Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen just dropped a bombshell, admitting this week that he’s still carrying the monumental weight of Sean McDermott’s firing. In a candid chat with Michael Silver of The Athletic, Allen flat-out suggested he blames himself for losing his longtime head coach after that absolutely gut-wrenching overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round. You hear that? He blames *himself*.
The Ghost of the 33-30 Overtime Heartbreak Still Haunts
“I think about that all the time,” Allen confessed, and you can practically feel the agony in those words. “There are certain plays throughout the game,and that’s going to be every game,where you’re like, ‘I could have done more.’ And I always feel like I can do more.” Man, that’s heavy. We’re talking about a game where Allen threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. Yeah, those are rough, no doubt about it. But let’s not forget he also slung the ball for 283 yards, tossed three touchdowns, and ran for 66 tough yards on the road against what was arguably the league’s best defense. It was a WAR. Ultimately, Denver took it 33-30 in overtime, crushing Buffalo’s dreams right there, before the Broncos themselves fell to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. The sting of that game, the plays Allen probably replays in his head a thousand times, that’s the stuff that sticks.
A New Era, But Old Demons Persist
McDermott was the only head coach Allen had ever known in the NFL, dating back to when the Bills snatched him up seventh overall in the 2018 draft. After a rookie year without playoffs, McDermott and Allen put together an incredible run: seven straight postseason appearances. Seven! But here’s the kicker, the one that ultimately did McDermott in: they could never get past the AFC Championship Game. His regular-season record of 98-50 over nine seasons was undeniable proof of success, but that 8-8 playoff record without a single Super Bowl appearance? That’s the cold, hard truth that led to the change. Now, Joe Brady, the former offensive coordinator, has been promoted, and the Bills are banking on that continuity with Allen to finally break through.
This 2026 season, Buffalo is trying to turn the page. They’ve got a new head coach, a shiny new stadium, and a legit WR1 in DJ Moore joining the squad. There’s plenty of optimism floating around that this is finally the year they “get over the hump.” But for that to happen, you gotta wonder: can Josh Allen truly move past the self-blame? Can he shake off the ghosts of what he thinks he could’ve done more of? This team needs their leader fully present, fully focused, to make that leap. The 2026 season is right around the corner, and all eyes will be on Allen to see if he can finally leave the weight of the past behind.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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