Josh Allen knows the opportunity that just slipped through his fingers.
In a year when Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow were all watching the playoffs from home, the table was set for the Buffalo Bills to make a serious run at Super Bowl LX. But instead of capitalizing on a wide-open AFC field, the Bills fell short in the Divisional Round, bowing out to the Denver Broncos.
And Allen? He’s not pointing fingers-he’s pointing the thumb.
“We didn’t get it done this year, and that’s on us, that’s on me,” Allen said during a recent appearance on First Things First. No excuses, no dodging. Just accountability from a franchise quarterback who knows the expectations that come with his name.
Allen’s been living in the same quarterback neighborhood as Mahomes, Jackson, and Burrow for a while now. That’s what happens when you consistently put up MVP-caliber numbers and carry your team deep into January.
But in the AFC, being elite isn’t enough-you’ve got to be perfect. And this season, the Bills weren’t.
Still, Allen isn’t shying away from the pressure. He’s embracing it, owning the disappointment, and already looking toward the next chance to run it back with a team that’s come agonizingly close but hasn’t yet broken through. Buffalo hasn’t been to a Super Bowl since the early ‘90s, and Allen’s made it clear: he wants to be the one to end that drought.
No Apologies for the Way He Plays
If there’s one thing that defines Josh Allen’s game, it’s his fearless, physical style. He’s not your typical pocket passer-he’s a 6'5", 240-pound freight train who’s just as likely to lower his shoulder and bulldoze a linebacker as he is to launch a 40-yard strike downfield. That dual-threat ability is what makes him so dangerous-and what helped him take home MVP honors last season over another dynamic playmaker in Lamar Jackson.
But that style comes with risks. Allen knows it. And he’s not pretending otherwise.
“I think it’s all dictated based on the flow of the game,” Allen said. “Understanding where I’m at in the season, who we have in there with us, is our defense rolling, who’s hurt and who’s not.”
He’s not reckless-he’s calculated. It just so happens that his calculations often lead him straight into contact.
That’s the competitor in him. The guy who wants to make every play, no matter the cost.
“Obviously, I’m going to go out there and make every play. Sometimes it puts me in a bad spot.
I understand that. But I think more often than not, I’ve made those plays and I continue to prove that.”
And he’s right. Allen’s rushing numbers aren’t just impressive for a quarterback-they’re historic.
He holds multiple franchise and league records for rushing touchdowns and yards at his position. His legs are just as much a weapon as his cannon of an arm.
The Road Ahead
Allen’s physicality has helped define this Bills era, but there’s a reality creeping in: he’s not getting younger. The hits add up.
The mileage matters. And at some point, he may need to evolve his game-not abandon it, but refine it-to stay at the top of his powers deep into his 30s.
For now, though, Allen isn’t changing who he is. He’s focused on one thing: bringing a Super Bowl to Buffalo. And if that means putting the team on his back again-literally and figuratively-he’s ready.
The 2025 season didn’t end the way he or the Bills hoped. But with Allen leading the charge, the window isn’t closed. Not even close.