
Josh Allen's issues and the help that's on the way for the Bills.
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C
All right, welcome back to the Buffalo plus podcast. I'm Jenna Cottrell, joined by Mike Catalana. We are dissecting the Bills 20 to 17 loss against the jets on Sunday at MetLife. We're going to get into this game what went wrong for the Bills both offensively as well as defensively. Talk a little bit about what this means in the division. Also the food, the sideline moment of the game, as well as why Bill's fans should be optimistic moving forward. So we're gonna get into a whole bunch of stuff, but before we get started, please be sure to like to comment as well as rate this podcast. We always appreciate that. And you know what? We're gonna. I'm gonna add something else, Mike. I'm gonna say tell a friend about the Buffalo plus podcast because we so appreciate it. We have a lot of loyal fans and we always love hearing from all of you. So thank you. All right, Mike, The Bills losing this one. They're now six and two on the season. They're 02 in the AFC East. First off, just. Let's talk Josh Allen's day. You know, he had those spectacular rushing touchdowns, but the passing offense just was off.
B
Yeah, Josh is too good to play like that. There's a problem. And it started in the second half of that Green Bay game when he made, you know, those uncharacteristic dumb decisions. And this is two weeks in a row he's come in the press room one off a win, now off a loss where he's taken the heat himself and he deserved it. And I still think he's the best player in the NFL who's had a lousy six quarters throwing the ball. He really has. In this game, there wasn't even the normal Josh, great plays. He had the early throw to Diggs, who was open. The rest of the time he was off. He was making up for it with his legs. You already mentioned that. But the decision making and then the execution of it. Jenna, when I'm sitting there with Josh Allen and going what was he thinking? Yeah, for like, the fourth time now in six quarters. In big moments in this game, too. Didn't hurt him as much in the Green Bay game. Something's wrong. I. A little bit physical. I think there's something going on. They were looking at his elbow, his hand maybe, but he's too good a quarterback to play like that.
C
That's the thing. And. And especially when that game was the last drive of the. The. Of the game. And I'm like, all right, this is time where Josh just does Josh things. The Josh Allen experience. He had that free, ridiculous rushing touchdown that put them up in the game. But at the same point, it just. You're right, it looked. It felt different. He had that under throw, I think, to Stefan Diggs late in that game. It just. The timing was off with some of the other receivers as well. Gabe Davis didn't have a great game. You know, Isaiah McKenzie really wasn't involved. Khalil Shakir wasn't at all. But it worries me because it's gone now from one week. It's stretched into another week. Now, I'm not panicked. Like, I want to set that precedent of, like, I'm not. I'm not like, oh, my gosh, stop the presses. What's going on? Josh Allen is broken. No, it's. It's none of those things. But when you talk about the health factor, is his elbow physically affecting him? That concerns me. And then the mental aspect. We've seen Josh be so fantastic in so many moments, but it's those bad, bad, bad mistakes. And the interceptions. Well, let's start with the first one. I mean, the. The opening drive of the game. And it was like, what?
B
Yeah, that's. That's the kind of play I expected Zach Wilson to make.
C
Yeah.
B
And he threw it right to him. And Josh said, now, this is something I want you to reference because you're watching. People are watching on tv. I'm watching from the press box, way above the field, so you really can see everything. You can see the whole field. And it looked to me like he put it right in the defender's hands, which he did. Now, I guess fans know this, but sometimes when you're on the field, you can explain this better. Josh Allen doesn't always see the things the way we see it, with the perfect angle from up above. Like, sometimes that player that looks to be wide open is covered by another guy. Like, you can't see him. There's a defensive lineman in front of him. Josh said that the defender was behind the Defensive lineman, I think he said so he didn't see him. But, you know, when you're on the field and even though Josh is 6 5, there's a lot of people can get in between you. I'm not making an excuse for him. I'm saying is when. When he says he didn't see the guy, I. I think he didn't see him. But it still was a terrible play.
C
Yeah. So on the sidelines while I'm shooting the game, sometimes it is. It's just so different the way you see things, because first of all, yeah, those. The players are enormous for the most part. And sometimes the vantage point of, like, it is hard. Like, that first interception, I did not see that coming. I really didn't because of where I was standing, where I was also on the other side of the field type of thing. So I do get it. And it's so funny, I think back to, like, when I played soccer and when you were sitting on the sidelines and you're like, oh, oh, you should pass there. You should. You should do this, you should do that. And when you're in the moment, it just obviously looks so much different when you're actually out on the field. But that was one thing. Like, I get it. And he said the second interception was just a brain fart. But that's where it's weird because it's like, hey, kind of. You've kind of had a couple of those. And. And it was. You know, where I was standing, I was in one of the end zones. The Bills were driving towards me, and it was like, how did he not see Sauce Garden? And it felt like the ball. What did I tell you? It felt like the ball just hung in the air. And I'm like. As soon as he threw it, I was like, that is lunch meat. That is just hanging out there for someone to grab.
B
Yeah. He made a mistake on that first drive. The Bills used to be money on the first drive. I know all the time they're moving right down the field. I'm like, man, this is going to be seven nothing.
C
So fast. I thought the same thing.
B
And then he does that. And so they had that mistake. This is a couple of games now that he's done that. He did it in. What was the other game? Was it Pittsburgh early? They scored a touchdown. And then he had another. They had another turnover.
C
He's had quite a few picks this year.
B
Yeah. And then. So he made a mistake deep in the jets territory.
C
Yeah.
B
Took points off the board. And then the second one to sauce. Now, look, he and Gabe Davis, not on the same page. Gabe Davis did not have a good game.
C
No.
B
And he had one he should have caught. Actually, even the last pass. When you look at the replay, it could have been caught. Some people were looking for interference. I didn't think there was any chance they were going to get that. But the ball hit him in the hands. Probably should have caught it or could have caught it. But he and Gabe on different pages is strange to me. They've been together so much. They been both practicing and that didn't happen. And so I don't know what that was there. When he says brain fart. Now he's never, ever going to call out one of his teammates.
C
No.
B
So I don't know whether Gabe went the way he was one way and he was or the other, but they gave the ball up after the defense had just taken it away.
C
That was. That was. And like, that is tough when your. Your defense has. You know, the jets were able to move the ball. You know, know they have some nice pieces on offense. Garrett Wilson was.
B
Yeah, he's a good player.
C
He is good. But to have them, you know, give you the opportunity to kind of put the game in hand and then for you to just turn it over essentially immediately. That. That in terms of momentum and the crowd feeds off that as well. Not.
B
Yeah. Not only did the Bills not do anything with the ball.
C
Yeah.
B
They gave it to the jets in great field position and they end up scoring a touchdown. So it's like. Right. That was. Yeah, yeah. They end up scoring a touchdown and it's like. Well, we can also go to that. They was. They put the defense in a bad spot. Didn't mean the defense had to give up seven points. No, but they did.
C
I was. I was. Alarm. No alarm. Too strong. It is a trend of teams being able to run on the Bills. And we've talked about it, we've asked the players about it in years past because this is something that's kind of followed the Bills a little bit. And they said it really is like a gut punch to their manhood. Because it's like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna be. I'm gonna out physical you essentially, like, I'm gonna impose my will. I'm gonna run the ball. You know, I'm gonna run the ball, but I'm still gonna be able to run it. And that's something that, like, we're only in. What. What. What is this? Week nine going into now? Week ten. And what did Von Miller Say, we all know it, it's a copycat league. And he's like, yeah, some of the stuff the packers were able to do well last week, the jets were able to do kind of even better this week.
B
So what's funny about that is you're making the right point about the way it was done. The Green Bay game was different. The Bills were in control and it was almost kind of comical, like, go ahead Green Bay, keep running it because you're still down by three scores. Then they got it to two and you know, whatever. This game was different. They started out at the four yard line with the game tied. That is the moment where the number one defense in the league needs to shut them down. Needs to. We're talking about Zach Wilson. He threw some nice little short passes, but he's not the guy to beat you in that. You need somebody who can really make a play to drive down the field on you. And they didn't have that in Zach Wilson yet. They ran it what, eight straight times and the Bills knew it was coming. They weren't sitting there going, oh, when's Zach Wilson going to chuck it down the field? It was handoff run and, and they pushed the Bills up and down the field and that not the Green Bay game. You could say that's an aberration. They're running when they should throw. No, no, they were running it right down their throat and they controlled the clock used all that time up. Fortunately the Bills made a couple plays deep to force the field goal but it didn't make any difference because the offense couldn't do anything with it.
C
I just, I worry about, and we've talked about this when you are the team like this was the Jets super bowl, like it felt like that, how much it meant this game at home. Fans were super into it and you knew that this just team has been playing pretty well. Again, I, I didn't expect it. Outstanding, stellar game. I didn't expect Zach Wilson to beat the Jet or to beat this Bill Steam and he didn't. It was the guys around him and the playmakers around him that able to help out the team do that. But being winless in the division, that to me is a red flag.
B
Oh, no doubt. And the Miami game was a strange one. No matter what you lost.
C
Yeah.
B
So I always talk about these games in hindsight. Right. Because the Bills could go and play great. I don't know the next three, four, five, six weeks. But you still have these two losses. They count more than the other losses. Yeah, they're conference games, they're division games. You got to do the division first. And they now have, what, four games left in the division. You got to win them all. Like, if you don't, I mean, I guess you could still go, you know, I mean, you could still go 15 and 2. You could go 14 and 3, and then maybe it's not going to matter. But right now, the team doesn't feel like that. And so they. You got to start with winning the division. And you're allowing these teams like Miami can score.
C
Yeah.
B
And their offense give up a ton of points to Chicago.
C
Yeah, that was surprising.
B
But they can score. And the jets play defense. Patriots play defense. Their offense stinks, too. But right now, if they were playing the Patriots this week, you'd be concerned because the Bills offense is not their offense. And the Patriots are gonna run the ball. So when you're playing in these division games now. Yeah, very. Look, you lost to the Dolphins with everybody out. Fine. Still could have won the game. You lost to the jets when you had a 14. 3 lead in the first half and you did nothing offensively in the second half.
C
So there's been some pretty brutal second halfs like the last couple of weeks. We were talking about this question for you, though. How much do you put this on Ken Dorsey and. And maybe there being some of those, I don't want to say rookie mistakes, but a little bit of that.
B
Look, a lot of being a coach in this league is making adjustments. And Stefan Diggs was talking about. And you guys know, listening, you know what cover 2 is? The 2 deep zone. It's the Tampa Bay defense where you just, you play deep, you're going to give up the underneath, you're not going.
C
To get beat, you're not going to.
B
Get beat over the top, all that kind of stuff. The jets play a lot of man in the first half, Diggs told us, and then they went to a two. They went to cover two. And the Bills see that. They see it. Teams run it. But again, if we want to talk about setting the formula for other teams, cover two and run the ball, you know, that's kind of what you would do against the Bills. And I wonder sometimes if Josh is attempting still to get downfield, get it downfield, make a big play, and they don't always just take what's in front of them. And so in terms of Dorsey, like, look, he's a new coordinator. And Dabo had issues last year, too, but he had also had great games under his belt. Dorsey's had some Great moments. But the offense has not looked lethal. I would always say to you, this Bills offense can be lethal when they're going with the passing game. And Diggs is hard to stop and Gabe's going deep and all. Well, they looked very ordinary in this game and looked ordinary of poor in the second half against Green Bay. And it's a trend now.
C
That, to me, is also something that stands out. It's just. I thought Diggs played pretty well, but the other receivers and just. Yeah, it was just. I was like, okay, let's see Gabe Davis get involved. And it was like, you know, he. He really didn't even. Isaiah McKenzie. We really didn't see much from him. When we talked about Khalil Shakiri. Did he have a cat? I don't think he had a catch.
B
I think at one point I looked, and I don't know if it changed. Gabe had the one catch they had. Maybe the other wide receivers combined for maybe five catches in the game, and it was for limited yardage.
C
Yeah.
B
So Diggs is Diggs. And he made a great catch on the last drive. It got taken away by the Dion holding him. That was tough. Yeah.
C
Did you see the replay? I have not seen the replay of that.
B
Of the hold. I didn't see a replay of the hold. I saw a replay of Diggs. His feet were. It looked like his feet were touching, but I never got to that point because the holding brought it back. That was a massive play in the game.
C
Yeah.
B
I mean, if that play counts. The Bills are not only driving well towards field goal range, but they got a shot at a touchdown instead. You're first in 20. And then it all hell broke loose and it was done.
C
That game was just so gross that, like, I just keep replaying it and I'm like. It almost feels like a fever dream of, like, how did. How did. Like, how did this happen? And then how did that happen?
B
Just. Just say it this way. And I said this to you after the game. The jets look like the better team, which is.
C
That hurts, though.
B
In that day, they look like the better team. You tell me which team played better defense. Jets. You tell me which team took care of the football better. Jets. Tell me which team in the big moments came through. Jets. My God. Zach Wilson was better throwing the ball than Josh Allen. That's crazy. And he did nothing.
C
That feels. That feels icky. It really does.
B
Like, you know, so this was. There was. There was nothing strange in this game. This wasn't New England, where nobody could throw the ball. This wasn't Miami, where it was the. This was just a game with great weather on the road. I get it. But, like, come on, it's Josh Allen in this offense. They have to be better. And the defense put in big spots. Did not come through.
C
Do you think it's a lack of preparation, a lack of energy, a lack of focus? What do you think it is?
B
I'll say this. Offensively, I do think Josh Allen has to adjust a little bit. There are times you just got to take what they're giving you until you take what you want. And we used to say that all the time.
C
Was it, take the cheese?
B
Yeah, take it, take it, take it, and then go big.
C
Yeah.
B
And, you know, I didn't see that out of them. Just get the ball out of your hands, play with some pace, move the ball down the field. And I didn't see it. And there's. There's reasons behind it, but honestly, they're pretty healthy on offense right now. Yeah, I mean, they. Spencer Brown's not playing, but I. Barry got beat badly, it looked like, in that last drive. Yeah, but. And the offensive line didn't have a great day, but there were times when Josh had time, and it Just. For one reason or another, it didn't work.
C
Yeah, I mean, I. I think. And Dion Dawkins talked after the game of how. And Mitch Morris added, like, this is a look in the mirror type of moment, and it definitely is. And I think this team will rebound. I have the confidence that they'll be able to do it, but I think there are some glaring things to look at. And how can you be more effective in the passing game? Which seems outrageous to say. If you were to tell me after this game or before this game, that I'd be saying, like, is everything with Josh Allen okay? What's going on with the passing game? I'd be like, you're absolutely out of your mind.
B
Yeah.
C
But just seeing the last. What is it, six quarters.
B
Yeah.
C
And how things have gone. It does. It just seems off the run, defense, those types of things.
B
Things.
C
Yeah. I mean, that's life in the NFL, though. And we've. We've talked so much about how the expectations on this team are sky high, but right now it just feels like, Mike, they. They're in a bit of a rut.
B
Oh, they are. And this loss. I. I joked with you that instead of being in the whatever of Jacksonville, not my top NFL city, we're in the swamps of Jersey. I'll get another Bruce reference in there for you.
C
Love that.
B
And that made it. Oh.
C
Oh.
B
I got one bigger deal.
C
Hopefully it's not the Bills. Glory days. I don't know. Did I do it right? Yeah, I don't know. That's not bad. I got. I know one, Bruce.
B
I mean, they've been living in the land of hopes and dreams and I. I'm out.
C
I don't know.
B
Okay. Sorry.
C
I have seen Bruce Frankston in concert. It was a phenomenal concert, but I've.
B
Seen him a lot anyhow, so. In Jersey. What. The reason I was going to say is in Jacksonville, it was a mess. The whole thing was a mess. They ended up losing the game and. Yeah, that was a costly game. This is worse at the moment. This is a division game. So look at the division. Bills are 6 and 2, right?
C
Yeah.
B
The jets and the Dolphins are both 6 and 3 and both have a win against the Bills. And the Patriots, the stinking Patriots are 5 and 4.
C
So is the AFC east the best division?
B
I would say right now? It's certainly. It's funny how the AFC east and the NFC east both have very good records. Washington choked that game away today. Otherwise the NFC east would all be over.500. But the AFC east is. And honestly, if the jets get quarterback play and they're going to need more than what they got today, and that's for maybe another day that they've got talent on that defense. They got guys who get after it. Sauce can play.
C
He can.
B
Reed can play.
C
He can.
B
Quinn Williams is a beast. And I really like Ed Oliver. That's what they want Ed Oliver to be.
C
Yeah.
B
And right now he's. Not that he's a good player, but that's a. That is a game breaker disruptive player. And he wasn't even that great today, but he made plays and they had to double him at times because he'll just wreck your game. So, yeah, it's still going to come down to a quarterback and all that, where they go long term. But by the way, I was thinking this real quick. I don't follow. I mean, I follow the jets as much as when they play the Bills and they've been irrelevant in the division for a while. That has to be one of their biggest wins in the last. Probably since Rex was coaching.
C
I literally said it was like their Super Bowl.
B
Yeah. I mean, think about it. They're six and three. That is a massive win for them.
C
Yeah.
B
They absolutely could be a playoff team. No question. And right now they think they can win the division.
C
Yeah.
B
And what are you going to tell them no, they just beat the Bills, so I don't think they're going to. But I also didn't think they were going to win in this game.
C
Oh, my gosh. Yeah, No, I completely agree. It was so funny to see the fans, how the fans were. I mean, look, they've been tortured for a little while just being a Jets fan, but how pumped up they were in this game, I got to give it to them like. Like they were very loud. And it was funny because I. Right at the end of the third quarter, right as the fourth quarter was starting, like so many fans, you could hear them just be like they were putting their fours up in the crowd and they were like laughing and like, so excited. Like, oh my gosh, they're only up by a field goal. But it felt like to them. And to have a win like that on their record, I mean, Robert Salas, if you look in the end zones, you'll see like the, like the Bills had trust, the process, all that stuff. Stuff. The jets have all gas, no break. Which I think is so stupid. But this team and this culture, like, they are absolutely building something.
B
They are. And it's still going to be. Again, they got to figure out the quarterback thing and how good he can be, but.
C
Correct.
B
But you look at defense.
C
Yeah.
B
They seem to believe in the coaching staff outside of. What's his name, the wide receiver. Drawing a blank. Who's not happy with. By the way, Mims dropped a couple of balls today. That would help Zach Wilson a little bit.
C
Yeah, he did the one, though.
B
Garrett Wilson play.
C
Yes. Whether it was Jackson. Oh, yeah.
B
In Las Vegas. We talked to him at the draft and you're. You know, I knew the Bills might be interested in a wide receiver and we didn't know if they would make that a first round pick. Like that was a lot of the talk and he was gone. But man, that kid can play. He can really play.
C
So, yeah, Kair, between Kair Elam and Dane Jackson and Christian Benford obviously got in for a little bit. But yeah, I just felt like every time they needed a big play, Garrett Wilson was there.
B
Yeah.
C
And that's, I mean, that's impressive to see that. But yeah, this team is clearly trending in the right direction in terms of the jets and again, the Bills. What do you think is the biggest thing that they need to clean up heading into this next week?
B
I said last week, I'm not worried about Josh Allen and I don't want to overstate it and be like, oh, he's Whatever. But come on, we're talking about a guy who was the favorite for mvp. And these are the kind of games that knock you down and it's hard to get it back in the other direction. Not that he can't, but, but like, you're mvp. You can't have games like this. You can have a game, but this one hurts in that way. It certainly hurts that narrative. Not that he's playing for mvp, but you know what I mean? That guy. I want to see Josh be Josh. He doesn't have to be spectacular in every game. He's got to be a little better. It's the decision making. He's talking about these, you know, brain farts and the bad taste in his mouth and all this kind of stuff. It seems a little more self inflicted.
C
Yeah.
B
And that. I do want to see that. And honestly, and we're going to talk about this, it'll help to get some guys back on the field too. There's no question. But come on, they still had enough talent out there to beat the jets today. Up 143 in the second quarter.
C
Maybe he's just holding it a little too close, like he's forcing it because he didn't have the great second half last week. And then come. Things have kind of, you know, snowballed from there. But. Yeah, I, I agree. It's just, and look, we, we know the, the caliber of player that Josh Allen is and there's confidence in that. But yeah, I, I definitely can understand why. It's like, okay, you know, you, you've made some mistakes. The self inflicted part to me is what stands out. And then you learn from that and you grow. And the same like with Ken Dorsey and some of the play calling, some of those things, getting guys, you know, into the system and, you know.
B
Yeah, let's, let's see him come up with some more things for Gabe Davis to get him going. Yeah, let's see some more creativity with McKenzie, who does have that speed. Let's see them work Nahim Hines into the offense. I know he'd only been there for a little while. It's funny, we were talking to Sal Palantonio before the game and he was asking us about Hines and I said, I think they're going to have a role for him in this game. Maybe limited, but there should be a package. He's a veteran, he's been around. I would have liked to have seen a little package of plays for him. I was surprised. I know they still like James Cook. I'm not telling you you can't have him on the field but it would have been nice to see get the ball in Hinds hands. He can make a play for you and that never happened.
C
I was very surprised how much James Cook had the ball just considering I, I feel like Hines has a similar. Could be a similar role type player and yeah, I, I mean that's not to say he won't have more of a presence obviously this upcoming week and beyond. But I, I just. You're right, he's a veteran guy. I kind of figured that that would be more the plan.
B
You have a. You have a series of plays for him is the Hinds. You put him out there when you're going to. Five plays that he knows.
C
Yeah.
B
And perfect. I want to see the wheel route. Jenna. I want the wheel route. I want him running down the sidelines. Amy threw one. Did he throw one to Singleton or Cook? Down the sidelines, a deeper ball. He's incomplete. I think he basically threw it out of bounds. But I want to see Hines doing that. I mean he was very solid on the, you know, couple decent returns. He catches the ball. That's great. We know he's going to do that. But I'm saying is this is what you can do. And by the way, Bean talked heavily about obj. This is going to just light that fire a little bit more to get another weapon on the field, another guy who can make plays because we all like Gabe Davis. He's got to make plays and he didn't make any.
C
I question if he's healthy because it just felt very off. Yeah, the consistency has been a question.
B
Well, he wasn't on the injury list this week.
C
No, you're right.
B
And he, you know, we haven't seen anything. Sometimes that happens but I don't know, I just.
C
Just felt off. All right. Speaking of injuries, in. In terms of being optimistic, we saw some of the players out there pregame warming up, one of which, Tridavius White. He seems to be getting even closer to getting back out onto the field. I wasn't shocked that he was inactive against the jets for this game just because I didn't think that Bills would need him. Yeah. And I know the long term plan is to have patience and get him back out there and get him up to speed when he is ready and they trust in that and all those things. But it seems like we are getting even closer to him being.
B
I know it's a slow trend, but it's still less than a year since he had the surgery, since he had the injury. Yeah, you know, that's coming up at.
C
Thanksgiving and you have to wait after you have that injury a little bit to get surgery.
B
Yeah. So he went through a lot. It was a lot because he's never been hurt before. So it's his first major rehab. And I talked to a few people today. I got a sense that it's very close, maybe next week. And then it was interesting just to hear Von Miller say in the post game, he said we'll get Trey White back. Like he mentioned Trey. Yeah, I think almost like they know it's coming next week. Maybe I'm wrong. That's just me totally reading into it. But he actually mentioned Trey in that way and I thought, all right, let's get him out there. And how about you get Poyer back on the field? Milano?
C
Yeah.
B
You said that today. They miss him out there.
C
They did.
B
You get him out there and they certainly did. He makes plays. He just does. Poyer and Milano are two playmakers. I mean, you do feel like one of them would have made a play. Didn't happen.
C
Yeah.
B
So, hey, what Jordan Phillips say to us, you're not ready. Like teams will, teams will get you. And that's what happened to us today. You go out there and play that way, everybody's going to give you their best effort. And the jets did.
C
Yeah, true.
B
Well, maybe Aaron Rodgers didn't, but everybody else did. By the way, lost to the Lions.
C
I, I kept looking up at the, the. They had the highlights from out of town games.
B
The Lions are one of the all time worst defenses and they had them shut out into the third quarter.
C
I was just like, what is going on with Green Bay? I mean everyone saying that problems.
B
The Bill's problems today. Yeah, they look, they didn't look good. So to the point there, they're going to get some of these guys back. Hines is going to be more into the offense. I mean, they're going to get him.
C
There are obviously reasons to be optimistic and in all of those things, I'll.
B
Put it this way, Josh Allen's too good. Unless it's an injury. You know, he had the elbow. They were definitely looking at. I saw him in his locker. It wasn't like he was sitting there up, but you can tell he just. Well, first of all, he's sick to his stomach of how it went.
C
He was dejected post game.
B
Very dejected. And like he usually bounces back from stuff like this. I mean he's usually. But he's got to be healthy. Holding on to the football Maybe that was an issue. Like, I don't know.
C
Yeah. But things do evaluate.
B
If Josh Allen isn't Josh Allen, it's gonna be tough to do. Whatever.
C
Yeah.
B
But I think I'll say it again. I'm not really worried about him. He's in a bit of a slump. He's been making some dumb decisions.
C
I trust that.
B
I trust that he'll be back, but some of the other stuff. Let's get going here.
C
Yeah, that's very fair. But it is nice to see some of those other guys.
B
So. So was the jets fans your field moment from this one?
C
I would say. I would say so. I did hear Vaughn Miller tell Greg Rousseau, like, don't think, stop thinking. Like to be more instinctive. Instinctive. Yeah. And that was just kind of like a passing. That was very early. Like, that was actually pre game, I think. But. But other than that, I just. I could not stop. Stop laughing at the jets fans. And that sounds mean. It wasn't mean, but it was just like the enthusiasm that they. I mean, they know so.
B
Damn.
C
No, I honestly thought of them as like, oh, this is like the Bills a couple years ago. How.
B
Like small market team. And I will not. I will say this every time. The jets are a regional team.
C
Yeah.
B
Meaning New York Giants are New York's team. Team New York City.
C
Yeah.
B
Don't give me the New York thing. Right.
C
Yeah.
B
The jets are the other fan base. They're certainly the Mets to the Yankees, if not even less. Okay. Because baseball maybe has a little. Has had a little wider reach through the years. Like right now, the jets are. I. They really are like a small market team. You're number two in New York City. Your fan base is that same. Same guy that we see all the time.
C
Yeah.
B
And no one thinks. No one thinks about the Jets. No one.
C
I do hate the Jet, man. Or whatever. All them. I was like. I'm just. It's so weird to me how it's like, this is a big moment of the game. Let's go to this one fan. Yeah. I just. I think that's kind of.
B
But you know what I mean about small. It's like.
C
No, I told.
B
Actually think of them as in a New York City.
C
No Jersey.
B
And they're the other team and they're whatever.
C
I just will never forget the four. Them putting up the four corners or four quarters sign. Like the four and being like laughing so hard. It was just so funny to me.
B
And then they went out and did it.
C
I know, I know. But at that point, they hadn't done it yet. And I was like, what is going on?
B
Yeah.
C
Yeah.
B
Huge win for them. I'd say it's their biggest win. Like I said, probably since Rex, when they went to the AFC champion. Those kind of. You beat the Bills and you're six and three.
C
Yeah.
B
Huge for them.
C
Huge for them, definitely. How was the food so.
B
Up in the press box? You know that honestly. And we stay. It was that Fairfield in free breakfast. Breakfast.
C
Oh.
B
Kind of thing.
C
Someone. Okay, so real talk real quick. I was asking another photographer. I was like, oh, like, what's the. The. The pregame meal? And they're like, I don't know. It's a breakfast buffet. But they described it as, you know, those squishy eggs. And I was like, oh, my God.
B
Yeah.
C
You.
B
You know exactly where we're talking, and then you're eating them in a buffet. So you get them. They're. They're probably not going to be warm. They're just sort of like. Unless you are, like, really in trouble here, you just. You skip them.
C
I actually did not have any of the food today. I had a bag of Cheetos.
B
Yeah.
C
And I got a Starbucks grilled cheese, which, if you need to survive.
B
So is that Starbucks grilled cheese made in the. What, Seattle home office in 1997.
C
I'm. I'm not kidding you. As I. I like to eat. I. I think people have probably heard this by now, but that thing was hearty. Like, I was like, oh, my God, I need to take a break. Halfway through. Yeah, it was something, but it.
B
What I love you guys need to know about Jenna. We went out to breakfast, and then she got a post. Breakfast. Breakfast. She goes, I'm gonna stop in Starbucks. I figured she's just getting a coffee. Oh, no. She comes out with the cheese sandwich. She's like, I need some carbs.
C
It's a grilled cheese.
B
First of all. Yeah.
C
Don't call it a cheese sandwich. That makes me sound psychotic. It was a grilled cheese, but I knew the food was gonna be bad.
B
When I was a kid, my mom used to make cheese. Just regular, like, sliced cheese and tomatoes. That white bread.
C
Do you know the weirdest sandwich that my family makes?
B
What's that?
C
Mayo. This is. I can't. Mayo, tomato, peanut butter.
B
Oh, okay. See, because you. Mayo, tomato, and seriously, sliced oil. Whatever those things they say are cheese. They're not really cheese. Whatever that is. The little, you know, with the wrapper around it.
C
Yeah.
B
On white bread. Was that on white bread? Of course.
C
Yeah.
B
Yeah.
C
You don't think it's weird to put tomato mayo and peanut butter. Okay. By the way, you didn't really react.
B
I'm also going to call out Fat Brown reports on the team because he was talking on the radio the other day and I should have said something to him today. Him talking about having. I believe he said salami with barbecue sauce on it.
C
I hate that.
B
That is a violation.
C
I don't.
B
Violation. I'm going to tell him when I see him. I'm going to tell him we called him out on the podcast.
C
Not a big barbecue sauce. I mean. Ah, I don't know. No, I don't like that.
B
Then at lunch, did you have anything in the break? Did you ever get back in that room? No, I don't know if they had anything. So upstairs I had that grilled cheese saved me quickly gone to see a friend of mine who was at the game. So I came back and they had had food and it was the. It was basically like some sort of boneless chicken. And they said it was like, oh, these are the spicy ones. The lady says to this other person in front of me. And it's so bland. Yeah, I think they like.
C
So disappointing.
B
Buffalo. Whatever. They were just. They were just a darker color. They were really not good.
C
And I heard the fries were really cold.
B
They were cold. They were. They made those, what they call them, crinkle fries.
C
Oh, yeah, like the Shake Shack.
B
Not good.
C
Yeah.
B
Step up. Step it.
C
That makes me sad. You can't be in the metro area and have.
B
Come on.
C
Crappy food.
B
Yeah.
C
Come on. Now.
B
I'm trying to think where.
C
You know, I heard the press box was very cold.
B
Yeah, it was normal.
C
It was normal. Okay. Because the field, honestly, it was incredible.
B
I will say this. The staff at MedLife, MetLife, every. Everybody I dealt with, awesome. Great, great. Very friendly.
C
Fantastic.
B
Jersey. Everybody's friendly in Jersey.
C
No, they really were great.
B
Very friendly.
C
I can't tell you guys, I can't tell everyone out there how many times Mike and I will go to a stadium and we'll be like, talking to someone that works. Do you know where this is? And they're like, no idea.
B
They look at you like they've never been in the stadium. When they are standing in the stadium.
C
And a lot of times we're looking for the postgame visitors media room.
B
So people understand there is a. There is room set up for the visiting team, so it's usually near the locker room. And there will be a room where we set up when Josh Allen, Sean McDermott everybody comes in. Sometimes we go to places. You can't get in there till halftime because they're using the room for something else. You'd think these big NFL stadiums have all this space.
C
They are so poorly put together.
B
But this is a room that every group of visiting media every week uses, and they still act like they don't know.
C
They don't know most.
B
Full disclosure. Last time we were there, you and I went to the wrong visiting media room. It was like the Giant Giants, like, they had a sep. They don't, by the way. They don't need a separate one. You don't need two of them. But it had, like, the Giants back. And we should have realized that we.
C
I forgot we did that.
B
But that. And then. And then there's the locker room, which we went in the locker room. And then there's a media workroom which is shared by all the media people. And there's a decent size. Like.
C
Yeah, it's actually good size. It's just so loud.
B
But the people were nice. All the people working there, at least anybody we dealt with.
C
Yeah.
B
Shout out to the. I'm sure they're all listening. MetLife Stadium people say they were good.
C
Yeah. Food f. Yeah. Staff a.
B
Staff a. Yeah.
C
So that was. Yeah. Overall, good weather, lousy game. Yeah.
B
I said at one point that Sky Cam got tired of watching that game.
C
And that was. We were on the field and they didn't announce it to us.
B
Yeah.
C
Yet. So everyone was like, what is going on? They've played the Law and Order theme song, which was so funny.
B
Yeah.
C
They've. I'm like, they didn't address it. Then finally. And you heard everyone in the crowd be like, are you kidding me?
B
Yeah.
C
Yeah, that was. That was certainly. That was a weird.
B
And by the way, then the Bills got a turnover right after that, and then they gave the ball away.
C
Yeah, that was. Yeah, that was at sequence, essentially. All right, let's wrap up here. Please be sure to subscribe, download, download, rate the podcast. We always appreciate it.
B
Leave comments. We want to hear them. We want to hear what you think.
C
Absolutely. For Mike, I'm Jenna. Thank you so much for listening. And always, as a reminder, please be sure to also check us out on the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel. We do a lot of unique content on that channel. We have a lot of fun there. And we're always. We are always posting new stuff. So this upcoming week, the Bills will be getting ready to take on the Minnesota Vikings at home, as Buffalo looks to get right against a really good team, but we'll have plenty more coverage coming up here on the podcast as well as on the Buffalo plus YouTube channel. All right, we will see you next time. Thank you all so much for listening here on Buffalo Plus.
Episode: What's wrong with Josh Allen?
Date: November 7, 2022
Hosts: Jenna Cottrell & Mike Catalana
In this episode, Jenna Cottrell and Mike Catalana break down the Buffalo Bills’ 20–17 loss to the New York Jets, focusing primarily on Josh Allen’s recent struggles, lapses in both offensive and defensive execution, and what these issues mean for the team in the context of a competitive AFC East. They analyze Allen’s decision-making, concerns about injuries, coaching adjustments, and the atmosphere around the team and its fans after a surprising defeat. The hosts offer insight into broader worry points as well as reasons for optimism.
Physical and Mental Factors:
Interceptions:
Both interceptions in the Jets game are critiqued. The first, on the opening drive, seemed like a play you'd expect from an inexperienced quarterback, not Allen.
Quote – Catalana (04:14):
“That’s the kind of play I expected Zach Wilson to make. ... He threw it right to him.”
Allen’s own postgame explanation for the interceptions (“brain fart”) is discussed, with the hosts agreeing that it’s concerning to see multiple mistakes in a short span.
Quote – Jenna Cottrell (05:21):
“He said the second interception was just a brain fart. But that’s where it’s weird–because you’ve kind of had a couple of those.”
Chemistry with Receivers:
Red Zone and Momentum Swing:
Run Defense Weaknesses:
For consecutive weeks, the Bills’ run defense has faltered, with teams able to impose their will physically—a growing trend that concerns the hosts.
Quote – Cottrell (08:45):
“It is a trend of teams being able to run on the Bills... Like, I’m gonna out-physical you...”
The Jets’ critical late-game drive, entirely built on running plays, was a particular red flag.
Quote – Catalana (09:42):
“They started out at the four-yard line with the game tied. That is the moment where the number one defense in the league needs to shut them down... They ran it what, eight straight times and the Bills knew it was coming.”
0–2 in Division Play:
Strength of AFC East:
Ken Dorsey’s Early Tenure:
Failure to Involve Other Playmakers:
Return of Key Players:
Trust in Allen’s Bounce-Back Ability:
Jets’ Fans and Energy:
Lighthearted Sideline and Press Box Moments:
On Josh Allen’s struggles:
On division urgency:
On run defense trend:
On AFC East strength:
On Ken Dorsey's learning curve:
On trust and optimism:
Atmosphere in New York:
This episode provides a candid, insightful analysis of the Bills’ midseason funk, focusing on Josh Allen’s uncharacteristic errors, stale offensive innovation, and rising concern about the team’s performance in high-stakes divisional matchups. Ultimately, while there is justified short-term concern, the hosts emphasize the returning health of key players and Allen’s proven resilience as reasons for the fan base to remain optimistic.
Further Coverage:
Catch more unique Bills content on the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel and through Buffalo Plus social links.