Josh Allen struggles to find rhythm in Bills' disheartening loss to Steelers
It was a rocky — and, arguably, unexpected — start to the season for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The Bills fell at home to the Steelers 23-16, shutting out Pittsburgh 10-0 in the first half before allowing the Steelers to rally back and steal a road win.
Allen, who recently signed a six-year contract extension worth $258 million, attempted a career-high 51 passes in Sunday's matchup, completing 30 of them for 270 yards with a passer rating of 79.1. He had just one touchdown and two fumbles on the day.
The accuracy wasn't there, as he struggled to find targets down the field and while under pressure in the pocket.
The fourth-year QB missed several receivers on plays that could have changed the momentum of the game, including a blown third-down conversion on a pass that was thrown at the feet of Cole Beasley and missed connection with receiver Emmanuel Sanders on a deep ball in the first quarter.
Entering the season, the Bills are among the favorites to win the AFC, but Sunday's performance might be worrisome for Buffalo fans.
If you ask Nick Wright, it's a no-brainer.
On Monday's "First Things First," Wright explained why he believes the Bills have a long road ahead if they hope to be Super Bowl contenders this year.
"With great power comes great responsibility," Wright said. "Josh Allen … did not live up to the responsibility [on Sunday] for the trendy Super Bowl pick Buffalo Bills.
"You can't become the highest-paid player, second-highest paid player in the history of the league and in your first game — against a team where you're a touchdown favorite that people have projected to miss the playoffs this year — blow a 10-point halftime lead and do nothing in the second half."
For more up-to-date news on all things Bills, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
In his postgame interview, the 25-year-old acknowledged his shortcomings Sunday and pledged to perform better in the coming weeks.
"As we move forward, we got to find ways to execute and get the ball to the playmakers," Allen said. "I got to trust my guys and got to put the ball where they can make a play.
"I wish we could have put on a better show for the fans. Obviously, that’s not how they wanted it, nor us. So hopefully that next game we’ll be able to give them something they like."
Allen is 9-2 in his past 11 regular-season games, and he has 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions in that time. He completed at least 70% of his passes in six of those games.
But as Wright outlined, with great ability — and a great contract — comes great expectations.
Allen will have the chance to redeem himself this weekend, when the Bills head to Miami to take on the Dolphins on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
For more up-to-date news on all things NFL, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
