Bills playoff-bound for second time in 3 seasons

PITTSBURGH — For just the second time in the past 20 years, the Buffalo Bills are playoff-bound.

The Bills secured at least an AFC Wild Card berth Sunday in a 17-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, marking coach Sean McDermott’s second playoff berth in his three seasons in Buffalo — joining Wade Phillips and Lou Saban as the only Bills coaches to do so.

After missing the playoffs for 17 straight seasons from 2000 to 2016, the Bills’ accomplishment represents a significant shift in the direction of a once-floundering franchise.

“I think we’ve moved that needle drastically since we’ve got here and in the entire building,” McDermott said before the game. “It’s been a long time since this organization has been in a position like this, this late in the season, and we don’t take it lightly.”

Sunday’s win also gave Buffalo its first 10-win season since its 11-5 campaign under Phillips in 1999 — the longest active drought in the NFL.