Bills tight end Dawson Knox wasn’t surprised to hear that Josh Allen was taking the blame for Buffalo’s sudden offensive issues.
After practice on Wednesday, Knox wanted to emphasize how unfair it is for the quarterback to carry all the responsibility.
“He’s got the weight of the whole city on his back, and he takes the losses very harshly. But it’s on all of us,” said the sixth-year player.
“There are plays I wish I could have done better in blocking. There are routes I could have run better. I guarantee you, everyone on this team has things they regret,” Knox added. “That’s what makes him such a great leader. He does take responsibility for the loss. But it’s definitely not just on him.”
While there is plenty of blame to share, it’s clear that an efficient offense, which helped Buffalo start the season 3-0, has struggled during two straight losses.
Things won’t get any easier as Buffalo prepares to face the Jets (2-3) on Monday night, with a New York defense that has held the Bills to 20 points or fewer three times in their last four matchups.
“When you lose two games, there’s always going to be a concern, but inside this building, there’s not. Inside this building, we believe in who we have,” said offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Monday. “The sky hasn’t fallen.”
It might feel that way, especially after a 23-20 loss to Houston.
Coach Sean McDermott put the game in Allen’s hands with the score tied at 20 and 32 seconds left. The quarterback threw three straight incomplete passes from his end zone, giving the Texans a chance to get the ball back and set up Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 59-yard field goal as time ran out.
“I’ve got supreme trust (in McDermott),” Allen said about a coach who faced criticism for not trying to run the clock and force the Texans to use their timeouts. “And it says a lot about how much trust he has in me down there in that situation, and I’ve got to find a way to convert.”
The incompletions marked a game where Allen finished 9 of 30, achieving the lowest completion percentage of his career.
Slow starts have become a problem. After outscoring their first three opponents 68-27 in the first half, Buffalo has been outscored 31-6 in the first 30 minutes of the last two games.
First-down production is down too, with the Bills getting only 28 in their last two games after totaling 51 in the first three.
Allen’s performance has dropped significantly. After scoring nine touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) in the first three weeks, he has only one passing touchdown in the past two games.
He is also coming off two of the worst games of his seven-year career. His 42 passing yards in the first half of a 35-10 loss to Baltimore two weeks ago was among the lowest of his career.
“Well, I’ve got to be better,” Allen said. “Just making sure we’re on the same page, and it starts with the quarterback. That’s on me.”
Allen started the season with a revamped group of receivers that included three free agent signings, rookie Keon Coleman, and third-year player Khalil Shakir.
