Josh Allen says he knows where he needs to improve as Bills prepare for playoff opener vs. Jags

What stood out most, Allen said upon returning to practice Wednesday, were the plays he missed.

“You’re sitting there like, ‘God, I stink.’ It’s like, ‘What am I thinking here? What am I doing?’” he said with a laugh.

Allen was hardly that bad.

The eighth-year starter and reigning MVP finished second among quarterbacks with 39 touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing) and led five fourth-quarter comebacks — two when trailing by double digits. At 29, he became the NFL’s first player to have a hand in 300 touchdowns before turning 30.

Nevertheless, Allen's self-scouting was beneficial in showing areas where the perfectionist QB can improve ahead of the playoffs. Buffalo (12-5) visits AFC South champion Jacksonville (13-4) in a wild-card game on Sunday.

For Allen, there’s footwork to address. He saw times where he forced passes instead of checking it down to an open receiver. And he took a career-high 40 sacks, reminding him of the benefits of throwing the ball away.

Allen practiced fully for the first time since hurting his right foot in a 23-20 win at Cleveland on Dec. 21. He'll be facing a Jaguars defense that ranked first against the run and finished second in the NFL with 22 interceptions.

“Every team that we’re playing here on out is a good team and it’s no different this week,” Allen said. “I have this extra emphasis on points are at a premium in the playoffs and just trying to do everything I can to give us points."

There’s plenty on the line for Allen and a Bills team has fallen short in the playoffs over the past six years.

Allen has a 7-6 postseason record and has advanced to the AFC championship game twice, both losses to Kansas City. The Bills are also 0-5 on the road in seven playoff appearances since coach Sean McDermott took over, starting with a 10-3 loss at Jacksonville in the 2017 wild-card round, a year before Allen's arrival.

Not including two neutral-site Super Bowl losses, the Bills have lost eight straight road playoff games since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game. That skid is the NFL’s second-longest behind the Detroit Lions, who have dropped 12 straight postseason road games.

“We’re not focused on what’s happened in the past,” Allen said. “Our job is to play the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 o’clock on Sunday, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

In 13 playoff games, Allen has averaged 258 yards passing, combined for 33 touchdowns (25 passing, seven rushing and one receiving) and turned the ball over six times, with four interceptions and two lost fumbles.

“This is how he is every year at this time of year. He’s very dialed in, very focused,” McDermott said.

It was coordinator Joe Brady’s idea to have Allen spend last week studying video.

“I thought it was something to put on his radar, just to refresh some things,” Brady said.

“I thought he did an outstanding job of being honest and truthful,” he added. “I think it helped both physically and mentally.”

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