Josh Allen ran in a touchdown with a minute left before Trevor Lawrence was intercepted by Cole Bishop on the very next play as the Buffalo Bills broke Jacksonville Jaguars hearts to clinch a 27-24 victory in Sunday's Wild Card clash.
Trailing 24-20 with 1.10 remaining, Allen steamrolled his way to 10 yards on fourth-and-one to set up his own one-yard rushing score in what marked a postseason record fourth fourth-quarter lead change.
Travis Etienne had provided the third when his 14-yard touchdown catch-and-run left the Jaguars four minutes away from the Divisional Round.
Instead Allen and the Bills would keep their Super Bowl dream alive as Bishop picked off Lawrence on a pass intended for Jakobi Meyers with 59 seconds left to call game in yet another instalment of late NFL playoff drama.
The Bills entered the postseason having been beaten by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in four of the last five years, including two AFC Championship Game defeats. But with Kansas City absent from the playoffs for the first time since 2024, the door was deemed to have been left ajar.
If they are to end their Super Bowl agony, however, they must do it the hard way, for Sunday represented what will likely need to be the first of three wins on the road to reach the NFL's finale at Levi's Stadium on February 8. Only five teams have ever lifted the Lombardi Trophy after three road wins on their way to the Super Bowl.
The Bills were 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under McDermott prior to Sunday and had lost eight straight playoff games on the road since the 1992 AFC Championship Game.
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The Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams triumphed as fourth-quarter drama lit up the NFL playoffs on Saturday, and Sunday would follow suit in saving its defining exchanges for the final stanza.
Lawrence uncorked a flawless six-yard touchdown bullet to the reliable hands of Parker Washington as the Jaguars claimed a 17-13 lead with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Back came the Bills courtesy of Dalton Kincaid's 15-yard touchdown reception as Buffalo dialled up an expertly-designed fake screen to unleash their tight end at the side of the end zone.
It would polish off a nine-play series in which Allen was on hand to convert with a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-inches.
Then came one of the drives of the game as Etienne peeled out of the backfield and hauled in Lawrence's pass before shaking off a tackle and leaning into the end zone for a 14-yard score. Jacksonville had been gifted a new set of downs by Christian Benford's holding penalty on third-and-eight, before Etienne himself converted on third-and-one out of wildcat formation, notably catching the wayward snap one-handed to rescue the play.
The Bills, who so often come alive at the death, were not done. Allen ignited his response with a 36-yard completion to Brandin Cooks, before evolving what figured to be a quarterback sneak scenario on fourth-and-one into a 10-yard carry with his offensive line in tow.
The reigning MVP capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run, before handing responsibility over to his defense to see it out.
See it out they did. Chasing the game, Lawrence watched as his pass for Meyers deflected off the receiver's grappling match with Tre'Davious White and into the waiting hands of Bishop.
Buffalo carried a 10-7 lead into half-time when NFL field goal record-holder Cam Little dragged his 54-yard kick wide as the clock hit zero to end his streak of 20 straight.
The Bills pushed their lead to 13-7 at the start of the second half when Matt Prater kicked a 47-yard field goal at the end of an 11-play drive lasting almost seven minutes.
Lawrence targeted Brenton Strange on third-and-nine from the Bills' 25 on the ensuing possession, but White was on hand to save the day with a pass break-up that would bring out Little for a 43-yard kick.
Allen had nudged the Bills ahead in the second quarter with a two-yard rushing touchdown at the end of a 10-play 92-yard drive stemming from Jacksonville's turnover on downs.
Lawrence thought he had scrambled for a first down on fourth-and-two at the Bills nine, only for his shin to be ruled down after Sean McDermott challenged the call on the field.
The Jags were seeing to capitalise on a Ray Davis fumble from Buffalo's kickoff return just moments after Lawrence had picked out Brian Thomas Jr for a three-yard touchdown at the beginning of the second quarter.
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