What We Learned From Week 14 In The NFL

Josh Allen always gives the Bills a chance.

Bills coach Sean McDermott, who gets stuck too often in 1995, once again, has kicked and kicked field goals far too often in Buffalo’s 33-27 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But if there’s one takeaway from Week 14’s most dramatic game, it’s that as long as Josh Allen is the Bills quarterback, they stand a chance.

Nothing went well for the sinking of the Bills early on Sunday. The run defense was slashed and Tom Brady easily dismantled McDermott’s defense as the Buccaneers took a 24-3 lead at halftime. McDermott both settled for a 21-yard field goal in the first half as he trailed 10-0 and took off from his own 43-yard line with 2 minutes 18 seconds left in the third. quarterback when the Bills were still two touchdowns behind.

These decisions were in keeping with his past. McDermott, the defensive-minded coach, hovering his foot over the gas pedal but never stomping, settled for field goals in a loss to Kansas City in the Championship game from the AFC last season.

Hampered by shyness and a porous run defense, and down, 27-10, Allen led runs 75, 46 and 70 yards in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Buffalo had nothing to do. Allen threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns and led the rushing game with one rushing touchdown and 109 yards, more than double the team’s next closest runner.

Of course, Tampa Bay ended up doing it. Brady’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman dropped the Bills to 7-6, two games behind the pass-by New England Patriots in the AFC East.

Since breaking a 6-3 record until mid-November, Buffalo’s flaws have become evident. They’re not big and not overly physical, not ideal in a conference where teams carrying Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor are building postseason cases, and the Patriots and Browns continue to brawl.