Getty Josh Allen scrambles in a playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen knows that his past success against the Miami Dolphins will matter little heading into this week’s critical showdown.
After reeling off a four-game winning streak to reach 10-6, the Bills head to Miami with a chance to win their fourth consecutive AFC East title with a win over the Dolphins. The Bills have still not clinched a playoff spot, and could go into Sunday night’s season finale facing the possibility of earning the No. 2 seed with a win and going home for the offseason with a loss.
Allen spoke out about the game this week, saying his strong performances against the Dolphins in the past won’t play any role in this game and sending a warning to his team about the importance of preparation.
Josh Allen: ‘Each Game is Different’
If past performance were an indicator, the Bills have a strong chance of ending their season with a win. Josh Allen has a 9-2 career record against the Dolphins, earning a passer rating of 110.8 with 3,004 yards, 31 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
In Josh Allen’s first game vs. the Dolphins this season, he had more TDs (5) than incompletions (4).
What will he do in primetime with the division on the line?
But Allen does not take that view, telling Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News in an article published on January 3 that his team won’t be able to rely on their past success and that they need to focus on properly preparing.
“I think every game is different, each game has its specific flow,” Allen said. “I’ve played well against them in the past, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna play well against them this week, unless I prepare well and work hard in practice and get on the same page as receivers. And the five guys up front do their job and the receivers catch the ball, so it takes everybody to do that. We’re looking forward to having a good week of practice and putting our best foot forward.”
Bills Looking to Complete Unlikely Comeback
The idea of playing for a division title may have once seemed very unlikely to the Bills. The team fell to 6-6 after an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and had one of the league’s toughest remaining schedules, but have since managed to string together four consecutive wins including victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys
Veteran safety Jordan Poyer, the longest-tenured player on Buffalo’s defense, said the team has been at its best when they’re against the wall.
“We’ve stuck together throughout the season,” Poyer said, via ESPN. “… I mean, that’s kind of been our motto throughout these last seven years. Our back’s against the wall, and usually we play a lot better when our back’s against the wall.”
The Bills have turned up the intensity on defense, holding their last four opponents to 22 or fewer points and allowing only one passing touchdown since Week 13.
“Since maybe like four weeks [ago] we just been playing with that like ‘Bro, we really the best,’ and like, I think we all believe we the best,” said cornerback Rasul Douglas, who joined the team in a trade-deadline deal with the Green Bay Packers. “So, it’s like every time we come out there, every series, every snap, we communicate and we talking, we telling each other like, ‘Yo, you the best, bro.’ “