Getty
Falcons’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich admitted that preparing for Josh Allen and the Bills has been a tall task
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen isn’t thrilled to see his division rival playing in the Super Bowl, though did have a surprising message on the team’s coach.
The Bills fell short of the Super Bowl again this year, losing to the Denver Broncos in a crushing divisional-round loss in overtime. The Broncos went on to lose to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, a stunning turnaround for the Patriots just one season after they were one of the league’s worst teams.
Allen spoke about New England’s surprise run to the Super Bowl this week, sharing a sobering message but including some love for head coach Mike Vrabel.
Tough Super Bowl for Josh Allen
Speaking to CBS, Allen said he doesn’t think there will be any Bills fans pulling for rival New England in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. But Allen did make it clear that he respects the rival players — and has some special affinity for their second-year head coach.
“As a Bill and a Bills fan, I don’t know if anyone is going to be rooting for the Pats,” Allen said. “With that being said, I’ve got so much love and respect for a lot of guys on that team, coach Vrabel included. He’s a fantastic coach. He’s a fantastic person.”
The Patriots snapped Buffalo’s five-year streak of AFC East titles this season, beating the Bills in October and grabbing a division lead that they maintained through the end of the season, even after the Bills pulled off a 21-point comeback to win the second meeting between the teams.
The Bills entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, going on the road to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars — the first road playoff win of Allen’s career — before falling short against the Broncos.
The Patriots earned the No. 2 seed and a relatively smooth path to the Super Bowl, taking out two offensively challenged teams in the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans before beating a Broncos team that had lost quarterback Bo Nix in the previous week as he suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the closing seconds against the Bills.
Josh Allen Made His Preference Clear
Allen does have a strong rooting interest in this year’s Super Bowl, saying he is pulling for longtime friend Sam Darnold and the Seahawks. Allen and Darnold both came into the NFL in the star-studded draft class of 2018, with Darnold the second quarterback off the board in the draft and Allen the third.
Darnold bounced around the league before a career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings last year, though they allowed him to leave in free agency and hitched their wagon to J.J. McCarthy.
Darnold then signed with the Seahawks, leading them to a 14-win season and a trip to the Super Bowl.
“He’s just continued to work hard,” Allen said in an appearance on “First Things First.” “He’s been at a few different stops and obviously got his opportunity last year in Minnesota. They let him go, and now he’s playing in the Super Bowl for the Seattle Seahawks. So he’s worked extremely hard for it. And again, I’ve got nothing but love and respect for Sammy D, and I’ll be cheering and pulling for him hard.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
More Heavy on Bills
Loading more stories