The Bills Have a Playoff Problem…But It’s Not Josh Allen (detailed breakdown)

[HappyDays]

4 hours ago, DrBob806 said:

He had Gabe Davis wide open in the end zone vs the Chiefs, missed him. Yeah, it's just one play, but it needed to be made.

 

In the game that Davis didn't play in?

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

3 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

In the game that Davis didn't play in?

 

I'm guessing he meant the 2023 divisional where Josh missed a (barely) open Shakir in the end zone? 

 

Although the misfire happened because Dawkins got dominated by Jones on that play.

 

 

[Mikie2times]

In 2023, the injuries were pretty significant in the playoff game. It sort of weakens that statement if you want to argue that in 2024. 9 of 11 healthy is better than most and about as good as we will have it. We let a Chiefs team who has struggled moving the ball all year go up and down the field on us. Which they didn't do in either playoff game outside of ours. But it's not like this is a new conversation. Chiefs are really good, injuries, luck not on our side vs Beane sucks, McD sucks. That's basically what this board has become.   

Edited yesterday at 06:49 AM by Mikie2times

[CSBill]

Great reporting. Any casual fan of the Buffalo Bills knows this.

[DrBob806]

12 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

In the game that Davis didn't play in?

Sorry man, I thought it was Davis. 

 

Nobody near him, the ball was under thrown. Yes, JA wax under pressure, but it's a thrown he usually makes. 

[Big Turk]

Most people know Allen isn't the problem...he literally gets no help in these KC games from the D.

 

Regardless of how bad their offense is in the regular season games against us or against other teams, they look like the Greatest Show On Turf in the playoffs when we play.

Edited yesterday at 01:41 PM by Big Turk

[transient]

20 hours ago, Mister Defense said:

Wow, extremely enlightening.

 

So many of us likely thought that the reason the Bills have not taken the next step in the playoffs, and especially intelligent analysts like Shannon Sharpe, was that Josh Allen was stinking it up in the playoffs.

 

Now, thanks to your detailed breakdown, we all now that is likely not that case.

 

Thank you!

 

 

You do realize that Warren Sharp, the advanced analytics guy, and not Shannon Sharpe, is the person that wrote this, right? 

[Mister Defense]

21 minutes ago, transient said:

You do realize that Warren Sharp, the advanced analytics guy, and not Shannon Sharpe, is the person that wrote this, right? 

 

 I was just mentioning Sharpe because he spouted the most ignorant, completely uniformed opinions on Allen and the Bills that I have ever heard. 

 

For example, this year he said that the Bills were better because Allen was no longer doing this: scoring a touchdown, and then turning it over on the next series, with the other team scoring a touchdown. He made the point that for every touchdown the Bills scored, Allen's turnovers lead to as many touchdowns for the other team.

 

Then he said this is what Allen does in the playoffs, scores a lot yes, but his many playoff turnovers lead to an equal number of scores for the other team.

 

So, just having some fun with one of the laziest, dumbest, misinformed 'analysts' in the world.

 

 

[Brand J]

2 hours ago, DrBob806 said:

Sorry man, I thought it was Davis. 

 

Nobody near him, the ball was under thrown. Yes, JA wax under pressure, but it's a thrown he usually makes. 

I’m not apologizing for Allen and the offense’s failures or making any excuses, but Chris Jones bull rushed Dawkins and Dawkins inadvertently stepped on Josh’s foot which caused the errant pass. 
 

That play became a highly debated one because many others said Allen should’ve taken Diggs on the crosser who was wide open and he wouldn’t have had his foot stepped on. It also would’ve allowed the Bills to milk more time off the clock, leaving Mahomes with less of a chance to come back - if the Bills had eventually scored a TD. All of this is to say, the Bills just haven’t made the play that needed to be made with the game on the line. Whoever was at fault. 

[CincyBillsFan]

17 hours ago, ganesh said:

When you have the #1 QB in the NFL and the ball is in your hands and you have to drive down to win the AFCC, you have to take care of business.  I agree that Allen is the least of the problem, but with the guy who has the ball in his hand on all offensive plays needs to have "that drive" that is historic. 

There are 10 guys around Allen on the field and a coaching staff on the sidelines.  Football is different then say Basketball where an elite player can single-handedly win a game.

 

BTW, in the KC/Bills game last season in Rich Stadium even if Dawkins had made the block and kept Jones from pushing him into Allen disrupting the likley TD throw to Shakir what's the over/under on KC going the length of the field against the Bills D to score the game winning TD in the remaining minute and a half? Then you people would be crying about how Allen should have used the rest of the time on the clock and scored the game winning TD.

 

 

 

 

19 hours ago, DrBob806 said:

He had Gabe Davis wide open in the end zone vs the Chiefs, missed him. Yeah, it's just one play, but it needed to be made.

And Dawkins getting pushed by Jones into Allen as he released the ball had nothing to do with not making that play? 

Edited yesterday at 04:27 PM by CincyBillsFan

[CincyBillsFan]

1 hour ago, Brand J said:

I’m not apologizing for Allen and the offense’s failures or making any excuses, but Chris Jones bull rushed Dawkins and Dawkins inadvertently stepped on Josh’s foot which caused the errant pass. 
 

That play became a highly debated one because many others said Allen should’ve taken Diggs on the crosser who was wide open and he wouldn’t have had his foot stepped on. It also would’ve allowed the Bills to milk more time off the clock, leaving Mahomes with less of a chance to come back - if the Bills had eventually scored a TD. All of this is to say, the Bills just haven’t made the play that needed to be made with the game on the line. Whoever was at fault. 

Yes because in the crazy world of Bills fandom Allen is not only supposed to lead the Offense to the game winning TD but also to use up the rest of the clock to protect the Bills terrible playoff Defense.  And he must do all this alone, against the eventual Super Bowl champ in a playoff game.

 

 

 

 

 

[DrBob806]

28 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

 

And Dawkins getting pushed by Jones into Allen as he released the ball had nothing to do with not making that play? 

I already mentioned it did.

 

It's la play an MVP makes. He didn't make it.

[White Linen]

To me it's coaching as a whole.  The Eagles would have smoked us with that game plan.  McD is excellent. He's about togetherness, community, toughness, accountability, brotherhood and all these admirable things.

 

He and his staff are game plan morons against staffs that it's their strength.

[CoudyBills]

On 2/22/2025 at 10:17 AM, MikePJ76 said:

they have had critical injuries on defense each of the last 3 playoff losses.

 

Its hard to beat good teams with your top corner out every year plus all the other injuries. 

Injuries play an even larger role in organizations that have so little pass rush that it becomes laughable.  

1 hour ago, DrBob806 said:

I already mentioned it did.

 

It's la play an MVP makes. He didn't make it.

This storybook nonsense is really getting old.  

[DrBob806]

39 minutes ago, CoudyBills said:

 

This storybook nonsense is really getting old.  

Totally agree.

 

For 3 years, maybe longer, all I read on here is how JA is the best QB in the NFL. How he got robbed of MVP status by Lamar or Mahomes.

 

I love JA, he's our QB, but the minute he gets criticized, look out, here come the apologists.

[CincyBillsFan]

3 hours ago, DrBob806 said:

I already mentioned it did.

 

It's la play an MVP makes. He didn't make it.

Nonsense.  Are you saying that MVP's make every great play that is possible?  It's this completely unhinged and unrealistic expectation around what Allen can and can not do that I find frustrating.

 

 

[BillsFanForever19]

I don't need a detailed breakdown to know that the "Playoff Problem" isn't Josh Allen 😂

[NewEra]

On 2/22/2025 at 8:28 AM, 90sBills said:

Offense had the ball with 3 min left and a chance to win. 

2 years in a row.

 

Allen is the furthest thing from being the problem.  The defensive performances (game plan and play) are the biggest reasons we’ve lost (without a doubt), but the games were still there to be won.  Lots of things contribute to losses.  
 

overall, Josh’s playoff success (in terms of statistics) is incredible.  He’s been superb.  The last two years, when the game mattered most- he couldn’t get it done.  Diggs’ drop and the decision to throw deep to Shakir rather than dump it short to diggs.  The drive didn’t end in a TD.  Then this season, the offensive playcalling/execution plus Kincaids drop.  0 points.   It’s not all on the QB….. but the ball was in his hands and we came up with 0 points on both drives.  
 

And to repeat-  Allen is the furthest thing from being the problem.  But we know how this place works.  

Edited yesterday at 09:01 PM by NewEra

[Process]

The Defense is without question the main reason we are 0-4 vs the chiefs in the playoffs. There is no denying that. 

 

But when thinking about the last two games specifically, the first thing that will always come to mind, and what sticks with me the most, is the offense having the ball at the end of the game with a chance to win it, and coming up short. That's what haunts me, even though yes, the defense is the main problem. 

[Matt_In_NH]

On 2/22/2025 at 10:17 AM, MikePJ76 said:

they have had critical injuries on defense each of the last 3 playoff losses.

 

It’s hard to beat good teams with your top corner out every year plus all the other injuries. 

That was a reasonable excuse in 2023 but not 2024.  With way it’s an excuse.   Nfl teams have injuries.  Next man up and get it done no excuses.  This past year the bills had like no one on it going into the playoffs.  They lost Rapp and benford.   People act like the bills have bad luck or something.  Meanwhile other teams work around their injuries.