The Denver Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round on Saturday, and part of the reason for the Bills’ loss was quarterback Josh Allen‘s performance.
Allen turned the ball over four times, with two interceptions and two fumbles. One of the fumbles was particularly costly, as it occurred at the end of the first half, allowing the Broncos to kick a field goal and take a 10-point lead.
Nick Wright Doesn’t Want to Hear About Other People Taking the Blame
Allen has yet to reach the Super Bowl in his eight seasons in the NFL, and Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright is tired of hearing that it’s always someone else’s fault when Allen falls short in the playoffs.
“He’s the only guy in the league that when they win, he’s an all-time legend,” Wright said on Tuesday during “What’s Wright? with Nick Wright. “And when they lose, even when it’s because of his mistakes, it’s gotta be someone else’s fault.”
Wright makes a valid point: typically, when Allen shines in the postseason, everyone raves about his impressive performance. But when the Bills lose, people tend to blame everyone except Allen.
The Bills organization attempted to shift the blame onto everyone except Allen and even went so far as to fire their head coach, Sean McDermott after the loss to Denver.
Buffalo’s owner, Terry Pegula, confirmed on Wednesday that the decision to fire McDermott was based solely on the Bills’ inability to beat the Broncos.
“My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver,” Pegula said, via Ryan Miller from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “I want to take you in the locker room after that game.”
Josh Allen Blamed Himself For Losing to Denver
Even though everyone else is quick to blame the loss on everyone but Allen, he blames himself.
“I feel like I let my teammates down tonight,” Allen said on Saturday.
There have been a handful of playoff games where the Bills fell short despite Allen’s incredible performance, and there was nothing he could have done to change the outcome. However, in the game against Denver, his mistakes likely cost Buffalo a shot at the AFC Championship Game.
Turning the ball over four times is never a good scenario in an NFL game, especially against the top seed in the AFC in a challenging environment. Allen did a commendable job bouncing back from the turnovers, helping the Bills force overtime. If he had managed to limit the turnovers to just two instead of four, Buffalo likely would have come out on top, and McDermott would still be at the helm.
The Bills are now on the lookout for a new head coach for the first time since 2017, and Buffalo could bring in someone Allen has worked with before. Former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and current offensive coordinator Joe Brady are both in the running for the position, which could be a positive for both Allen and the Bills as they look to move forward.
Major Sports Host Blasts Josh Allen After Broncos Loss: ‘Always Someone Else’s Fault’