In the Buffalo Bills’ 27-24 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Jan. 11, MVP quarterback Josh Allen turned in another performance to cement his playoff legacy.
When the moment got big, he showed up per usual. Many have come to expect the 300-plus yard and three touchdown performances from him, and he continues to deliver.
Naturally, this shifts the pressure onto those around him, and it’s essential to identify those people as the team prepares to make a playoff run.
Why Isn’t the Pressure On Allen?
Since the quarterback position is the most important on the field, it’s easy to condemn them. In Josh Allen’s case, though, he’s been to the playoffs and put up performances worthy of winning Super Bowls.
In 14 playoff starts, Josh Allen is 8-6 and has put up 3,632 passing yards and 26 touchdowns while completing 66.7% of his passes and only throwing four interceptions. When you factor in the additional 701 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, it makes you wonder how he’s never won a Super Bowl.
Having a player of Josh Allen’s caliber doesn’t come along every day. He’s shown time and time again that he shows up when the team needs him most.
If you know what you’re getting, then why place the pressure on him instead of those around him who need to elevate their play, too?
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Shared Blame Among the Organization
If Allen isn’t to blame for the losses, then who is?
The easy answer is to say the supporting cast around him, but it runs deeper than that. The pressure of this playoff run weighs heavily on the shoulders of head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane.
During this duo’s tenure running the Bills, the team has had its fair share of playoff mishaps. Whether it’s the infamous 13-second meltdown against Kansas City during the 2021 playoffs, the inability to prepare for the Bengals in 2022, the missed game-tying field goal and Stefon Diggs drop in 2023, or the 32 points they gave up in 2024, they’ve wasted multiple years of Josh Allen’s prime.
Since Josh Allen’s playoff debut during the 2019 season against the Houston Texans, the Bills have been giving up 31.3 points per game in their playoff losses.
It’s difficult to win games when your offense needs to score 32 points. It’s on McDermott to have his defense prepared and Brandon Beane to get the right players on the roster to get the team over the hump.
The Good News
While Josh Allen rose to the occasion again against the Jaguars, so did the team around him.
Following a late fourth-quarter touchdown to give the Bills the lead, safety Cole Bishop sealed the game with an interception that long-time Bills corner Tre’Davious White tipped. If the team can continue to get timely defensive stops or other contributions from role players, it’ll make life easier for Allen and the offense.
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Some other players who deserve their flowers for showing up in the biggest moments are wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who had a huge catch to set up the game-winning touchdown, and Shaq Thompson, who had the first of two Bills interceptions on the day.
Between the vast impact the defense had and the presence of savvy veterans like Cooks and Thompson, Beane and McDermott certainly answered the call in game one of the Bills’ playoff run. They deserve credit for their work so far, but the job isn’t finished until the Lombardi trophy comes back to Buffalo.
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