The Buffalo Bills powered their way to a wild-card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team is taking some heat for the means they used to earn the victory.
Quarterback Josh Allen plunged forward for the game-winning touchdown with just more than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, a score that was set up by an unusually long tush push. That play is gaining some criticism after the Bills — led by head coach Sean McDermott — were some of the most vocal advocates against that play when it was facing a proposal to be banned.
Bills Take Advantage of Controversial Play
The Bills were facing a four-point deficit when Allen led them inside the 10-yard line in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. The Bills faced a 4th-and-1 and lined up for a quarterback sneak, which ended with lineman O’Cyrus Torrence lifting Allen from behind and carrying him all the way to the goal line.
The Bills used the tush push on the next play for the go-ahead touchdown, icing the 27-24 win by intercepting Trevor Lawrence on the next play from scrimmage.
The pair of tush push plays drew some criticism for the Bills, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter pointing out that the team had voted to ban the play last offseason.
“May 21, 2025: Bills are among 22 teams that voted to ban push sneak,” Schefter shared in a post on X. “January 11, 2026: Bills go 4-for-4 in converting push sneak in 4th quarter, including game-winning TD.”
Others joined in criticizing the Bills, though proponents pointed out that the team would not benefit from giving up on a successful play that remained legal after last year’s vote to ban it fell short.
McDermott explained his opposition to the play last offseason, saying he believed it put players at high risk of injury.
âItâs two things,â McDermott said, via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94.1 WIP radio in Philadelphia. âItâs added force, number one, and then the posture of the players being asked to execute that type of play. Thatâs where my concern comes in.â
Josh Allen Supported Tush Push
While McDermott was clear in his opposition to the play, Allen said he believed the Bills should continue using it. He said last year that it wouldn’t be fair to punish teams simply because they’re better at it.
âIâm a big believer in if you canât stop it, keep running it, right?,â the reigning NFL MVP told Sports Illustrated. âI think that thereâs a few teams that do it better than others, but then you look at a few teams that try to do it, and it doesnât have the same success. Because, one, they maybe donât practice it enough or, two, they donât have the guys to do it.
âAnd just because a couple teams do it better than others, I donât feel like it should be banned.â
The play helped the Bills push through to the divisional round for the sixth straight season. They will face the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos on Sunday.
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