Getty Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen runs the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during their AFC divisional round matchup.
The Buffalo Bills are having one of their best seasons since 1995 and their success has been predicated on how much the relationship between offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and quarterback Josh Allen has manifested itself over the past three years.
As the Bills prepare for their matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship on Sunday, it doesn’t seem like Allen and the Bills offense can be stopped, unless there is an abundance of wind in the forecast.
In the regular season, Allen finished fifth in the league in passing yards (4,544), fourth in touchdowns (37), and threw for the sixth-most passing yards per game (284). A lot of Allen’s success has a lot to do with the weapons that Bills general manager Brandon Beane has brought in to surround him. But Allen has begun to match his athletic ability with his knowledge of the game and he’s picked up the latter from his offensive coordinator.
On Wednesday, McDermott gave a little more insight into that relationship when he met with the media.
“Brian has done a really good job, he’s an important member of our staff and those two have an important relationship, a critical relationship, and it’s a good relationship,” McDermott said during his video conference call. “They probably spend more time together than any player and coach in our building and that’s again essential to the job that has to get done. The two of them have a great rapport. Brian has done a really nice job of helping Josh develop both on the field and off the field and see the game the way a quarterback in his third year that’s trending in the upward direction needs to see the game.”
On Sunday, the Bills will possibly take on another young quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, who has become the face of the league since getting drafted by the Chiefs in 2018. But, Allen is coming into his own as well, and as the Bills get ready for one of their most important games in recent memory, they have the utmost confidence in Allen.
“This is the next step for Josh, this is what you work for, this is what he’s worked for,” McDermott said during his video conference call. “So, he’ll be ready and we’re extremely confident in Josh.”
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Mahomes is Still Recovering from Injury He Suffered on Sunday
The Bills have a tough challenge ahead of them as they’ll have to prepare for both Mahomes and backup quarterback Chad Henne as Mahomes’ game status for Sunday is still up in the air.
On Tuesday, ESPN NFL Inside Adam Schefter revealed the timeline that Mahomes would have to work through in order to get back on the field for Sunday. Schefter said that Mahomes cleared “some big steps” on Monday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Mahomes was set to take his process one step further on Wednesday as he was scheduled to participate in a light practice.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes will have a very light practice today as part of his plan while in the NFL concussion protocol, source said. Could be listed as limited or DNP, but his work will ramp up during the week. Mahomes, who has no symptoms, will do some tolerance tests, too.
So, Allen could be taking on the reigning Super Bowl MVP or a backup quarterback who just made his postseason debut last week.
“It’s the Biggest Game Because It’s the Next One”
Throughout the season the third-year quarterback has stuck to that same mantra and as the Bills prepare for their biggest game of the season, it still hasn’t changed.
“We’re not trying to make it more important than it needs to be,” Allen said via WKBW Sports Director Matt Bove. “It’s the biggest game because it’s the next one.”
On Sunday the Bills will play for the opportunity to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994. Seems like a pretty big game.
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