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The Buffalo Bills are gearing up to take on the Miami Dolphins on the road, and they’ve announced what they’ll look like when doing it.
The Buffalo Bills could see their chances of winning the division slipping away after a loss to the Houston Texans and another win from the New England Patriots, and quarterback Josh Allen could see a significant career achievement going with it.
The Bills fell to 7-4 after a loss to the defensive-minded Texans on Thursday, then saw their division deficit grow more when the Patriots came from behind to beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon. The Bills are now 2.5 games behind the Patriots, who hold the tiebreaker after beating the Bills last month.
Allen is in the midst of an up-and-down season, hitting a low point after taking a career-high eight sacks against the Texans. The loss also dealt a major blow to his chances of repeating as league MVP.
Josh Allen Plunges in MVP Race
Allen surged back into MVP contention after a six-touchdown performance in last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, matching his NFL record of three passing and three rushing touchdowns. But he struggled against the Texans, throwing two interceptions as he was hounded by the aggressive defense.
The Bills quarterback took a drop in the MVP race after this week’s loss, falling to fourth place. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has seized control of the race, taking a big lead over Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. Allen is in fourth, just ahead of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Stafford led the Rams to a blowout win over the Buccaneers on Sunday night, giving them an NFC-best 9-2 record.
Allen won his first-career MVP award in 2024, just edging out Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in tight voting and despite Jackson taking home All-Pro honors over Allen.
Josh Allen Vows to Improve After Rough Loss
Allen put the blame on himself for the struggles against the Texans, saying he should have done a better job of avoiding sacks and getting the ball out quicker.
“It’s not fun. I ran into a couple myself,” Allen told reporters after the game. “I have to be better with throwing the ball away, living to see another down, letting us play some situational football and pinning them deep. Too many times, I was going backwards, and I have to be better on that.”
Allen also had a scare after taking a hard hit in the first half and landing with his hand underneath his facemask. The Bills quarterback writhed in pain for a few moments before eventually getting back up and to the sidelines, where he was seen telling the team’s training staff that he was all right.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the team can’t keep giving up so much pressure to opposing defenses.
“When they hit the quarterback 12 times, I don’t like that,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I don’t like that stat at all. It’s not a healthy way to play or a healthy way to keep our quarterback healthy through the remainder of the season. So that’s just not a good formula right there.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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