Under the snowy prime-time lights of Sunday Night Football, the Buffalo Bills punched their ticket to the postseason.
The Bills, buoyed by Josh Allen becoming the first quarterback with a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in a game, clinched the AFC East title with their 35-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the fifth consecutive season they have taken home the division crown.
"Five in a row, but still got a lot of season left," said Allen, whose Bills improved to 10-2, in an NBC postgame interview.
The playoff-clinching scenario was put into place with the Dolphins' loss to the Packers on Thanksgiving, and the Bills needed just to secure the win over the Niners to ensure they'd return to the playoffs with home-field advantage at least through Super Wild Card Weekend.
It is Buffalo's sixth straight season making a playoff appearance, though the franchise is still in search of its first Super Bowl victory. Sunday's win confirms this year's team will play beyond the regular season in their quest to achieve the feat.
The Bills are the second team to clinch a playoff spot after the Chiefs did so Friday with their win over the Raiders. However, while Kansas City still needs to wrap up the AFC West, Buffalo is the first to win its division. It has done so with five weeks left in the regular season, the first time a team has clinched a division with that many weeks remaining since the 2009 Colts, per NFL Research.
While their ticket to the postseason has been punched, the Bills still have another goal to work toward over their last five games. Buffalo and Kansas City sit at the top of the AFC standings in the fight for the No. 1 seed and first-round bye, with the Bills' 10-2 record just behind the Chiefs' 11-1 mark.
