Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills have three games left in the regular season, but Josh Allen says the team needs to treat every remaining contest like a playoff game.
The Bills climbed back to 8-6 after big wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys, putting them within reach of a playoff spot with three games remaining. As the Bills travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers on December 23, Allen said they need to treat it as a must-win.
“We’ve got to control what we can control,” Allen said, via The Associated Press. “It’s essentially win or go home. So again, we got to be prepared for every punch that the Chargers can throw at us and be able to respond and adjust accordingly in game.”
Bills Facing Wounded Chargers Team
The Bills have a big opportunity to take a leap in the playoff race, facing a Chargers team hit hard by injuries and some big changes at the top. Quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a season-ending injury, and wide receiver Keenan Allen had been ruled out for the December 23 contest.
The Chargers also fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco after last week’s 63-21 rout at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders. Heavy projections powered by Quarter4 give the Bills a win probability greater than 90% against the Chargers.
Josh Allen since Week 9 (passing):
229 yards per game
9 TDs
6 INTs
81.7 Passer Rating
Can he get back on track against the Chargers? #BillsMafia
The Bills in recent games have leaned heavily on running back James Cook — who is coming off a career-best game with 25 carries for 179 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys — and The Associated Press noted that he could have another favorable matchup ahead.
“Cook will be facing a Chargers run defense that has allowed an average of 146.2 yards over the past six games,” the report noted. “Buffalo has also used Latavius Murray near the goal line, while also working in Ty Johnson as a change-of-pace runner.”
Josh Allen Took a Backseat
Though the Bills have relied heavily on Allen at times during the season, he took a backseat in last week’s win over the Chargers. Allen attempted a seasson-low 15 passes, completing seven for a total of 94 yards.
While he did set an NFL record with his 10th game with both a passing and rushing touchdown, Allen said he felt fortunate to watch Cook take over the agme.
“I felt like the kid that didn’t do anything in the class project and got an A,” Allen told reporters after the game, via Fox Sports.
Bills center Mitch Morse added that the team was ready to do whatever it took to get a win, but acknowledged that there was a lot of work still to be done.
“It was kind of all systems go today,” Morse said, via The Associated Press. “We still have an uphill battle, but this is a great first step.”
The Bills will also need some help from the teams in front of them on the playoff bracket, but head coach Sean McDermott said they can only focus on the game ahead of them.
“We’re just focused on the Chargers right now,” the head coach said, via the Batavia Daily News. “We can’t control anything that’s outside of our control, and we just have to focus on the Chargers right now because if we don’t handle that, then all that other stuff is not going to matter.”