Photo Credit: ESPN

By Zane Miller

After getting drafted in the first round as the seventh overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Josh Allen wouldn’t have to wait long to acquire significant playing time, as week one starter Nathan Peterman was benched after an abysmal opening performance in which the Bills were blown out 47-3 by the Baltimore Ravens. Allen started the next handful of contests with mixed results, though an elbow injury in week six would sideline him for the next few games. Allen would return in week 12 with the club well out of playoff contention and continued to provide a mixed bag of quarterback play, though he would end the season on a high note with his first career three-touchdown performance.

There would be no sophomore slump for Allen in 2019, as he helped Buffalo to their first double digit-win season in 20 years, going 10-6 while starting in every single game. However, this was largely due to the team’s excellent defense, finishing second-best in the NFL in points allowed while being in the bottom 10 in points scored. Although the Bills’ breakthrough season came to an unceremonious end with a first-round playoff loss to the Houston Texans, this was just an appetizer for what Allen would bring to the table the next year.

Opening day of the 2020 season saw the Bills take on their AFC East rivals in the New York Jets on September 13th. If you know anything about the 2020 Jets, then you already know that this game did not go well for them, as they fell to Buffalo 27-17. Allen played a big part in the win, passing for a pair of touchdowns and 312 yards with no interceptions. He then built on the positive momentum by putting together the best game of his career so far just one week later against the Miami Dolphins.

On a sweltering afternoon in Miami, Allen provided plenty of heat of his own, throwing four touchdown passes for 415 yards, as the Bills held on to win it 31-28 to continue pushing the narrative that their strong 2019 season was no fluke. Allen and the Bills seized control of the AFC East and never looked back, though this path did not come without adversity, as Allen had a disappointing game against the Los Angeles Chargers where he only passed for one touchdown and 157 yards with an interception, though the Bills ultimately emerged with the win to improve to 8-3 on the season. Not willing to let subpar stats stand in his way, Allen bounced back big time on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers, grabbing his third four-touchdown game of the season while also gaining 375 yards through the air. The Bills won 34-24, and Allen had also entered the conversation for a potential MVP award.

With two weeks to go in the regular season on December 28th, Buffalo was set to face the New England Patriots in another Monday night matchup. When the two teams faced each other earlier in the year, Allen struggled, only throwing for 154 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. However, he would enact his revenge this time around, claiming four touchdown passes and 320 passing yards as the Bills dismantled their longtime adversary 38-9. This marked the first time that the Bills swept the Patriots in the regular season since 1999.

Just after New Year’s on January 3rd, 2021, Allen ended his spectacular regular season with an exclamation point, as Buffalo took down the Dolphins again by a score of 56-26, officially giving him 13 wins on the season. Though Allen came up just short of winning the MVP award as he finished runner-up to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he still received All-Pro recognition for the first time in his career. Allen ended the 2020 season in fifth in touchdown passes with 37, just one behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in fourth, while also taking the fifth spot in passing yardage with 4,544, 37 behind fourth-place finisher Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons.

In the opening round of the newly expanded 14-team playoffs, the Bills remained in western New York to take on the 11-5 Indianapolis Colts on January 9th. Though the Bills held a 14-10 lead at halftime, they were only able to increase the lead to 17-10 before heading into the fourth quarter. Less than a minute after switching sides, however, Allen found standout wide receiver Stefon Diggs for a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it a two-possession game. Despite a furious late comeback attempt by Indianapolis, an impressive 54-yard field goal from kicker Cody Bass proved to be the difference for Buffalo as they held on to win it 27-24. Allen had a solid game, passing for two touchdowns and 324 yards and no interceptions, while his counterpart in Colts quarterback Philip Rivers also played well in what would be his final game before retirement, getting a pair of touchdowns and 309 passing yards.

In the Bills’ divisional round matchup at home against the Baltimore Ravens on January 16th, defense would be the name of the game, as the teams were tied at halftime 3-3. After returning to the field, Allen led the team on a long drive, culminating in a short touchdown pass to Diggs. However, the real momentum changer came late in the quarter, as cornerback Taron Johnson picked off Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for a 101-yard touchdown return, tying with Green Bay’s George Teague for the NFL record for longest interception return in playoff history, as well as becoming one of just six players to have a touchdown longer than 100 yards in a playoff game. This proved to be too much for Baltimore to overcome, as the Bills moved on to the AFC championship with the 17-3 victory. Allen did not have his best game against the Ravens, only throwing one touchdown pass for 206 yards, though Jackson also struggled, getting 162 passing yards and no touchdowns along with the aforementioned interception.

On January 24th, the Bills faced their biggest challenge yet, going on the road to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Despite the Bills getting off to a strong enough start, taking a 9-0 lead after the first quarter, the Chiefs quickly found their footing and went up 21-12 at halftime. The Bills would never be this close again for the remainder of the contest. The Chiefs maintained their two-possession advantage through the third quarter, leading 31-15, before delivering the dagger midway through the fourth quarter as Mahomes found tight end Travis Kelce to make it a 38-15 game. When the final whistle sounded, Kansas City had officially locked up their second straight Super Bowl appearance with the 38-24 win. Allen provided two touchdown passes for 287 yards and one interception in the loss, while Mahomes scored three touchdown passes and 325 yards with no interceptions.

With that, the Bills’ season had come to an end just one step away from returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in 27 years, but it still further emphasized the bright future for the long-suffering franchise, with Allen as a cornerstone part of the organization. Allen would continue to fuel this perception in the years to follow.