The broadcast of Sunday's AFC Divisional Round game captured Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs expressing frustration toward Josh Allen during the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and the quarterback addressed the topic Monday.
"Guys are competitive. Again, we don't want to lose," Allen told reporters. "It's not fun losing. It's not fun losing that way. So, it's all understood. At the end of the day, we got to be there for each other and continue to keep pushing forward."
He went on to point out that the Cincinnati defense made a concerted effort to game-plan a way to limit the No. 1 wide receiver's ability to impact the outcome.
It appeared to work, as Diggs finished with four catches for just 35 yards in the 27-10 loss at Highmark Stadium. It was a stark contrast to his seven catches for 114 yards in the first-round win over the Miami Dolphins and marked the second-fewest total amount of receiving yards he posted in a game this season.
It's not as if Diggs wasn't involved, though, as he finished with a team-high 10 targets.
His lack of production is both a testament to Cincinnati's defensive efforts and Allen's overall struggles, as the typically excellent quarterback didn't throw for a single touchdown and was picked off by Cam Taylor-Britt in the fourth quarter.
The result was a second consecutive loss for the Bills in the divisional round as they attempt to take the next step and win a Lombardi Trophy with Allen under center. Yet Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs and Joe Burrow's Bengals have knocked them out of the playoffs over the last three years in what could be the early stages of years of AFC battles between the three quarterbacks.
Mahomes and Burrow will face each other in the AFC Championship Game for the second straight season. The game will be in Kansas City, but so was last season's, when the Bengals emerged with a victory. Mahomes is also dealing with a high ankle sprain.
Buffalo could use improvements along its offensive line, on the defense, and in the running game this offseason if it is going to defeat those two foes in 2023.
While Diggs was clearly frustrated during Sunday's loss, the combination of the quarterback and top wide receiver was one of the bright spots for the team this season. It surely will be again in the next one, even if it wasn't against the Bengals.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was on the injury report for most of the second half of the season because of a right elbow injury, but Allen indicated today that the injury won’t be an issue that affects his future.
Allen said that the elbow needs rest and recovery time, but that he and the team’s medical staff do not expect him to need surgery.
Although he had another strong season despite the injury, Allen did say that he felt that the elbow affected his throwing mechanics.
Mostly, however, Allen said he was sick to his stomach that the season came to an end yesterday against the Bengals. He’s looking forward to healing that injured elbow and getting back to work for next season.
Josh Allen says his elbow needs rest and recovery, not surgery originally appeared on Pro Football Talk.
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