January 23, 2022. The Buffalo Bills had just let the win slip away several times in the last two minutes plus overtime in the AFC’s divisional round at Arrowhead Stadium. Final: 42-36, in favor of Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite the defensive implosion and the incredibly depressing loss, I was certain about one thing — that Josh Allen’s postseason run, including the last loss he didn’t deserve, I had watched greatness.
Over the years, and in several different sports, we are blessed to be able to watch greatness from several different impressive athletes, in a bunch of different forms. I wasn’t sure about the last time I had watched a player being so dominant — perfect game against the New England Patriots, over 300 yards and four touchdowns, no interceptions, and two potential game-winning drives (blew out by lackluster defense and poor coaching decisions in the same period) in hostile territory — without being able to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.
It took me all the way back to my childhood hero, who has a lot in common with the Bills’ superstar franchise quarterback.
Air Allen
From that moment on, nobody could convince me Josh Allen isn’t the NFL version of Michael Jordan. Like Mike, when he failed to make his high school team and used it to fuel his impressive work ethic on the way to becoming a great college player and the GOAT in the pros, we all know the story about Josh.
As a zero-star recruit, he was begging college coaches for opportunities without success. Like Mike, Josh became an unstoppable force, capable of doing things on the gridiron that other people only see in dreams.
Also, being underdogs before, they developed a killer mindset. They were araid of nothing and nobody, trusting their countless hours of preparation so no moment would be too big for them — making them always ready to deliver in the clutch.
Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images
That was Allen in the divisional round during the 2022 playoffs, despite the loss. The same had happened to Michael Jordan in his early NBA career.
Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984, the beginning wasn’t easy for Jordan. Despite his absurd production from the get-go, Jordan’s teams weren’t ready to compete at the highest level.
However, Jordan quickly earned the respect of the league’s biggest stars who could see his takeover was about to happen. Despite being a more flawed player early on, Allen’s flashes of dominance also placed him among the top up-and-coming NFL quarterbacks.
The recent playoff history between the Bills and Chiefs hasn’t been so different from how the MJ-led Bulls struggled to dethrone the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference in the NBA. Jordan was already recognized as one of, if not the top player in the game.
But, after all, it’s a team sport (people tend to forget it), and, as those MJ’s Bulls showed from 1988 to 1990, and Allen’s Bills have shown in the last four years, one player can’t do it alone, no matter how good they are.
The Pistons had great all-around teams — well-coached, tough, experienced — and had a top talent leading them to back-to-back titles in Isiah Thomas. Most people obviously think I’m underestimating Patrick Mahomes, comparing him to Isiah. After all, Mahomes already has one more ring than the NBA Hall of Fame point guard, and he’s making a case for himself becoming the NFL’s version of Jordan.
Well, I’d say he isn’t because Buffalo’s MJ can do everything he does, and the opposite isn’t true. Also, Mahomes always had a HOF head coach and some HOF teammates in all those titles, just like Isiah.
Plus, most people forget how good Isiah Thomas was, with his insane ball handling and control of the game. Certainly, a point guard with talent we don’t see in many of today’s NBA players. Being compared to Isiah Thomas should never be considered a bad thing.
Is it fair to say Mahomes is bigger than Thomas already? Sure, he’s done enough and it’s impressive. He might be Larry Bird, he might be Magic Johnson, but I don’t want to focus on that.
The fact is, Josh Allen and these Bills are exactly at the same spot those 1991 Bulls were when they finally were able to go through their opponents’ physicality, experience, savviness, and game plan to knock them out of their way with a 4-0 win in the East Finals. After being able to do so, the rest is history, as the Bulls started their dynasty, and Michael Jordan wrote his movie-like GOAT resume.
The early struggles become the necessary growth
The Bills have been through it. Their first playoff game against the Chiefs wasn’t really close. But then, with Allen looking like “His Airness” on the field, the Bills were closer, and last year very close again.
The opponent’s game plans, experience, and quality obviously played a role in those losses. They’re champions, after all, and they’ve been in those situations more often.
Also, there has always been crucial injuries, some critical mistakes on the field, and a lack of support from teammates and coaching staff. Every time, something has kept Josh Allen, despite his MJ-like playoffs takeovers, away from the Super Bowl.
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Those made me start questioning back in 2022 if Sean McDermott isn’t to Josh Allen what Doug Collins was to Jordan. Collins was a well-respected coach, liked and supported by Jordan (just like McDermott is by Allen), but that had to be replaced so those Bulls could — under a bold replacement choice back in the day in Phil Jackson — finally take the next step and achieve their goals.
It’s no secret that Josh Allen’s development has gone quicker than Sean McDermott’s. However, I can’t close my eyes to all the steps in the right direction that McDermott has taken recently.
He’s a well-established top-five regular-season NFL coach, in my opinion. There’s a reason this team didn’t miss a beat in regular-season play even though losing several former important pieces, while replacing them dealing with several cap limitations.
Having Josh Allen helps but, again, nobody can do it alone. McDermott knows how to build a team and how to lead a group of men without allowing them to lose focus during the season’s 18 weeks.
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
In the playoffs, though, that’s where his biggest mistakes have happened in the past. Over-managing, overthinking some decisions, panicking under pressure and making the wrong choices, losing pre-game battles with poor playoff game plans, getting scared and ultra-conservative on defense when holding a lead… the list goes on and on.
It’s undeniable that we’ve seen all those things happen with McDermott in the playoffs, but I can also see growth. I can see a head coach who wasn’t afraid of changing some experienced, long-time coordinators and coaches on his staff, looking for improvement.
McDermott became an open-minded head coach willing to add a former official to help with the challenges’ decisions. A defensive guru who understood that, even though he still has a lot of saying on the defensive side of the ball (as he does on offense and special teams as well), he’d better give his up-and-coming new defensive coordinator the play-calling duties so he could focus on being the best HC he could be.
Even Ty Dunne’s infamous piece from last season, seen by some as overly negative, ended up being helpful as McDermott showed humility enough to evaluate some of the criticism there and change for the better. There’s no doubt in my mind the change in defensive behavior in late game drives happening after that piece was published wasn’t coincidence.
On the cusp of greatness
These Bills didn’t fire their HC to get past their archenemies. Instead, I want to believe McDermott has evolved enough with the previous losses to now, finally, help his MJ to get over the hump.
Plus, if the Collins to Jackson upgrade is on McDermott’s development, we can’t ignore another similarity here. Jackson brought with him as an assistant coach, Tex Winter, the creator of the famous “Triangle offense”.
Those schemes decreased Michael Jordan’s usage on the offensive side of the ball, moving the ball around and making MJ trust his teammates more, and allowing him to be more rested in crunch time.
McDermott has made a similar move at offensive coordinator, adding Joe Brady. And guess what happened? The Bills’ offense stopped depending on Josh Allen’s Superman skills all the time and created an identity outside of it.
Now the OL is physical enough to enter every game believing they can establish the run, no matter the opponent. The passing game has a group of selfless weapons, willing to share the targets and the snaps, always ready to contribute when their number is called.
Buffalo’s offense has an alternative to take away the pressure off Allen, just like the triangle offense did for MJ. Jordan’s points-per-game averages dropped in those schemes, but his efficiency jumped and the titles finally happened. The same might be about to happen with Allen.
The time to shine is now
There’s no doubt it’s a big game for McDermott, even bigger than it is for Allen. We know Buffalo’s MJ can play at his absolute best when needed the most. It’s time for McDermott to be more Phil Jackson and less Doug Collins. For a Scottie Pippen, a Horace Grant, a B.J. Armstrong, and a Bill Cartwright to emerge and do their part so Josh Allen can lead them.
Photo by Jon Soohoo/NBAE via Getty Images
The opportunity is there, those Bad Boys are still dangerous but they’re beatable. If the Bills can get the job done, they might be on the cusp of something better than Bills Mafia’s wildest dreams.
Getting back to the Super Bowl might just be the beginning. The Bills will be in a position to start a dynasty as well, with the young coaching staff already having experienced a Super Bowl win. The cap situation will be better after winning it all in a “soft rebuild” season. The sky would be the limit and it all can be attached to getting the job done tomorrow.
It’s time. The legend of Josh Allen might be just beginning. Simply “Like Mike.”
There will be a time when we look back and say:
‘How lucky were we?’
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