Stefon Diggs can’t speak to how Buffalo’s opening-round playoff opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, turned around their season and secured the AFC’s seventh and final playoff berth on the final weekend.
The receiver, though, can sure discuss witnessing the Bills' resolve as they won their final five games to clinch their fourth straight AFC East title and the conference’s No. 2 seed.
“Four more” is what Diggs whispered into quarterback Josh Allen’s ear on Sunday, after the Bills capped an unlikely run by beating Miami. And Diggs believes winning four more games — which would include the Super Bowl — is achievable for a team he considers battle-tested entering the playoffs.
“I’m not going to say we got hot at the right time, but we started winning at the right time,” he said. “Things happened throughout the season that kind of shows you the will to win is real. And we’re going to continue to be resilient. We don’t really have a choice at this point.”
Two teams that fired their offensive coordinators this season, continue dealing with major injury problems and were both written off a month ago will meet on Sunday with snow in the forecast.
Buffalo (11-6) is the hottest team entering the playoffs following a late-season push that began after it squandered leads in the final minute of regulation and overtime in 37-34 loss at Philadelphia on Nov. 26.
Pittsburgh (10-7) endured a three-game skid before winning its final three games, capped by a 17-10 victory at Baltimore, which rested many of its starters with the AFC's top seed already clinched.
“Just smiling in the face of adversity,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “That’s been the elephant in the room that we’ve talked about and hopefully that experience shows — that urgency, that consistency of urgency shows in our play.”
The Steelers' run coincides with Mason Rudolph replacing Kenny Pickett at quarterback.
The fourth-year player, who had 10 career starts entering this season, settled the Steelers' offense by going 53 of 71 for 716 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the three victories. The Steelers' ground game improved, with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combining for 444 yards rushing and five TDs during those games.
The 28-year-old Rudolph is 8-4-1 as an NFL starter. His previous postseason experience came in college, when he led Oklahoma State to a 30-21 win over Virginia Tech in the 2017 Camping World Bowl.
“Shoot, each game you get to play in the NFL is a freaking playoff game,” Rudolph said. “As a backup quarterback most of my career, you’re very urgent. There’s a sense of urgency whenever you get to play, so that’s the approach.”
The Bills had an inconsistent start to their season in which their injury-depleted defense had difficulty holding leads, their offense hit a rut and their special teams cost them two wins.
Coach Sean McDermott believes the Bills discovered their identity as they found ways to overcome mistakes and win close games. After starting the season 2-6 in games decided by seven or fewer points, Buffalo finished 6-6 in such contests.
“I think it got to a certain point a year where it’s just like, ‘Hey, this is the way it’s going to be so it’s time to buck up and get the job done,’” McDermott said. “I think it says a lot about who they are and how important things are to them.”
Replacing the irreplaceable
The Steelers will have to find a way to make Allen uncomfortable without Pro Bowl outside linebacker T.J. Watt. The NFL’s sack leader and Defensive Player of the Year candidate is out with a left knee injury sustained in the season finale against Baltimore.
Since Watt's rookie season in 2017, the Steelers are 1-10 without him, including a 38-3 loss at Buffalo in 2022. Rookie Nate Herbig and veteran Markus Golden will have the responsibility of filling in for one of the league’s most electric players. The duo combined for seven sacks this season. Watt had an NFL-high 19.
William & Mary ties
The meeting features coaches who were college teammates at William & Mary in 1993 and '94.
“I've got the utmost respect for coach Tomlin,” said McDermott, who at 49 is two years younger than Tomlin. “We’ve played each other before. I’m sure we’ll play each other again. But just happy for the school, happy for the recognition it's going to get.”
McDermott is 3-1 against Tomlin.
Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady played receiver at William & Mary while Steelers special teams coach Denny Smith was an assistant at the school.
Long time coming
Pittsburgh has gone seven years without a playoff victory, the franchise’s longest streak without a postseason win since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. While guard Isaac Seumalo, linebacker Elandon Roberts and safety Eric Rowe have Super Bowl rings, Steelers 13-year veteran Cam Heyward does not. And the clock is ticking.
“I think, for the group, we’ve made mistakes throughout the season, but for us, it’s just winning one game at a time,” said Heyward, who has hinted that he could consider retirement at the end of the season. “It’s single elimination. Right now, your record doesn’t speak for itself anymore. It only speaks for setting up the tournament.”
