Josh Allen’s Pain Is Buffalo’s Pain - And the Bills Know It
When the final whistle blew and the Bills’ playoff hopes vanished, Josh Allen stood on the sideline with tears in his eyes. It wasn’t just the end of a game - it was the weight of another season slipping away, another shot at a Super Bowl falling short. And for those inside the locker room, the emotion was raw and real.
“It makes us even more sad, because this ain’t on him,” said left tackle Dion Dawkins, echoing what many around the league have been thinking for a while now. “It’s not on him.
We’ll protect him. He’s a true warrior, a true battler.
It’s on the rest of us to keep him from having to do too much.”
That “too much” has become a familiar theme in Buffalo. Allen has carried this team - sometimes literally - with his arm, his legs, and his will to win.
And while he’s had his moments of inconsistency, there’s no denying what he means to this franchise. He’s the kind of quarterback teams spend decades trying to find.
And when you have one, the clock starts ticking.
“Every year we don’t win it with Josh, it just feels like a missed opportunity,” said one anonymous team source. “We have this gift of a franchise quarterback that doesn’t come along often, and we need to figure out how to take advantage of that.”
There’s no sugarcoating it - the window is open, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bills know they have their guy. Now it’s about building the right pieces around him, tightening up the margins, and finding a way to get over the hump.
Meanwhile, veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips is facing a crossroads of his own. After another hard-fought season, he’s unsure if he’ll return in 2026. But if he does, there’s no doubt where he wants to be.
“If I play again, it’s only going to be for Buffalo,” Phillips said.
Broncos Turn to Stidham After Nix Injury
The Broncos’ quarterback room took a major hit with Bo Nix sidelined for the rest of the season due to a broken ankle. But head coach Sean Payton isn’t hitting the panic button - not with Jarrett Stidham waiting in the wings.
“He will be ready to go and ready for the moment,” Payton said. “I know how he was coached in New England. I know exactly how he was coached in New England, and then I know how McDaniels felt about him when he brought him from New England to Las Vegas.”
Payton’s confidence in Stidham isn’t just coach-speak. He’s been high on the former Auburn QB since the start of the season, openly calling him a backup who could start for multiple teams.
“Stiddy’s ready to go,” Payton added. “I said this at the beginning of the season: I feel like I’ve got a two that’s capable of starting for a number of teams.
I know he feels the same way. So, watch out.
Just watch.”
Now it’s Stidham’s show - and a chance to prove Payton right.
Patriots Defense Sends a Message
The Patriots may not have made much noise this season, but don’t tell that to Milton Williams and the New England defense. After a dominant showing against the Texans, the veteran defensive tackle made it clear - they’ve been overlooked for too long.
“It definitely fueled the whole defense. Nobody has been talking about our defense all year.
We’ll see what they say today,” Williams said. “Every week, we’re trying to come out and dominate, knowing that they do have a great defense, but in our minds, it was our defense versus their defense.
See who could make more plays, create more turnovers, stop the run and get the ball back to our offense.”
It’s the kind of mentality that’s defined Patriots defenses for years - play fast, play physical, and let the results speak for themselves. Against the Texans, they did exactly that. And if they keep stacking performances like this, it won’t be long before the league starts paying attention again.