It's not for a lack of trying, but the Buffalo Bills cannot protect Josh Allen from himself. In the Bills Wild Card matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Allen went down with what looked to be an upper-body injury in the first quarter. He was quickly escorted off the field and into the blue medical tent, where he was evaluated by team physicians for a concussion.
This is an all-too-familiar storyline for Bills fans, which live on the edge of their seats to Allen's benefit. Yes, Allen is one of the best playmakers in the NFL. It's the reason he won MVP over Lamar Jackson just last season. But it's also why Sean McDermott and Co. can only do so much to protect their premiere talent – and why a popular Allen narrative receives far too much credit each and every postseason.
Josh Allen has been cleared of concussion protocol, per @tracywolfson pic.twitter.com/RxYHb5XSPA
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2026
Josh Allen injury update: Risk and reward for the Bills
Allen did return to the game shortly after entering the medical tent, as he cleared concussion protocol.
The Bills give up an average of 2.4 sacks per game, which ranks 19th in the NFL. This is a team that has a lot of money tied up in Allen specifically – he signed a six-year, $330 million contract in early 2025 – and thus there isn't much more to spend on elite offensive line talent.
To Buffalo's credit, they have tried building out the trenches. Their offensive line is anchored by players like Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown and Connor McGovern. However, Allen's play style opens him up to more hits than your average franchise quarterback. He's essentially an extra runner on the field at all times. He holds the record for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and he's only 29 years old.
Earlier this season, I projected Allen to finish his career with over 120 rushing scores, assuming he keeps up his current trajectory. That amount of carries, especially at the goal line and in short yardage situations, is bound to take a tole.
Statistic | Bills | League average |
|---|---|---|
Sacks/game | 2.4 | 2.6 |
Time to throw | 3.02 seconds | 2.78 seconds |
Allen typically has an average time to throw of 3.02 seconds, per Pro Football Focus. That's a remarkable amount of time given how often he runs and the rate at which opposing defenses put pressure on him to take that part of his game away. Blaming the offensive line for Allen's hits is shortsighted for that very reason.
Josh Allen's legacy shouldn't be defined by one postseason
Much of the chatter heading into this postseason for the Bills has surrounded Allen. Unlike in years past, the AFC Playoffs don't feature the likes of Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes, two quarterbacks most around the league consider to be in the same tier as Allen. Because of this, the common narrative is that Allen has run out of excuses.
I'm here to report that as a bit shortsighted. Sure, Allen is the best quarterback in this playoff field. He will undoubtedly never hear the end of it should the Bills fall short, but that doesn't take into account the fact that this Buffalo team is flawed, especially defensively.
No, Josh Allen isn’t under MORE PRESSURE because a few elite QBs are missing the playoffs. We don’t have to talk about the postseason like only one position exists! pic.twitter.com/TXnsPmP7dE
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 7, 2026
The Bills give up the second-most rushing yards per game. Considering how the NFL has pivoted to heavy sets, especially late in the season, this doesn't bode well for a Bills defense that has trouble getting the ball back to Allen and its explosive offense. This impacts Buffalo's time of possession and the number of plays they can run in any given game. It's the kryptonite to stopping the Bills superman, and every AFC Playoff team knows it.
Thus, even without Mahomes and Jackson in the playoffs this season, the Bills are fighting an uphill battle. Should they fail to reach the Super Bowl in arguably the most winnable AFC Playoff field in the Allen era, the blame shouldn't fall at his feet, but the organization as a whole.