Key Highlights
- The QB also certainly could use a mental break during a season in which he’s been relied upon to carry the offensive load too often. Competitive and remarkable as he’s been in combining for 39 touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing) and engineering four fourth-quarter comebacks, even Allen has limitations, which became readily apparent in a 13-12 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith his body beaten after absorbing five sacks, and after rallying the Bills by scoring two TDs rushing in the final 5:11, Allen was unable to finish the job.
- Attempting a 2-point conversion with five seconds left, Allen dropped back and never got his feet set before launching a pass that sailed a foot wide of open receiver Khalil Shakir in the back of the end zone. In the end, it was perhaps too much to ask of Allen to overcome a slow-starting offense that was blanked through nearly 55 minutes and compounded by a special teams letdown in which Michael Badgley had an extra point attempt blocked. And perhaps Allen put too much on his broad shoulders, by giving way to impatience and relying on his athleticism when plays broke down. It happened in the closing minutes of the third quarter, when Allen overlooked an open receiver by taking off and getting stopped short of the goal line on fourth-and-goal from the Eagles 3. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnd it happened again on the next series, when facing third-and-8 from the Philadelphia 27.
- Allen rolled to his left and reversed field before being caught from behind by Jalyx Hunt for a 19-yard loss, forcing a punt rather than a field-goal opportunity. In an outing where the Bills' often-maligned defense played its most complete outing of the season — limiting the Eagles to one first down and 16 yards offense in the second half, Allen deserved and accepted a share of the blame.“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 said, before correcting himself.
- “I didn’t make that last play.”He called it a lesson he would have been happier to learn in victory. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s a stinging feeling Allen will have to carry for an extra week and perhaps fuel the NFL’s reigning MVP in his pursuit of what so far has been an elusive Super Bowl berth. What’s workingA defense that overcame missing starting defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and starting safety Jordan Poyer and then lost starting linebacker Terrel Bernard to a calf injury.
