MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs was asked by a team personnel member if he wanted to take home his AFC East championship shirt. But he waved it off.
It’s not like Diggs was unappreciative. There are grander things on the horizon.
The Bills just won their fourth straight AFC East title with a 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night to secure a home game in the playoffs next week.
Buffalo will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, while they sent the Dolphins to Kansas City for a battle with the defending champion Chiefs on Saturday night.
“It’s crazy. It’s tough. It’s a place you don’t want to be. We get to be home with our families. At 1 p.m. And it might snow. Come to us,” outspoken Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins said of Buffalo’s home-field advantage after the game.
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“We want to be home and we want to be in control.”
The Bills might say they believed they could reach this moment when their season was hanging in the balance at 5-5 on Nov. 14 and 6-6 on Nov. 26, even when the Dolphins held a three-game lead in the division. But it doesn’t matter anymore.
They not only began the Dolphins game with a playoff spot in hand. They rose all the way to the No. 2 seed where a matchup down the line against the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens could force them to leave Western New York in the postseason.
Suddenly, the Bills are in position for a deep playoff run that could last into February. And that could be a scary sight for the rest of the NFL. But the Bills aren’t feeling themselves, even ahead of their fifth straight postseason trip.
“I think any team that’s in the playoffs is scary. Regardless how we did it, we won five games – cool. Like we did it and like that, but I think any team that’s crossed that threshold, that punched their ticket in the playoffs, they’re scary,” Dawkins said.
“We’re all in the dance. Every team that’s in this position is scary. I don’t want to say ‘Oh, the Buffalo Bills are scary now.’ Like nah, every team that’s in the playoffs is scary. Every team has a chance.”
Bills safety Micah Hyde said the franchise has been in playoff mode since the month of December began, and it’s paid off.
The Bills finished the 2023 season winning five straight games, and in position to host two playoff games this postseason if they beat the Steelers next week.
Bills fans will certainly rejoice at the fact they finally won’t travel to face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City. Both teams will meet in Buffalo if they advance next week.
“This group is coming together, and here we are,” Bills safety Micah Hyde said.
“We punched our ticket with a home game on Sunday, and I’m proud of this group. It’s amazing – where we’re at and were we got to.”
Quarterback Josh Allen, who fueled the Bills in Miami despite three turnovers on Sunday night, believed this group was capable when they were .500.
But instead of thinking of how far the Bills could go this season, he maintained perspective that should help Buffalo when the playoffs begin.
“We knew what was in front of us, had a lot of internal talks. Trusted the guys in this locker room. At the end of the day, this is fun, this is cool, I’ll never say no to winning a division. But the only thing that it solidifies is a home game and one more game,” Allen said.
“So, doesn’t mean anything if we go out there next week and don’t do our job. We’ve got to find a way to put our best foot forward – go find victory next week.”
