The Buffalo Bills lost 37-34 in overtime in a Sunday matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In a game muddied by rain, misses and drops on potential scoring plays, failed defensive stops, penalties, and poor officiating, there was a glaring bright spot.
QB Josh Allen had 81 yards on nine carries with two TDs on the ground to go with 339 yards with two TDs in the air, putting up 420 of the Bills’ 512 total yards of offense on the day.
Still, the focus remains on the playoff picture. With more challenges ahead, Allen knows they need to be prepared.
“We got to refresh get healthy for this next week and you got to attack the rest of the season week by week,” the captain said of his team to the press.
Allen became the first player in NFL history with four games with 300+ passing yards and 75+ rushing yards in the road loss.
“His level of play has risen over the last two weeks,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said during his postgame media session. “That is really the biggest thing. When your quarterback is playing well, you have a chance. The inconsistency leading up to the last three weeks were one of the reasons why I made the decision that I did to move forward here. The last two weeks, Josh Allen’s level of play has been good enough for us to win.”
Despite key contributions during other parts of the game, RB James Cook dropped what would have been a touchdown, K Tyler Bass missed a field goal, and there was a miscommunication with WR2 Gabe Davis on a route that could have put the Bills in position to score a touchdown be it on that play or otherwise.
In the end, the defense’s failure to get key stops, and these key members of the offense and special teams’ ability to execute in key moments proved costly.
The Bills became the 40th team since the 1970 Merger to have 500 yards, 10 third down conversions, and a positive turnover margin in a game as well as the first team to lose in that scenario. Those teams were previously 39-0, per ESPN Stats and Info.
The improvements and total production production on offense didn’t go unnoticed.
“I thought we moved the ball well, I mean 500 yards, I think that says a lot about the direction we’re headed on offense,” McDermott added.
As they still remain in the playoff hunt, Allen’s belief in the team is unwavering.
“I’m extremely confident in our guys,” he added. “The men that we have in this locker room, we understand where we’re at. So, we’ve got good things going.”
His perspective and the way he backs it up with his play is not lost on his teammates either.
“I mean, that’s why we love him so much,” center Mitch Morse said. “That’s why he’s the undisputed leader in this locker room. It definitely gets your chili hot when that happens, so, for us, we just rally around a guy like that. I’d go to war with that guy any day of the week.”