Josh Allen, quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, enters the final week of the regular NFL season visibly worn and frustrated, necessitating a break from play. On Sunday, during what is essentially a non-critical matchup against the New York Jets, Allen is anticipated to participate only for the initial snap. This brief appearance will extend his consecutive regular-season start streak to 122 games—the longest active streak among NFL quarterbacks. Following this, Allen is expected to observe the remainder of the game from the sidelines.
This pause presents Allen with an opportunity to rest his aching right foot before the Bills commence their postseason campaign on the road in approximately two weeks. Moreover, with the Bills (11-5) likely to rest key players, the game marks a sentimental moment as the team plays potentially its last contest in their venerable 52-year-old stadium, affectionately known as "The Ralph," named after the franchise's founder and Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson. The Bills’ new venue—a $2.1 billion stadium located across the street—has garnered the media nickname "The Stadium Allen Built."
Allen has carried much of Buffalo's offensive load throughout the season, combining for an impressive 39 touchdowns, including 25 passing and 14 rushing scores, while orchestrating four successful fourth-quarter comebacks. Nevertheless, his limits became apparent during a 13-12 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
The Bills' offense, slow to ignite and held scoreless for nearly 55 minutes, ultimately fell short. Allen endured five sacks during the game and, despite scoring two rushing touchdowns in the final five minutes and eleven seconds, was unable to complete the comeback. His attempt at a two-point conversion in the game’s closing seconds ended with a pass that sailed about a foot wide of the open receiver Khalil Shakir in the end zone.
Contributing factors beyond Allen’s control included a special teams mishap—a blocked extra point attempt by kicker Michael Badgley—and the generally sluggish offensive start. Allen himself acknowledged falling victim to impatience and relying excessively on his athleticism when plays did not proceed as planned, exemplified by two critical moments late in the game. During the final minutes of the third quarter, he bypassed an open receiver to rush and was stopped short of the goal on fourth-and-goal at the Eagles' 3-yard line. Shortly thereafter, on a third-and-eight play from Philadelphia’s 27-yard line, Allen's decision to roll left and reverse field resulted in a 19-yard loss as he was tackled by Jalyx Hunt, forcing the Bills to punt instead of attempting a field goal.
Buffalo's defense delivered one of its most comprehensive performances of the season despite absent starters due to injury, limiting Philadelphia to a single first down and only 16 yards of offense in the second half. Allen openly accepted responsibility for the offensive shortcomings, stating, "It just comes down to us executing, making one more play than they did. And obviously we saw that we didn’t make that last play." He later corrected himself: "I didn’t make that last play." Allen described the result as a lesson he would have preferred to learn in a victory, a difficult feeling to carry into the postseason.
Several aspects of the team’s performance warrant attention. The defense showed resilience despite missing starting defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and starting safety Jordan Poyer, with linebacker Terrel Bernard sidelined due to a calf injury. The Eagles’ 190 total yards were the fewest the Bills have conceded in a losing effort since 2018. However, the offense’s slow beginnings need improvement, as Buffalo was shut out in the first half for only the second time this season—a stark contrast to the 55 points scored in the opening quarters of the first eight games of the season, compared to just 24 points across the first quarters of the last eight games.
On an individual note, wide receiver Brandin Cooks demonstrated significant impact, recording a season-best six receptions for 101 yards in just his fifth game with the Bills following his release from New Orleans. He became the fifth Buffalo receiver to surpass 100 receiving yards in a game this year.
Conversely, kicker Michael Badgley’s struggles—missing two extra-point attempts in two games this season following injury to starter Matt Prater—led to his release from the team on Monday.
Injury concerns persist, with Coach Sean McDermott confirming Bernard’s unavailability for the upcoming game and revealing a minor setback suffered by starting defensive tackle Ed Oliver during recovery from a torn left bicep sustained earlier in the season.
The Bills’ defense notably forced seven punts in the recent defeat, matching their highest total in a loss since 2019. Looking ahead, the team is expected to rest many key players against the Jets in Week 18. Currently holding the AFC’s No. 7 playoff seed, Buffalo requires a win coupled with favorable results elsewhere to improve its postseason positioning.