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Josh Allen came out of his cage and he’s doing just fine.
Buffalo’s franchise quarterback gave teammates and Bills fans reason to joyfully sing along to “Mr. Brightside” again Sunday.
If destiny is calling Allen, he’ll end this season in New Orleans hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
The Bills took a big step toward that goal with a 30-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, ending the two-time defending Super Bowl champions’ bid for a perfect season.
Allen threw for 262 yards and a touchdown and ran for 55 yards, including a clinching 26-yard score on a fourth-and-2 with 2:16 left.
"The Josh Allen experience at this magnitude has been phenomenal,” said Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper, who joined the team last month following a trade with Cleveland. “He’s a great player — the old adage, big-time players make big-time plays in big-time situations, and that’s exactly what he did.”
It was another performance that strengthens Allen’s MVP case in a season that began without much hype. The Bills were mostly overlooked in the AFC after falling short in the playoffs again last year and losing several key players in the offseason.
They weren’t even favorites to win the AFC East. Oddsmakers made Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets the betting favorites. They’re 3-8 while the Bills are 9-2 and cruising toward their fifth consecutive division title.
Allen is used to the disrespect. He shrugged off being voted the most overrated player in the league in a preseason ESPN poll of anonymous players.
He’s gone out there and silenced critics and detractors with one impressive effort after another this season. But don’t call this a revenge tour. Allen has always played with something to prove ever since he received no scholarship offers coming out of high school, went to junior college and got just one offer to the University of Wyoming.
“The league has stars and he’s one of them,” Cooper said. “He’s just a tremendous talent and some guys are just made to play ball. I’ve been having a lot of joy since I’ve been here — we’ve won every game. It’s been cool.”
This game mattered more to Allen and the Bills than to Mahomes and the Chiefs (9-1). Buffalo has won four straight regular-season games against Kansas City. But the Chiefs are 3-0 against the Bills in the playoffs with Mahomes, including a road win in the divisional round last January.
That’s why Allen and coach Sean McDermott downplayed the victory.
“It means we got to nine wins,” Allen said. “I know from outside perception it’s a really big game and what it means for both fan bases and the league, but it’s Week 11.”
McDermott didn’t want to call it a statement game.
“This is not the finish line,” he said.
He’s right.
The Bills are still seeking the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Nothing less is satisfactory.
Same goes for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. They’ve enjoyed plenty of success in the regular season but have been frustrated by playoff failures.
Their road to a championship took a detour Sunday with an 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Russell Wilson improved to 4-0 as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback and the Steelers (8-2) took control of the AFC North with their fourth straight victory over the Ravens (7-4).
Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, hasn’t been able to solve the Steelers. He played his worst game of the season, snapping a streak of eight games with a passer rating above 100.
“They just stopped it,” Jackson said, offering no explanation for why Pittsburgh’s stout defense confounds him. “They did a good job.”
The Steelers’ victory, coupled with Kansas City’s loss, puts them in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. It’s a two-team race between Detroit (9-1) and Philadelphia (8-2) in the NFC.
There's seven weeks left to figure it all out.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press
