for the Broncos’ first postseason home game since 2015.
“I know the atmosphere is going to be crazy, the stadium is going to be rocking,” Surtain said. “I can already feel the magnitude of it,” he added. It is also a chance for the Broncos to avenge last year’s devastating 31-7 playoff loss in Buffalo.
– ‘Ready to roll’ –
Elsewhere on Saturday, the injury-ravaged San Francisco 49ers will attempt the next step in their bid to reach a home-field Super Bowl by taking on the high-flying Seattle Seahawks. The clash pits the two divisional rivals against each other for the second time in three weeks. As top seeds in the NFC, the Seahawks also had a bye last weekend.
By contrast, the 49ers — who have been decimated by a deepening injury crisis for much of the season — suffered yet another cruel blow against Philadelphia, when tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles tendon. “We’ve kind of been in a hole for about seven months, and once you get to the playoffs, it really doesn’t matter,” said 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, of the non-stop schedule. “Everyone’s into it. So, whether they gave us three days, one day, eight days…whenever you get dealt your hand, you’re ready to roll.”
This year’s Super Bowl will be held at the 49ers’ home stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8. In Sunday’s remaining divisional round games, the New England Patriots will host the Houston Texans, and the Los Angeles Rams travel to the Chicago Bears.
© 2024 AFP
