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NFL · Week 18 · January 9, 2021 · 12 min read

Indianapolis Colts vs. Buffalo Bills: 2020 Week 18 Recap

Bills defeat Colts 27–24 in Week 18

Philip Rivers led Fantasy Impact as Bills prevailed in a 24–27 Week 18 finish.

Indianapolis Colts 24 11–6
Final 24–27
Buffalo Bills 27 14–3 Winner
Winner
Buffalo Bills
Final score
24–27
Halftime
Indianapolis Colts 10–14 Buffalo Bills
Top passer
Philip Rivers
FantasyHQ MVP
Philip Rivers
Game date
January 9, 2021

Top fantasy performers · Colts

  • Philip Rivers
    Philip Rivers 27/47 · 311 YDS · 2 TD +14.8 Fantasy Impact
  • J.Doyle 7 REC · 70 YDS · 1 TD +5.6 Fantasy Impact
  • T.Burton 3 REC · 34 YDS +4.3 Fantasy Impact

Top fantasy performers · Bills

  • Jonathan Allen
    Jonathan Allen 26/41 · 325 YDS · 2 TD +12.6 Fantasy Impact
  • Stefon Diggs
    Stefon Diggs 6 REC · 128 YDS · 1 TD +8.9 Fantasy Impact
  • Gabe Davis
    Gabe Davis 4 REC · 85 YDS +5.0 Fantasy Impact
View Colts vs Bills box score View all 2020 NFL game recaps

Quick answer

Winner
Buffalo Bills
Final score
Buffalo Bills 27–24 Indianapolis Colts
Halftime
Indianapolis Colts 10–14 Buffalo Bills at halftime
FantasyHQ MVP
Philip Rivers
Top passer
Philip Rivers
Biggest EPA play
(3:36) 3-R.Blankenship 33 yard field goal is No Good, Hit Right Upright, Center-46-L.Rhode…
Game date
2021-01-09

Game summary

The Buffalo Bills beat the Indianapolis Colts 27–24 on 2021-01-09. Philip Rivers posted a game-high +14.81 total EPA in the passing.

The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 24 combined points.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Q1Q2Q3Q4—T
Indianapolis Colts37014024
Buffalo Bills77310027

Scoring Map

Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.

INDIndianapolis Colts
BUFBuffalo Bills

FantasyHQ Analytics

Scoring timeline

14 scores

Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.

  1. INDIndianapolis Colts
    Q1 5:33FG
    Reed Blankenship

    Points+3

    Yard line
    BUF 12
    Score
    3-0

    (5:33) 3-R.Blankenship 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.

  2. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q1 1:56TD
    Dawson Knox

    Points+6

    Yard line
    IND 3
    Score
    3-6

    (1:56) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen pass short right to 88-D.Knox for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN [94-T.Lewis].

  3. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q1 1:49XP
    Tyler Bass

    Points+1

    Yard line
    IND 15
    Score
    3-7

    2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.

  4. INDIndianapolis Colts
    Q2 8:10TD
    Jawaan Taylor

    Points+6

    Yard line
    BUF 1
    Score
    9-7

    (8:10) P.Rivers returns at QB. 28-J.Taylor up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

  5. INDIndianapolis Colts
    Q2 8:07XP
    Reed Blankenship

    Points+1

    Yard line
    BUF 15
    Score
    10-7

    3-R.Blankenship extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.

  6. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q2 0:20TD
    Jonathan Allen

    Points+6

    Yard line
    IND 5
    Score
    10-13

    (:20) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen right tackle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  7. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q2 0:14XP
    Tyler Bass

    Points+1

    Yard line
    IND 15
    Score
    10-14

    2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.

  8. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q3 11:10FG
    Tyler Bass

    Points+3

    Yard line
    IND 28
    Score
    10-17

    (11:10) 2-T.Bass 46 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.

  9. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q4 14:17TD
    Stefon Diggs

    Points+6

    Yard line
    IND 35
    Score
    10-23

    (14:17) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  10. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q4 14:10XP
    Tyler Bass

    Points+1

    Yard line
    IND 15
    Score
    10-24

    2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.

  11. INDIndianapolis Colts
    Q4 11:36TD
    Zach Pascal

    Points+6

    Yard line
    BUF 9
    Score
    16-24

    (11:36) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short left to 14-Z.Pascal for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  12. BUFBuffalo Bills
    Q4 8:13FG
    Tyler Bass

    Points+3

    Yard line
    IND 36
    Score
    16-27

    (8:13) 2-T.Bass 54 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.

  13. INDIndianapolis Colts
    Q4 6:20TD
    JDJ. Doyle

    Points+6

    Yard line
    BUF 27
    Score
    22-27

    (6:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep left to 84-J.Doyle for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  14. INDIndianapolis Colts
    Q4 6:13Safety
    Philip Rivers

    Points+2

    Yard line
    BUF 2
    Score
    24-27

    TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 17-P.Rivers pass to 84-J.Doyle is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. Pass caught 8 yds. into end zone, over middle.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).

  1. 1Philip RiversPhilip Rivers · Indianapolis Colts · Passing · +14.81 total EPA · 47 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
  2. 2Jonathan AllenJonathan Allen · Buffalo Bills · Passing · +12.62 total EPA · 41 snaps · +0.31 EPA/play
  3. 3Stefon DiggsStefon Diggs · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +8.92 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.99 EPA/play
  4. 4J. Doyle · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +5.59 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.56 EPA/play
  5. 5Gabe DavisGabe Davis · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +4.95 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.24 EPA/play
  6. 6T. Burton · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +4.29 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.43 EPA/play
  7. 7N. Hines · Indianapolis Colts · Rushing · +3.82 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.64 EPA/play
  8. 8Zach PascalZach Pascal · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +3.73 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.75 EPA/play

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.

Philip Rivers

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Philip Rivers — IND · Passing

Philip Rivers posted the highest total EPA (+14.81) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Indianapolis Colts. Across 47 counted snaps, they averaged +0.32 EPA per play.

Philip Rivers's top snap (+3.03 EPA): (6:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep left to 84-J.Doyle for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Biggest single play (-4.21 EPA): Reed Blankenship — (3:36) 3-R.Blankenship 33 yard field goal is No Good, Hit Right Upright, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez. Ball hit right upright, then left upright.

Quarterback report card

Philip Rivers led all passers in efficiency for Indianapolis Colts, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

  • Philip RiversPhilip Rivers (Indianapolis Colts) · 47 dropbacks · 57.4% completion · -4.8% CPOE · +0.32 EPA/play · +14.81 total EPA
  • Jonathan AllenJonathan Allen (Buffalo Bills) · 41 dropbacks · 63.4% completion · +12.7% CPOE · +0.31 EPA/play · +12.62 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.

StatIndianapolis ColtsBuffalo Bills
Offensive EPA/play+0.134+0.176
Offensive success rate39.6%50.7%
Pass EPA/play+0.315+0.308
Rush EPA/play+0.021-0.047
Defensive EPA/play-0.176-0.134
Defensive success rate49.3%60.4%

Drive & efficiency notes

Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Indianapolis Colts +0.13, Buffalo Bills +0.18) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.

Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):

  • Indianapolis Colts: +0.13 EPA/play (75th percentile vs. 2020 team-game averages)
  • Buffalo Bills: +0.18 EPA/play (83rd percentile vs. 2020 team-game averages)
  • Buffalo Bills: 10 drives, +13.19 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
  • Indianapolis Colts: 10 drives, +12.21 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

  • Dawson KnoxBuffalo Bills — Dawson Knox (Jonathan Allen pass) (Q1 1:56)
  • Jawaan TaylorIndianapolis Colts — Jawaan Taylor (Q2 8:10)
  • Jonathan AllenBuffalo Bills — Jonathan Allen (Q2 0:20)
  • Stefon DiggsBuffalo Bills — Stefon Diggs (Jonathan Allen pass) (Q4 14:17)
  • Zach PascalIndianapolis Colts — Zach Pascal (Philip Rivers pass) (Q4 11:36)
  • Indianapolis Colts — J. Doyle (Philip Rivers pass) (Q4 6:20)

Field goals

  • Reed BlankenshipIndianapolis Colts — Reed Blankenship (Q1 5:33)
  • Tyler BassBuffalo Bills — Tyler Bass (Q3 11:10)
  • Tyler BassBuffalo Bills — Tyler Bass (Q4 8:13)
Quarter by quarter

Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.

The opening quarter: Buffalo Bills won the period 7–3. Indianapolis Colts connected on a field goal from the BUF 12 (Q1 5:33) — (5:33) 3-R.Blankenship 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.; Buffalo Bills found the end zone from the IND 3 (Q1 1:56) — (1:56) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen pass short right to 88-D.Knox for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN [94-T.Lewis].; Buffalo Bills added 1 points from the IND 15 (Q1 1:49) — 2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez..

The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the BUF 1 (Q2 8:10) — (8:10) P.Rivers returns at QB. 28-J.Taylor up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Indianapolis Colts added 1 points from the BUF 15 (Q2 8:07) — 3-R.Blankenship extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.; Buffalo Bills found the end zone from the IND 5 (Q2 0:20) — (:20) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen right tackle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Buffalo Bills added 1 points from the IND 15 (Q2 0:14) — 2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez..

The third quarter: Buffalo Bills won the period 3–0. Buffalo Bills connected on a field goal from the IND 28 (Q3 11:10) — (11:10) 2-T.Bass 46 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez..

The fourth quarter: Indianapolis Colts won the period 14–10. Buffalo Bills found the end zone from the IND 35 (Q4 14:17) — (14:17) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Buffalo Bills added 1 points from the IND 15 (Q4 14:10) — 2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.; Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the BUF 9 (Q4 11:36) — (11:36) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short left to 14-Z.Pascal for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Buffalo Bills connected on a field goal from the IND 36 (Q4 8:13) — (8:13) 2-T.Bass 54 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.; Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the BUF 27 (Q4 6:20) — (6:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep left to 84-J.Doyle for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Indianapolis Colts registered a safety from the BUF 2 (Q4 6:13) — TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 17-P.Rivers pass to 84-J.Doyle is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. Pass caught 8 yds. into end zone, over middle..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most.

  • Indianapolis Colts (Q4 0:50) — (:50) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep right to 14-Z.Pascal to BUF 46 for 17 yards (21-J.Poyer). The Replay Official reviewed the runner was down by contact ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling [WPA +18.1% · EPA +1.22]
  • Indianapolis Colts (Q4 0:04) — (:04) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass incomplete deep right (23-M.Hyde). [WPA -12.3% · EPA -0.19]
  • Indianapolis Colts (Q1 8:29) — (8:29) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep middle to 13-T.Hilton to BUF 37 for 23 yards (39-L.Wallace). Penalty on BUF-58-M.Milano, Defensive Offside, declined. [WPA +11.2% · EPA +2.80]
  • Indianapolis Colts (Q4 0:26) — (:26) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short left to 11-M.Pittman to BUF 45 for 1 yard (39-L.Wallace, 23-M.Hyde). FUMBLES (39-L.Wallace), ball out of bounds at BUF 47. [WPA -10.6% · EPA -0.67]
  • Indianapolis Colts (Q4 0:55) — (:55) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass incomplete short right to 13-T.Hilton (27-T.White). [WPA -10.4% · EPA -0.43]
Impact plays

Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.

  • Indianapolis Colts (Q3 3:36) — (3:36) 3-R.Blankenship 33 yard field goal is No Good, Hit Right Upright, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez. Ball hit right upright, then left upright. [WPA -6.0% · EPA -4.21]
  • Buffalo Bills (Q4 14:17) — (14:17) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +5.9% · EPA +3.30]
  • Indianapolis Colts (Q4 6:20) — (6:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep left to 84-J.Doyle for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +8.3% · EPA +3.03]
  • Indianapolis Colts (Q4 11:36) — (11:36) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short left to 14-Z.Pascal for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +5.8% · EPA +2.91]
Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.

  1. Indianapolis Colts FG (+3) — Q1 5:33 · BUF 12 · Score 3-0
    (5:33) 3-R.Blankenship 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.
  2. Buffalo Bills TD (+6) — Q1 1:56 · IND 3 · Score 3-6
    (1:56) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen pass short right to 88-D.Knox for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN [94-T.Lewis].
  3. Buffalo Bills XP (+1) — Q1 1:49 · IND 15 · Score 3-7
    2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.
  4. Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q2 8:10 · BUF 1 · Score 9-7
    (8:10) P.Rivers returns at QB. 28-J.Taylor up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
  5. Indianapolis Colts XP (+1) — Q2 8:07 · BUF 15 · Score 10-7
    3-R.Blankenship extra point is GOOD, Center-46-L.Rhodes, Holder-8-R.Sanchez.
  6. Buffalo Bills TD (+6) — Q2 0:20 · IND 5 · Score 10-13
    (:20) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen right tackle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  7. Buffalo Bills XP (+1) — Q2 0:14 · IND 15 · Score 10-14
    2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.
  8. Buffalo Bills FG (+3) — Q3 11:10 · IND 28 · Score 10-17
    (11:10) 2-T.Bass 46 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.
  9. Buffalo Bills TD (+6) — Q4 14:17 · IND 35 · Score 10-23
    (14:17) (Shotgun) 17-J.Allen pass deep right to 14-S.Diggs for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  10. Buffalo Bills XP (+1) — Q4 14:10 · IND 15 · Score 10-24
    2-T.Bass extra point is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.
  11. Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q4 11:36 · BUF 9 · Score 16-24
    (11:36) (Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass short left to 14-Z.Pascal for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  12. Buffalo Bills FG (+3) — Q4 8:13 · IND 36 · Score 16-27
    (8:13) 2-T.Bass 54 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-9-C.Bojorquez.
  13. Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q4 6:20 · BUF 27 · Score 22-27
    (6:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep left to 84-J.Doyle for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  14. Indianapolis Colts Safety (+2) — Q4 6:13 · BUF 2 · Score 24-27
    TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 17-P.Rivers pass to 84-J.Doyle is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. Pass caught 8 yds. into end zone, over middle.

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.

  • Buffalo Bills earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
  • One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
  • Philip Rivers (Indianapolis Colts) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
  • Philip Rivers (IND) finished below expected efficiency despite volume.

Frequently asked questions

Who won Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills on 2021-01-09?

The Buffalo Bills beat the Indianapolis Colts 27-24 in Week 18, 2020.

What was the score by quarter in Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills?

Q1: Indianapolis Colts 3, Buffalo Bills 7; Q2: Indianapolis Colts 7, Buffalo Bills 7; Q3: Indianapolis Colts 0, Buffalo Bills 3; Q4: Indianapolis Colts 14, Buffalo Bills 10; Final: Indianapolis Colts 24, Buffalo Bills 27.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills?

Buffalo Bills touchdown — D. Knox (J. Allen pass) (Q1 1:56) Indianapolis Colts touchdown — J. Taylor (Q2 8:10) Buffalo Bills touchdown — J. Allen (Q2 0:20) Buffalo Bills touchdown — S. Diggs (J. Allen pass) (Q4 14:17) Indianapolis Colts touchdown — Z. Pascal (P. Rivers pass) (Q4 11:36) Indianapolis Colts touchdown — J. Doyle (P. Rivers pass) (Q4 6:20) Indianapolis Colts field goal — R. Blankenship (Q1 5:33, 3 pts) Buffalo Bills field goal — T. Bass (Q3 11:10, 3 pts) Buffalo Bills field goal — T. Bass (Q4 8:13, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.

How did the quarterbacks play in Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills?

Philip Rivers (Indianapolis Colts), 57.4% completion, -4.8% CPOE, +0.32 EPA per dropback, +14.81 total passing EPA. Jonathan Allen (Buffalo Bills), 63.4% completion, +12.7% CPOE, +0.31 EPA per dropback, +12.62 total passing EPA.

Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills?

Philip Rivers (Indianapolis Colts) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +14.81 total EPA on Passing plays. across 47 snaps. Their top snap (+3.03 EPA): (6:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 17-P.Rivers pass deep left to 84-J.Doyle for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN..

Was Indianapolis Colts vs Buffalo Bills a close game?

Yes — the margin was 3 points. Buffalo Bills won 27-24 in a game that came down to the wire.

Season records after this game

Indianapolis Colts

Entered 11-5 Now 11-6 L

Buffalo Bills

Entered 13-3 Now 14-3 W

FantasyHQ · fantasyhq.co

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