1. Josh Allen's mindset heading into his first postseason appearance
Heading into his first playoff game, Josh Allen is leaning on the coaching staff who has been there before for advice and guidance.
"Coach [Brain] Daboll, he's been in the playoffs many times so just kind of relying on what he has to say," Allen said. "Trusting what he's telling us, trying to be as prepared as possible, like I said, watching as much film as we can. Trusting the game plan that coach puts in, having a really good week of practice and going out Saturday trying to execute our game plan. That's really what it comes down to and now we're facing a really good team, so we got to be on, we got bring our 'A' game."
Allen said he and his teammates want to stay consistent with the process they've been using all year. They understand it's win or go home, but don't want to make the game seem too big.
"It's the same game we've been playing since the beginning of the year," Allen said. "Still the game of football, the dimensions are the same, we have the same plays that we've had in all year. We're not trying to do anything different, not trying to switch up practice routines, not trying to be any different. You dance with who brought you. We have to go out there and execute."
2. Kevin Johnson on going up against his former team in the playoffs
Bills cornerback Kevin Johnson will head back to Houston to play against the team who drafted him in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Johnson said going back to the team he spent four years with, especially for the playoffs, will be special.
"It's going to be exciting," Johnson said. "It's a blessing to be out there and be able to play in the playoffs, play against your old team. I'm going to be excited and happy to be out there and play. I'll be focused and do my best to help my team go out there and win the game."
Johnson spent several seasons in practice going up against Houston's 1,000-yard wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins and knows he's not easy to prepare for.
"He's an excellent receiver," Johnson said. "He has great hands, great competitiveness, great routes. He has been very consistent throughout his entire career, so we have to be on our Ps and Qs. We have to be locked in every single day this week as far as preparation. We have to take it one step at a time, day-by-day and get ready for the game on Saturday."
The corner believes practicing with Hopkins for several seasons will be beneficial for him and his teammates ahead of Saturday's game.
3. Bills remain top 10 in several Power Rankings
As the NFL closes the chapter on the 2019 regular season ahead of Wild Card week, Buffalo remained top 10 in several power rankings. The Bills did not move up or down in ESPN’s latest power rankings, staying at No. 9.
Most notable 2010s event: The end of "The Drought," Dec. 31, 2017
One could make the argument for Terry and Kim Pegula's purchase of the team, but the end of a 17-season playoff drought brought hope to a fan base and raised the standards for the franchise. Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane's early success earned them the benefit of the doubt during a six-win season in 2018 and set the foundation for their second playoff appearance in three years in 2019. Buffalo earned that wild-card berth in 2017 thanks to a last-minute touchdown pass from Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd to beat the Ravens; both players are still revered in Buffalo. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
Here's how the rest of the rankings shook out from Week 17 to Wild Card week:
NFL.com – remained at 10
ESPN – remained at 9
Bleacher Report – 10 to 11
Yahoo – remained at 8
The Big Lead – 8 to 10
CBS Sports – remained at 9
