Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was criticized for exiting the loss to the New England Patriots as he only featured on Sunday to extend his streak.
On Sunday, the Bills – who rested a number of key starters in preparation for the playoffs – lost 23-16 to the New England Patriots. The game proved to be Jerod Mayo’s last as Patriots head coach, with Joe Milton leading the franchise to a win that ultimately cost them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Allen led the Bills onto the field and made his 105th consecutive start – and 115th successive start including playoffs. The streak is by far the longest active Iron Man streak among NFL quarterbacks and is undoubtedly impressive.
Throughout the week in the leadup to the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott stated Allen wouldn’t play the entirety of the clash against the Pats given the AFC East champions were already locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC. But he didn’t even come close to playing the whole game, running to the sideline after a quick handoff to James Cook.
After officially starting the game and extending his streak, Allen rushed off to make way for Mitch Trubisky. Trubisky completed 15 of 21 passes for 101 yards and a score as the Bills came up short against the Pats.
Allen’s record is the longest active streak in the NFL – more than double the next closest streak that belongs to Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff – and 13th longest in league history. It’s understandable that both he and the Bills would want to keep the streak alive and not have it snapped by a meaningless game, but some fans saw the move through a cynical lens.
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“A bull—- start for Josh Allen. Classic stat-padding,” wrote one fan on social media. Another posted: “Josh Allen stat padding with that handoff.”
“Starting for one play is crazy,” another said. One fan lamented the streak, writing: “Lame. Should have to play an entire quarter.”
When Allen left the field, he officially called time on his MVP bid. Allen finished the season with 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions on 63.6 percent completion along with a 101.4 rating.
Allen is battling two-time winner Lamar Jackson for the 2024 NFL MVP award. Jackson has enjoyed a terrific season in his own right, throwing for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns to just four interceptions while rushing for 915 yards.
Allen’s Bills are set to take on the No. 7 Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in the NFL wildcard round on Sunday, Jan. 12.
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