Josh Allen receives passing grade in Week 13 loss to the Patriots
By Aaron Tully
What grade does Josh Allen get for his performance in Week 13 against the New England Patriots?
In Week 13, the Buffalo Bills suffered a major setback in their division title hopes, falling 14-10 to the rival New England Patriots in a low-scoring slugfest on a windy night in Orchard Park.
The wind didn’t seem to affect the play calling for the Buffalo offense, considering Allen threw 30 passes. Josh Allen completed just 15 of those 30 passes, but considering the conditions, it is hard to criticize Allen for a low completion percentage.
Allen averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt and finished with a passer rating of just 75.0 against the Patriots. However, these down numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, and expect his numbers to improve next week in Tampa.
Allen and Diggs managed to connect four times for 51 yards, and nearly connected a fifth time on a deep shot that would have put the Bills ahead. They did, however, connect on a beautiful 26-yard throw and catch in the fourth quarter on their final drive.
Allen also found Gabriel Davis twice, one of those times for a needle threading 14-yard touchdown pass. Allen and Dawson Knox should have connected more than the two times they did, with Knox having three brutal drops.
One of those drops would have been the go-ahead touchdown on a play where Allen magically escaped two defenders and delivered a strike on the run, and through the wind, right into Knox’s hands.
Josh Allen’s decision-making was fine. His only really bad decision was running right into Matthew Judon for a sack, resulting in a loss of nine yards.
Week 13 grade for Josh Allen: B
Josh Allen receives a B grade for his performance in Week 13. Allen did all he could on a night where other members of the offense (particularly Dawson Knox) killed any momentum they generated with bad drops or ill-timed penalties.
The eye test showed that Allen was able to generate momentum when the offense needed a spark, particularly on the last two drives, but both the coaching staff and fellow members of the offense failed him in a disappointing loss.
After a disheartening loss, Josh Allen and the Bills head down to Tampa on a short week to take on one of the NFL’s best teams in the Buccaneers. The Bills will need Allen to be at his very best on Sunday because if the Bills lose in Tampa, they’re in trouble…big trouble.
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Previous Weeks’ Grades:
Week 1: C
Week 2: C+
Week 3: A+
Week 4: B
Week 5: A+
Week 6: A-
Week 8: B
Week 9: F
Week 10: A
Week 11: D+
Week 12: B+