Josh Allen Is Not ‘Devoted?’ Bills quarterback being unfairly blamed.
It’s a perplexing and controversial opinion to blame quarterback Josh Allen for the Buffalo Bills’ 27-24 AFC Divisional Round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo was one of the teams identified as a loss in Sports Illustrated’s list of his winners and losers for the 2023–24 year. Furthermore, he stated that in the event that the Bills must deal Stefon Diggs to make cap space, they must ensure that Allen is willing to play in a different scheme. Additionally, he said that the quarterback for the Bills needs to become better at his “lack of productive, savvy plays during crunch time.”
“It wouldn’t be surprising to see Diggs traded in the offseason,” says Manzano. “The Bills had best make sure Allen is fully committed to any changes they make to their offensive plan because in times of pressure, he often abandons the smart, effective plays. For instance, the last quarter of the divisional round game versus the Chiefs.” Yes, because Diggs’ 60-yard bomb, which had the potential to be the game-winning score or to set up the Bills for an early lead, was undoubtedly Allen’s fault. There were only two minutes remaining in the game when Tyler Bass missed a potentially game-winning field goal wide right due to Allen’s lack of smart and effective plays in the fourth quarter.
In 2022, when he handed Buffalo the lead twice in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs and departed the field with a 36-33 lead with 13 seconds remaining in the quarter, Allen’s lack of effective, smart plays late in the game proved costly as well. Though Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones shoved Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins into Allen’s lap, altering the throw, Allen’s only minor mishap during Buffalo’s fourth-quarter loss to the Chiefs this postseason, if you even want to call it that, was missing Khalil Shakir on a possible go-ahead touchdown.
It’s obvious to anyone with two working eyes that Buffalo wouldn’t have had a chance against the eventual Super Bowl champs without Allen. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs tormented the Bills’ defense, allowing 21 first downs on 47 plays, including three kneel-downs towards the end of the game. Leading quarterback and rusher for the team, Allen received little assistance from a receiving corps that had four drops in the defeat and struggled to get open.
Later, Manzano said that neither quarterback is truly great, drawing a comparison between Allen and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. “Like Josh Allen, Jackson needs to be better in the postseason to be regarded as an elite quarterback,” writes Manzano. Mahomes is the only quarterback in the NFL with the status of elite, if Allen and Jackson don’t qualify. In the regular season, Jackson has been among the top quarterbacks in football; yet, in the playoffs, Allen is far superior to the two-time MVP.
Throughout his postseason career, the Bills quarterback has rushed for 563 yards and five touchdowns and completed 2,723 yards of passing with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. Jackson has rushed for 521 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for 1,324 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions.
The Bills are not without their shortcomings, and even with almost $40 million above the cap, they will need to find innovative ways to improve the club. According to Spotrac, even a possible trade for Diggs would push the Bills closer to the cap. The Bills now face an either-or situation in the Super Bowl. being branded as a failure from the previous campaign despite only losing two games is accurate. However, it is irrational to hold Allen responsible for the team’s failures when he is unquestionably the only reason they can compete with the NFL’s best.
