Josh Allen had plenty of reasons to smile as he began his weekly news conference ahead of his 100th start as quarterback for the Bills.
Buffalo (4-2) just won against the New York Jets, ending a two-game losing streak and extending their lead in the AFC East. After playing three weeks on the road, the Bills are back home to take on the Tennessee Titans (1-4) this Sunday.
Additionally, Allen’s offense received a boost with the addition of receiver Amari Cooper, who was traded from Cleveland on Tuesday.
“It’s been a pretty good couple of days,” said Allen, who has a record of 67-32.
“We all know about the story about where I came from, junior college and no offers and this and that,” Allen mentioned, talking about his early days at Reedley Community College in California before earning a scholarship to Wyoming.
“It’s gone by really fast. And it still feels like I’m that same kid that dreamed of playing in the NFL,” he added. “And I get to live out my dream. It’s something I’ll never take for granted.”
Buffalo ended a 17-year playoff drought in 2017 during coach Sean McDermott’s first season. However, Allen’s arrival in 2018 changed the team’s direction. They went from being overlooked to becoming a regular contender, making five straight playoff appearances and winning four consecutive AFC East titles.
The tough days of the playoff drought, which began after the “Music City Miracle” loss to Tennessee on January 1, 2000, are now a distant memory. The Titans won that game with a last-second kickoff return after a lateral play.
While the Titans reached the playoffs four times between 2017 and 2021, they are now facing difficulties as they transition under new coach Brian Callahan and second-year quarterback Will Levis.
The Titans have a record of 7-22 since starting the 2022 season with a 7-3 record. Will Levis has lost all four games he has started and finished this season, throwing more interceptions—seven, the highest in the league—than touchdowns (five). He recently came off a 20-17 loss to Indianapolis, where he completed 16 of 27 passes for 95 yards.
“I certainly didn’t envision us being in this particular place,” said coach Brian Callahan. “And we’re going to find out how resilient we are. And that’s all part of it. That’s part of playing quarterback in the NFL.”
Tennessee’s addition of Calvin Ridley during the offseason hasn’t made much of an impact, as he has only caught nine passes on 27 targets.
“I don’t know off the top of my head,” Levis said when asked how many of his passes to Ridley were off target on Sunday. “It’s not something that we can point fingers at or whose fault it is. But I can be better. I know he can be better.”
Meanwhile, Josh Allen has had to adjust this season with a mix of receivers after losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the offseason.
While his passing numbers have dropped to 193 yards per game—48 yards less than his career average—Allen has yet to throw an interception and has contributed to 13 of Buffalo’s 20 touchdowns (10 passing, three rushing).
“You see a night like that where there’s nothing, quote-unquote, sexy about what he did, but, man, he was so efficient,” said coordinator Joe Brady, referring to Buffalo’s victory over the Jets. “At the end of the day, we got Josh Allen as our quarterback. Good things are going to happen.”
