ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Before Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen could take his usual moments to sit in the locker room and process Sunday’s loss, he had to take a short walk.
Allen, accompanied by head athletic trainer Nate Breske, limped out of the locker room and across the hallway into the X-ray room. The good news for Allen and the Bills is that his X-rays came back negative, according to coach Sean McDermott, who also said of Allen’s health, “Nothing new has popped up to this point.”
The bad news is that Allen’s right foot, which he injured in a Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns, became sore once again during the Bills’ 13-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles after that had subsided during the week.
Asked how much he felt the injury affected him during the game, Allen said, “Zero.”
The loss cost the Bills any remaining chance at the division — the New England Patriots clinched the AFC East, ending a five-season streak by the Bills — and put on display an offense that remains inconsistent amid Allen’s injury.
“Coming into the game, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had my eyes on Josh,” McDermott said. “Just because of how important he is to us. And we’re in the playoffs. But I also know who he is. And he’s as competitive as there is, and as good as there is, but I also have a responsibility to protect him to make sure he’s as healthy as possible for us as we move into the playoffs.
“You’ve gotta know, to get 17 off the field, you’re gonna have to … I’m gonna have to wrestle him.”
On the field and in the play calling, the Bills were inconsistent and had a variety of miscues. The team did not score until there was 5:11 remaining and then came up just short of rallying to win on a two-point conversion attempt with seconds remaining that was a missed pass by Allen intended for wide receiver Khalil Shakir.
“Yeah, I just missed,” Allen said of the play. “Rolling left, got to get him a better ball.”
McDermott emphasized that he would make the decision to go for the win again and that he trusts Allen.
“Obviously a play that we’ve been working in. It was there,” Shakir said. “I mean, me personally, I feel like maybe I could have came out, break a little faster and help 17 out and just make myself a little more available.”
Sunday was the second straight game for Allen without a passing touchdown, something he hadn’t done since 2020. The team punted six times, lost a fumble by Allen just outside the red zone and had one turnover on downs that ended at the Eagles’ 3-yard line. That all came despite the downfield passing game getting going via wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Tyrell Shavers, while the Eagles stifled the league’s rushing leader in James Cook to 74 yards on 20 carries.
Allen said the injury did not affect him, but he attempted 35 passes (with 23 completions for 262 yards) from inside the pocket. It was the first time in his career he attempted 20-plus passes in a game all from inside the pocket.
His scrambling was diminished, as he rushed just two times for 8 yards and zero first downs after entering the game with the second-most scramble yards (413) in the NFL. He did have two tush-push rushing touchdowns.
With five sacks by the Eagles, Allen has been sacked 40 times this season, the most in his career. There are now decisions to be made in terms of giving players rest, as the team’s regular-season finale versus the New York Jets will be only for playoff seeding but will likely mark the final game at the current stadium.
Starting linebacker Terrel Bernard also left in the first half against Philadelphia with a calf injury, while right tackle Spencer Brown took a hit to his left eye — with jawing between the Bills’ offensive line and Eagles’ defensive line extending to the walk to the postgame locker room — that he said needed further examination.
“We’ve got a lot of things we need to discuss as a leadership group,” McDermott said. “You’ve got the last game in Highmark Stadium here, that’s important to me. It’ll be important to our guys, to our staff. There are other things that come into consideration. It won’t be easy, but it is important that we have a good week here.”