Josh Allen stood at the podium, eyes red, voice cracking, and took the weight of another crushing playoff loss squarely on his shoulders. “I feel like I let my teammates down,” he said, visibly emotional after the Bills’ 33-30 overtime defeat to the Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round.
But if we’re being honest, Allen shouldn't be the one carrying that burden alone. In fact, he might be the last person who deserves it.
Tight end Dawson Knox said it best when he heard Allen’s postgame comments: “He’s Superman, and he’s not going anywhere.” Knox knows what most of us can see - Allen continues to do everything in his power to keep Buffalo in the fight, even when the odds are stacked against him.
Let’s break it down. Allen finished the regular season with 39 total touchdowns - 25 through the air and 14 on the ground.
That’s elite production, any way you slice it. And in the playoff loss to Denver, he added another 283 passing yards, three touchdowns, and 66 rushing yards on 12 carries.
That’s not a quarterback going down quietly. That’s a quarterback dragging his team as far as he possibly can.
But when you’re asked to play Superman every week, sometimes the cape gets heavy.
Yes, Allen turned the ball over four times against the Broncos - two interceptions and two lost fumbles. That’s the flip side of the coin when a quarterback is forced to press.
When you don’t have a true No. 1 receiver, when the offensive burden falls squarely on your shoulders every single game, mistakes happen. It’s not ideal, but it’s also not surprising.
Buffalo’s front office didn’t exactly set Allen up for success this season. Their biggest move in the wide receiver room?
Signing Joshua Palmer to a three-year, $29 million deal. Palmer, who finished with just 303 receiving yards in 12 games before landing on IR with an ankle injury, wasn’t the answer Allen needed.
Without a top-tier target, Allen had to be the offense - again. And while he delivered more often than not, the margin for error shrinks in the postseason.
That’s where a team’s depth, balance, and discipline are supposed to shine. For the Bills, those things were nowhere to be found when it mattered most.
Defensively, Buffalo came up short in the biggest moments. With less than a minute left in regulation, they allowed rookie quarterback Bo Nix to fire a 26-yard go-ahead touchdown to Marvin Mims Jr. - a backbreaker that put Denver up 30-27.
Even after Matt Prater nailed a clutch 50-yard field goal to send the game to overtime, the Bills defense couldn’t hold. On the final drive, penalties piled up - pass interference flags on both Tre’Davious White and Taron Johnson, and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on White for slamming his helmet in frustration. That set up an easy 23-yard game-winner for Broncos kicker Wil Lutz.
This wasn’t just about Allen’s turnovers. This was about a team that folded when the pressure peaked.
And here’s the bigger picture: since entering the league in 2018, Allen leads all players with 123 turnovers - 94 interceptions and 29 lost fumbles. That’s a stat that can’t be ignored.
But it also doesn’t exist in a vacuum. When a quarterback is forced to be the engine, the transmission, and the wheels, things are going to break down.
Allen signed a six-year, $330 million extension before the 2025 season. He’s committed to the Bills - for now. But if Buffalo keeps asking him to do everything without giving him the help he needs, how long can that loyalty last?
The Bills have a generational talent under center. But if they don’t build a more complete team around him - one with a true No. 1 receiver, a more balanced offensive approach, and a defense that can hold the line in crunch time - they’re not just wasting Allen’s prime. They’re closing their own Super Bowl window.
Josh Allen doesn’t need to point fingers. But the rest of the organization should be looking in the mirror.