With two games left to play and their playoff standing close to set in stone, the Buffalo Bills are keeping their cards close to the vest.
The Bills erased an early 14-point deficit in their win over the New England Patriots on Dec. 22, tightening the clamps defensively in the second half to help overcome a shaky day by the offense.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen had an uncharacteristically shaky game amid an MVP-worthy season, but said after the game that the offense may be conservative by design for the rest of the regular season.
Bills Playing it Safe
Speaking to reporters after the game, Allen reiterated that the Bills are still in the hunt for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. Though the Bills moved to 12-3 with the 24-21 win over the Patriots on Sunday, their quest for a playoff bye gained more remote when the Kansas City Chiefs won on Saturday to move to 14-1.
The Chiefs now need just one more win or a Bills loss to clinch the playoff bye. The Chiefs get a chance to clinch on Christmas Day, which could leave the Bills with little to play for the rest of the way.
Allen hinted that the Bills would push hard for the No. 1 seed, but didn’t want to reveal too much for potential playoff opponents.
“Allen with a super interesting answer about the offense,” reporter Matt Bove noted in a post on X. “Basically said they know they are still playing for the No. 1 seed but also know they don’t want to show everything in their arsenal and empty the tank now.”
Josh Allen’s Injury Scare
The Bills may have another motive in keeping the offense conservative over the final two weeks of the season — Allen’s health. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Allen broke a bone in his hand in a Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals, an injury that left him hampered but has since healed.
Allen was hurt again in Sunday’s win over the Patriots, hitting his funny bone and leaving his throwing hand numb.
“Lost some feeling in my hand. Just hit the funny bone nerve,” Allen said, via The Associated Press.
Allen added that the frigid, single-digit temperatures made his recovery more difficult, though he never had to leave the game.
“It took a good five to ten minutes, so just making sure, trying to get some blood flow back in there,” Allen said. “So it was a weird feeling. Just glad it’s gone now.”
Allen had a shaky game, completing 16 of 29 passes for 154 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed six times for 60 yards.
The Bills won thanks in large part to the defense, which forced turnovers the first three drives for the Patriots in the second half including a fumble recovered in the endzone for a touchdown. After giving up touchdowns on the first two drives of the game, the Bills kept the Patriots out of the endzone until less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
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