FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – This is not a word statement game Josh Allen. This is a statement game from offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. The buffalo bill finally allowed Allen some time to relax – something they’ve struggled to do so far this season.
Outside the bill 24-10 win New England Patriots on Thursday night, Allen had to do everything for his team. He threw them at his back, for better or worse.
But not in Week 13. He doesn’t need to replicate his impressive performance from the knockout stages when he beat Bill Belichick’s Patriots.
And it’s interesting to see the Bills move away from Allen in this game – and up against Belichick, who is famous for taking away what he thinks will hurt his defense the most. Belichick took away Allen’s mobility. The midfielder has led the team in pace seven times out of 11 out of the box, with countless key touches and first touches all the way. So Belichick made Allen sit in his pocket and hit him with his hand. That’s what Allen did in the first quarter, with a few touchdown passes in the first 20 minutes.
Not that Allen is boring – or average. In the 20 minutes when Bills let Allen cook, he did everything for Josh Allen. There was a push pass during the opening drive, when Allen looked like he was impersonating Brett Favre. Allen scrambles and throws the ball forward Nyheim Hines for a modest amount of money – but it’s the how-he-do-play that makes Allen so enjoyable to watch.
And then the rigid arm to pass. From the 8-yard line, Allen scrambles and fends off the full-back Mack Wilson, who shot from the left side of the line of attack for what appeared to be an obvious sack. Allen pushed Wilson to the ground and put his foot in the limit before releasing the ball
Then that’s when the Bills let Allen relax.
Buffalo just made it clear that Allen didn’t have to do everything. The Bills – at least for Thursday night – not live or die in the chaos of Allen.
It suits them in a number of ways. First of all, Allen is being treated for an elbow injury (UCL) that is clearly affecting his play. He won’t admit it. His coach Sean McDermott won’t admit it. But if you watch the movie, you’ll see that he makes more mistakes. His time is off. He has a short pass. He is not himself. He needs rest, but he won’t waste time, because his team needs him so much. That’s what makes this type of night such a delight for Buffalo.
Allen was 22nd out of 33 in 223 yards and two touchdowns. He ran eight times in just 20 yards. Meanwhile, James Cook has 14 executions for 64 yards and Single Devin had 13 dashes in 51 yards and one touchdown. It wasn’t a brilliantly rushed performance, but it was an effective one.
It worked so well that I had an amazing discovery early in the fourth quarter.
The Bills stepped up the script ranks in third and first from the 1-yard line. Pats fans were cheering at Gillette Stadium, but they seemed to lack the light. And while – in theory – the play is a play with serious consequences, New England also has a sense of hopelessness. The play doesn’t feel important. Its attack can’t move the ball let alone score. So does it matter if the Bills score these third and first points? Because Buffalo had a 10 point lead. A safe clue. The Patriots team doesn’t seem to be able to score anymore. (They scored three more points in the junk time.)
And the Bills scored the winning goal against Singletary in that third playthrough. They took a comfortable lead in the game and when the game was over, they were back at the top in the AFC East.
Buffalo’s defense deserves as much credit as what happened at Foxborough – and for appeasing Allen – as the match on the ground. The Pats finished 3/12 in third place. Offensive assistant Matt Patricia had his worst night as a gamer, one who will have sports radio hosts calling for his job over the next 10 days. Mac Jones had his worst night as a signal caller, someone who will have fans calling Bailey Zappe, who ignited the offense (albeit against poorer defenses) in October. New England simply didn’t have the answer to beat the Bills’ defense, which was arguably their best player. von Miller.
It is increasingly likely that the Patriots will end up at the bottom of the AFC East table. But Thursday also showed what the Bills can do against a mid-range team – they can let their MVP rest. They can use their superior squad depth to crush a weaker opponent. That’s not to say Bills can’t use Odell Beckham Jr. They absolutely can, and I think they’ll do what they can to feature him during his visit this weekend. But Buffalo doesn’t need Beckham or Miller – or Allen’s Beast Mode. The Bills played well defensively. They run the ball well. They left Allen cold and filled with Patriots.
All of which has proven once again that it is no longer Bill Belichick’s AFC East. It’s Bills’.
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Prior to joining FOX Sports as an AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Corporation and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalytics.
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