Josh Allen has had another fantastic season and is the favorite to win the MVP award. He has now contributed 40+ touchdowns for his team in five straight seasons.
The Buffalo Bills finished the season with a record of 13-4 and is the second seed in the AFC. They are set to play the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round, and Chris Broussard believes the upcoming playoffs are high-reward, low-risk for Allen.
Chris Broussard Says Josh Allen Is Under Less Pressure in Playoffs If They Beat Denver
The Bills are a nine-point favorite against the Broncos and are expected to win the game. A loss would be catastrophic for Allen, but Broussard believes if Allen manages to reach the second round, he will have nothing to lose. The Fox Sports analyst talked about Buffalo and its quarterback in a recent segment on “First Things First.”
“As far as negative, if they beat Denver, which we all expect to happen, this becomes a high-reward, low-risk postseason for Josh Allen,” said Broussard. “If they lose, let’s say they beat them then lose to Baltimore, or even if they lose to Kansas City, who’s blaming Josh Allen?”
Broussard also mentioned that since the Bills have only two Pro Bowlers (Allen and Dion Dawkins) on their team, Allen would not be criticized if he loses to Lamar Jackson in the Divisional Round. He also added that the front office failed to get the star quarterback elite weapons, which is why there isn’t much pressure on the likely soon-to-be MVP.
“If he wins the Super Bowl, he will be viewed by many and talked about like the best player in the NFL.”
— @Chris_Broussard on Josh Allen pic.twitter.com/72Fn7BrGrW
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) January 9, 2025
“I’m looking at Sean McDermott for being unable to get over the hump with all these 13 and 12-win seasons,” added Broussard. “If he [Allen] wins the Super Bowl, he will be viewed by many on TV and talked about like the best player in the NFL. He will and I will have to admit, I still think Mahomes, in my view, will be the best.”
Allen might have to defeat Jackson in the Divisional Round and then Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium to make the Super Bowl. Even getting past these two quarterbacks in the upcoming playoffs will improve the Bills quarterback’s position among the top quarterbacks in the league.
If Allen leads the Bills to the first Super Bowl victory in franchise history this season, he will rightly be considered the best quarterback in the league. However, the Bills’ most important goal is to win against the Broncos on Sunday. Losing to a rookie quarterback-led team will be inexcusable for Buffalo, and they have to get the job done at any cost.
Can Allen and McDermott Make a Deep Playoff Run?
Allen is 5-5 in the playoffs, with three losses coming against Mahomes, one against Joe Burrow, and one against Deshaun Watson. He and McDermott have done a great job over the years as the Bills have been a Super Bowl contender every season, but the QB-HC duo desperately needs a deep playoff run.
The Bills with Allen have only been to the AFC Championship Game once, which is not a good sign, given they have consistently been a good team. A win against Jackson and the Ravens in the potential Divisional Round matchup is an interesting crux in both Jackson and Allen’s legacies.
It would be awkward for the 28-year-old quarterback to win the MVP over Jackson if he loses twice to him in the same season. The Bills lost 35-10 against the Ravens in Week 5, and they have to avenge that loss in the playoffs if this matchup comes to fruition.
The Bills have given McDermott enough time to prove himself, backing him despite multiple playoff failures. The head coach must repay the franchise and prepare the team to get the best out of the Ravens and the Chiefs (and the Broncos).