Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills lament ‘missed opportunities’

DENVER — The lectern inside Empower Field at Mile High Stadium remained empty for minutes.

first arrival after each one buffalo bill the game is quarterback josh allenAs soon as the team’s breakdown in the locker room ends and things begin to settle down, he is quick to give his post-game news conference in full uniform. Even after the hardest and most emotional losses.

This time his arrival was not hasty. A member of the public relations staff came out several minutes before his arrival. And then finally, about 16 minutes after the game ended, Allen went in.

As he looked down, he was red in the face, sniffling and stumbling, hitting his fingers on the wooden lectern. There were tears in his eyes and on his face. He was emotional throughout his press conference.

The reigning MVP was asked how difficult it was to reach the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs and have such a result again.

“It’s very difficult,” Alan said in a choked voice. “I feel like, I feel like I let my guys down tonight.” However, his teammates felt very differently. “We know without him we have no chance to win football games,” the right tackle spencer brown Said.

The Bills lost in the divisional round for the fourth time in five seasons. denver broncos Overtime, 33-30. The loss continues the Bills’ streak of not appearing in a Super Bowl since losing four consecutive games from 1990 to 1993. And it extends their record for most wins over a seven-season period without appearing in the Super Bowl, including the playoffs (91).

“Just missed chances throughout the game,” Allen said of the reason for his feelings. “It’s been a long season. I hate how it ended, and it will stay with me for a long time.”

After his press conference, the quarterback returned to his locker and sat down, sometimes with his head down. It’s become an all-too-familiar postgame scene for Allen, sitting at his locker looking absolutely exhausted after another season has ended, while teammates stop to give their best and the backup quarterback talks with him. His injuries are an indication of the number of injuries the quarterback has endured to get back on the field – a right foot, left knee and right finger being the latest.

“He’s been with us all year, and the way I think about it, somebody’s going to be able to step up and give him some relief,” the wide receiver brandin cook Said. “And when you’re great and you feel like you have to do a lot, you have an opportunity to be able to force some of those things. And that’s what I think about Josh. He’s the greatest quarterback in this league. Everybody around him has to step up to be able to make plays, so he’s not always going to feel like, ‘Man, I’ve got to win this game.’

Cook started crying when asked about Allen being emotional.

“I look back and think, ‘Man, what could I have done to take some of the pressure off him,'” Cook said. “You love this game so much. And when you fail like that, it’s going to hurt for a long time.”

The eight-year veteran finished the game completing 25 of 39 passes for 283 yards and three passing touchdowns. He was sacked three times and ran for 66 yards on 12 carries.

Allen had four turnovers in the game – two lost fumbles and two interceptions – and he said that you “can’t win with five turnovers,” and “When you shoot yourself in the foot like that, you don’t deserve to win football games.”

Allen’s one mistake occurred on a drive that started with 16 seconds left in the first half and no timeouts. The Bills decided not to take a knee, and Allen lost the ball in the scramble and the Broncos kicked a field goal to end the half.

“Just trying to be aggressive. I can’t do that,” Allen said. Coach Sean McDermott said he wanted to see if Buffalo could get a chunk play and try to score a field goal before halftime. “Understood, I wanted to be aggressive, but it didn’t work,” McDermott said. Allen again had two offensive plays in the third quarter, leading to another Denver field goal.

“No. It’s not on [Allen]. We had opportunities, we all had, and I’m very proud of him,” McDermott said. “He’s a tremendous person, tremendous leader, tremendous quarterback. Those are the plays we all want back.”

Allen rallied the Bills from a 13-point halftime deficit and led a drive to force overtime with a 50-yard matt prater field goal.

On the only possession of overtime after the defense forced a Broncos punt, Allen’s final turnover was a controversial one as Cook initially appeared to catch a pass that was ultimately ruled an interception by the Broncos cornerback. Jaquan McMillian. Although that play would have set up the Bills for a winning field goal, several other plays were missed throughout the game.

As the reality dawned, players shed tears in the locker room. left tackle Dion Dawkins Was one of them.

When Dawkins heard Allen say he felt like he had let the team down, Dawkins choked up and said quietly, “He didn’t let us down.” Dawkins hugged Allen before leaving the locker room.

Allen’s record of not making the Super Bowl has now extended for another offseason. He has the most playoff wins (eight) and starts (15) by any quarterback without a Super Bowl start in the Super Bowl era. The magic of this Bills team’s comeback is over.

“I’m not going to say much other than I love my teammates and I’m extremely sorry,” Allen said. “I’m disappointed with how it ended.”