Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was somber following a dismal performance in the team’s season opener against the New York Jets on Monday Night football that resulted in a 22-16 loss in overtime on the road.
Allen, 27, was at the center of the storm following the brutal defeat, as he was responsible for four turnovers against the Jets which matched his career high, ironically from a 2019 season opener against the Jets. Allen led the league in turnovers (19) last season and now has 84 turnovers since entering the league in 2018, the most during that time frame.
Allen completed 29-of-41 passing for 236 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions, a fumble, and was sacked five times.
Allen’s three second half turnovers played a big part in the Jets ability to climb back from a 13-3 halftime deficit, force the game to overtime, and ultimately take the season opening victory at home.
“Trying to force the ball,” Allen said of his turnovers before adding – “Same s—, same place, different day.”
“I hurt our team tonight. I cost our team tonight,” Allen said, according to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. “It feels eerily similar to last year, and I hate that it’s something I do.”
“It’s a long season in the NFL,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “And unfortunately, sometimes you have to be reminded of these things. And it hurts with a loss, right? And so, it’s a constant, constant reminder during the week of, ‘Hey, take care of the football — take the football away, that wins games when you do that.’ And in this case, it loses games.”
“There’s some good, but we lost, and there’s definitely some stuff we can do to just assist in making Josh feel like he doesn’t have to be a superhero back there,” Bills center Mitch Morse said. “So for us, it’s just trying to do our job so he doesn’t feel like he has to put everything on the field.”
McDermott spoke to Allen following the game.
“I’m telling him we got to be smarter, and he knows better, and he can’t do that. And the coaches are doing the same,” McDermott said of his conversation. “And listen, he’s hard on himself.
“He wants to win, and sometimes that’s what at times gets the best of him.”
