ClutchPoints
For years, the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl case has been quite straightforward. If reigning MVP Josh Allen is upright, mobile, and doing Josh Allen things, Buffalo can beat anyone. That assumption, though, is now under real stress. Over the past two weeks, Allen has looked noticeably less explosive, less improvisational, and far more confined to the pocket. The Bills are still dangerous, of course. However, Allen is managing a foot injury that is clearly limiting what makes him special. As such, Buffalo’s championship ceiling suddenly feels fragile in a way it hasn’t in years.
The Bills fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 13-12 on Christmas Day in a slugfest that felt more like a playoff grinder than a holiday showcase. Buffalo’s offense was stuck in neutral for most of the afternoon. The Bills failed to reach the end zone until the fourth quarter. Even then, they never truly seized control. An early blocked extra point loomed large. It forced Buffalo into a late-game two-point attempt for the win. That conversion failed and sealed a narrow defeat.
The numbers told a sobering story. Buffalo punted six times, lost an Allen fumble just outside the red zone, and turned the ball over on downs at the Eagles’ 3-yard line. Despite flashes from Brandin Cooks and Tyrell Shavers downfield, the Bills struggled to finish drives. Philadelphia’s defense consistently collapsed the pocket. They sacked Allen five times and dared Buffalo to win without its quarterback’s legs. The result left the Bills’ playoff fate unsettled heading into the season finale. It also raised uncomfortable questions about Allen’s health at the worst possible time.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss why Allen’s foot injury is clearly an issue, and it could be what costs the Bills a Super Bowl.
This wasn’t just a bad game. It was a different Josh Allen. The MVP we’ve come to know thrives on controlled chaos. He scrambles to extend plays and turns broken pockets into explosives. Against Philadelphia, that element was almost entirely absent.
Allen rushed just twice for eight yards. He recorded zero first downs on the ground and attempted his passes from inside the pocket. That last stat marked the first time in his career that Allen attempted 20-plus passes in a game without scrambling even once. This wasn’t schematic coincidence, though. It was necessity. Buffalo clearly didn’t want, or trust, Allen to move.
Yes, he powered in two short-yardage rushing touchdowns on tush-push plays. That said, the explosive, improvisational threat that bends coverage rules simply wasn’t there. When Allen isn’t that player, Buffalo’s offense becomes far easier to defend.
Allen has publicly downplayed the severity of the injury. The tape tells a different story, though. Allen has gone two consecutive weeks without a passing touchdown. That hasn’t happened since 2020. Meanwhile, his sack total has ballooned to a career-worst 40 on the season. Defenses have collapsed...
