money What Bills’ Josh Allen said about performance in loss vs. Steelers
The Bills faced a tough test to start the 2021 season, hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Buffalo fell 23-16, and while it was a close game it was still not the way a team with Super Bowl aspirations had hoped the contest would play out.
The Steelers defense played up to its reputation while presenting a good early-season challenge for the Bills passing game. One that is powered, in part, by the arm of franchise quarterback Josh Allen.
With the goal of a championship in focus, some of the excitement earlier in his young career that would cause Allen to try to force some plays, may have also been a factor in Sunday’s loss.
Entering into his fourth season with the Bills, the recently-extended QB thought as much following the contest.
“Early on, just being maybe a little too aggressive instead of finding some easier things, some easier throws,” Allen said while addressing the media. “Missing Emmanuel (Sanders) on the deep throw, obviously that’s one I want back. When a defense like this give our that opportunity you got to execute and make those plays happen.”
While the Steelers defense came as advertised, the Bills offense has been ranked among the highest in the league in terms of projected expectations following a breakout 2020 campaign.
And while Pittsburgh offered up strong competition, there was still plenty of windows of opportunity that went missed to advance down the field. Ones that didn’t go unnoticed.
“Again, early on, just trying to take some of the stuff they were giving instead of forcing some things down the field I think would have helped out a bit,” Allen added. “Whether it be, you know, just first-game nerves or jitters or feeling stuff with my feet, but I again I got to play better and got to be better, I know that.”
Head coach Sean McDermott echoed the sentiment from Allen, speaking to the difference that overall offense makes as opposed to just going for knockout punch plays.
“Getting into a rhyme is one thing, establishing the line of scrimmage is another thing,” McDermott said via press conference. “At the end of the day we didn’t help ourselves that way.”
The Bills will look to bounce back in Week 2, as they travel to Miami to face their AFC East rival Dolphins on Sunday.
