Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen discusses preparations for the Kansas City Chiefs
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00:00Say it again?
00:01Big game?
00:02Yeah.
00:03This week?
00:04Yeah.
00:05It's a Week 11 game.
00:06It's no bigger and no less than the last ten games that we've had and that's, I know the
00:11media perception and the fan perception and what this game means, but for us it's just
00:17Week 11 for us.
00:18The last four games you guys have played, I think they've been all one score games.
00:23Why is it that you two, I mean we know that two good teams play, but why do you two, these
00:28two teams play such close games?
00:30I think, you know, it's, you look at their squad, their roster, the sustained success
00:37that they've had, obviously I think it starts top down with them.
00:41Their head coach, their quarterback, their defensive coordinator, guys that are all really
00:47dang good at what they do.
00:49Anytime you're going against a quarterback like Pat, you've got to make sure that on
00:52the offensive side of the ball, you're doing everything right.
00:55So, again, that's all we're trying to do is just have a good week of practice and then
00:59just try to go out there and execute against a really good defense on Sunday.
01:02It's just Week 11, we were talking to Sean about that mindset too, and he was saying
01:06how it's important for the team to have some normalcy during a week like this.
01:10How do you see that?
01:11Like why is it important to have kind of just a normal week?
01:14Just continuing to trust the process, not changing anything, because there's no need
01:19to.
01:20You know, what we're doing in house here, the way that we're practicing, the way that
01:24we're talking to each other, we're just going to keep trusting that.
01:28You know, it's gotten us to 8-2 this far.
01:31We're always looking to improve and get better, but we're not going to try to change
01:35everything we're doing for another game.
01:50Yeah, I mean, again, I'm just trying to execute the offense at the highest potential
01:53that I can and trust in what Joe's calling and going out there with the other 10 guys
01:57on the field and trusting them and just trying to put our best foot forward.
02:01Back on the practice field, different side of the ball, but what does that mean
02:05to your team?
02:06Do you feel that boost in the locker room?
02:08Absolutely.
02:09Can't commend him enough for how he's handled the situation, the type of leader
02:13that he's been inside our locker room.
02:16Obviously, he's been traveling on away trips and staying in the ears of guys,
02:21but to have that type of veteran leadership, again, for a guy that's been through
02:25quite a bit the last couple years, injury-wise, and never has he put his head down
02:30or said, poor me.
02:31He's continued to work extremely hard.
02:34I'm very excited for his return because he deserves it.
02:38What stands out about Steve Spagnuolo's defensive style, and is this a harder week
02:45for you pass protection-wise, preparation-wise?
02:48I think they do a great job of switching the looks that they're giving.
02:51Obviously, we know about Chris Jones.
02:54He's a game wrecker, one of the best, if not the best, interior D linemen
02:59in the game right now.
03:00You pair that up with some of their DBs and linebackers.
03:03They're flying all over the field.
03:04They got guys that are really gap sound in the run game as well.
03:08So, again, we're going to have our hands full.
03:10This is a very good unit that we're about to face, and we're just, again,
03:14just trying to have a good week of practice and go out there
03:16and execute on Sunday.
03:18Do you ever break a huddle when you hope that the defense brings a blitz?
03:22I mean, yeah, you call certain plays sometimes to try to entice them
03:26to bring something, and that's just, I guess, game planning 101,
03:31and I think Joe's been doing a good job of that this year.
03:33And, you know, still early in the week, it's Wednesday,
03:36haven't gotten to third downs, haven't gotten to red zone
03:38or anything like that yet, and that'll be later today
03:40in the next couple days.
03:43Again, just trust in what we're seeing, trust in our base rules.
03:47You know, when you play a team that does so many different things
03:50and they do it well, you have to kind of rely on what you did
03:54in training camp and trusting your base rules.
03:57And, you know, you have to remember a lot of things around the football field,
04:01you know, from O-line to receivers to tight ends to running backs to me
04:05and making sure we're on point with our calls and, again,
04:09just making sure we're all on the same page.
04:11Have you been bumping into other players in the offseason?
04:13Did you bump it up in the homes at all this offseason?
04:16This offseason I didn't.
04:19No.
04:21Actually, we saw each other quick spot golfing.
04:26He usually plays in that American Century Golf Tournament in Tahoe.
04:30Every year he didn't do it this year, but got to see Trav.
04:34So, yeah, we've spent a few days around each other
04:38in the last few offseasons.
04:40I got so much respect for both those guys,
04:42but Pat especially the way he handles himself off the field
04:45and we all know what type of player he is when he's on the field.
04:47So, he's one of the great ones.
04:50What do you say if you look at your numbers in head-to-head meetings
04:55between you and Patrick, they're virtually the same.
04:58What does that – and they're very good –
05:01what does that say about you being the two main –
05:04Well, I know we haven't beat them in the playoffs,
05:06so that's the only thing that kind of matters.
05:09Patrick, you said take it as every other game is the same, all the same.
05:13Seven years in the league, that would seem to be easier
05:17to think that way and do that way.
05:19Did you have to learn that in this league
05:21and did people help you to say this game is like every other game
05:25no matter who you were meeting and who you were playing?
05:27You know, it's just when you come out from college,
05:30every – well, used to be I guess.
05:32Every game mattered in college.
05:35I didn't go to a big school, so that didn't really matter to me.
05:38So, I guess I was ahead of the curve.
05:40But typically when guys come out of college and they get here
05:44and every game is the biggest game, which is the way that we approach it.
05:49Every game is the biggest game because it's the next one.
05:52But again, times to press, times not to press.
05:56Knowing when to do that obviously was a learned trait
05:58and being able to see that from guys in front of me,
06:01whether it was Derek Anderson or learning from vets, Kyle Williams,
06:05Micah Hyde, Jordan Poirier, guys of that nature
06:08who have been in this league for a long time and played at a high level.
06:11So, again, just talking and trusting what they're saying
06:14and what they're talking about.
06:16And then again, just relying on the leadership with Coach McDermott
06:19and our offensive coordinators.
06:21Now you're one of those guys.
06:23How much does that have to be with the young –
06:25because you've got some young guys that have not been through a game
06:29while we're all the same that's getting this much attention
06:31playing the Super Bowl champs.
06:33Do you have to and the other vets have to relay that to those players
06:36or do you think they know it already?
06:38I think they get the sense of how our locker room operates
06:41and the guys that we have in there.
06:44Again, I think we've got a lot of young guys that are very smart
06:48and they see what's going on in front of them.
06:50So don't have to worry too much about it,
06:52but it's not the worst thing to give them a friendly reminder.
06:54Micah, have you talked to him this season at all
06:57and checking in with him and his thoughts on you guys?
07:00I've talked to him a little bit, checked in with him a little bit.
07:02Love that guy and I don't know what you want me to say there.
07:07He's been a big part of things for so long
07:10and he said the only team he would come back to play for is the Bills.
07:13Just checking in and that kind of out there,
07:16if he might come back eventually?
07:18Yeah, that would be great.
07:20But depending on – I don't know what you want me to say.
07:25I don't have any thoughts or worries about it.
07:27I think our guys are, especially on the defensive side of the ball,
07:30are playing really fantastic football right now.
07:33But if there was an opportunity that arose to have him back,
07:37I think everybody in this locker room would welcome him with open arms.
07:40What do you like about what Matt Collins has done
07:42in another good game against Indianapolis?
07:44Yeah, I've said this for a while.
07:46He's kind of the unsung hero of this offense.
07:48The mentality that he has goes in there and blocks for receivers,
07:53he blocks for running backs.
07:55He's going there and blocking linebackers, safeties, corners,
07:58doing whatever he's asked to do.
08:00And then when the ball's been going his way, he's been catching it.
08:03We're happy to have him.
08:06Very fortunate to play with a guy like that.
08:08He's got so much juice and so much energy
08:10and it's infectious for our entire team.
08:12What makes Kansas City's run defense so good?
08:15Well, again, I think they're smart football players.
08:17I think Spags dials up really good pressures in run situations.
08:23But I guess it comes down to the Jimmies and Joes,
08:25the guys that they got in that front in their linebacker core.
08:28They play extremely hard.
08:30They play to the whistle.
08:32It's a very, very well-coached group.
08:34How has he been in the defense, Taren,
08:36being named AFC defensive player for the first time in his career?
08:39What does he mean to the team?
08:42He's been fantastic.
08:44We've known this for a long time.
08:46We've got the best star in the league.
08:49He proves it each and every day at practice.
08:51The way he communicates with the defense.
08:54But, again, he's just a guy that's always been consistent.
08:57We've been here together for our entire careers.
08:59So, again, very fortunate to play with a guy like him.
09:02And he's a great guy.
09:05He really is.
09:06I think off the field that guys can feel that,
09:08the love that he has for his teammates.
09:10He's always a joy to be around.
09:12When it comes to adaptability and your adaptability
09:15to what is presented and what your offense's strengths and weaknesses are,
09:20how would you assess that this season so far?
09:23Yeah, I think I still would like to complete the ball at a higher percentage.
09:29Turned it over the last couple games a few too many times.
09:33But, again, sitting here at 8-2,
09:36trying not to get complacent with just that record.
09:39We're trying to focus more on the process and the results.
09:42There's things that we're doing each and every week,
09:44trying to improve, whether it's how I'm throwing the ball mechanically,
09:48where I'm putting the ball for our receivers,
09:51watching as much film as possible
09:53so that I can have really good communication and conversations with Joe and RC
09:57and just try to make sure that our offense is running at a high level.
10:02Mahomes becoming an annual thing, and obviously, like you said,
10:05one game at a time, I know that's your approach.
10:07Is there any moment as someone who appreciates the game
10:09and the significance of these matchups that you like,
10:11maybe once you're there at the game, the magnitude of games like this?
10:16With you and Mahomes obviously on opposite ends going against each other.
10:18Yeah, I mean, I think, again, to be mentioned with him,
10:24obviously he's a three-time Super Bowl winner, multiple-time MVP,
10:30plays the game at such a high level,
10:32does some of the things that you don't see anybody else do.
10:35So to be mentioned with him is very cool from the football aspect of it.
10:39But, you know, I don't really get caught up in that too much.
10:42I just try to focus what I can do for the Buffalo Bills.
10:44Thanks, guys.