The Buffalo Bills are back in the Divisional Round, this time heading into Denver to face a red-hot Broncos team. And once again, the spotlight is squarely on Josh Allen.
That’s nothing new. Allen’s been the face of the franchise since 2018 and a fixture in the postseason since 2019. He’s got the rocket arm, the athleticism, the highlight-reel plays - and yes, the playoff résumé that’s both impressive and, at times, frustratingly familiar.
Let’s be clear: Buffalo has been one of the AFC’s powerhouses for half a decade. Five straight AFC East titles.
A string of double-digit win seasons. A roster stacked with Pro Bowlers and All-Pros.
And Allen himself has played at an MVP-caliber level more than once.
But here’s the reality: for all their regular-season dominance, the Bills have yet to break through to the Super Bowl in the Josh Allen era. And that lingering “almost” label is starting to hang a little heavier with each January exit.
Take a look at the playoff track record:
- 2019: Wild Card loss to Houston
- 2020: AFC Championship loss to Kansas City
- 2021: Divisional Round loss to Kansas City
- 2022: Divisional Round loss to Cincinnati
- 2023: Divisional Round loss to Kansas City
- 2024: AFC Championship loss to Kansas City
That’s six playoff exits in six years. Four of them came at the hands of the Chiefs - a team that’s been the Bills’ postseason kryptonite. One came against Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and the earliest one, back in 2019, came when Allen was still developing into the player he is now.
So here we are again. Another January.
Another playoff run. And once again, the question looms: can Josh Allen finally get Buffalo over the hump?
This time, there’s no Kansas City standing in the way. That alone makes this Divisional Round matchup against Denver feel even more pivotal. If the Bills can’t break through now - against a Broncos team that’s certainly playing well but doesn’t have the same recent postseason pedigree - then the conversation around Allen may start to shift.
And not in the way Bills fans want.
Because at some point, fair or not, quarterbacks get judged by what they do in the postseason. And Allen, despite all the stats, all the talent, and all the wins, hasn’t yet delivered that signature playoff run. He’s had big moments - the 2021 shootout in Kansas City comes to mind - but not the kind of sustained postseason success that turns great quarterbacks into legends.
That’s not to say Allen isn’t elite - he absolutely is. He’s one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks the league has ever seen.
He’s a nightmare to defend, both through the air and on the ground. And he’s carried this Bills team through plenty of adversity.
But the NFL is a results-driven league, especially in January. And if Buffalo falls short again, especially with the Chiefs out of the picture, the narrative could start to shift from “when will Allen break through?” to “will he ever?”
That’s the weight of expectations. That’s the reality of being a franchise quarterback in the NFL. And that’s the challenge Josh Allen faces this weekend in Denver.
He’s got the talent. He’s got the team. Now, he needs the moment.