Buffalo's in the playoffs for the seventh straight season. As the Bills get ready to take on the Jaguars in Jacksonville for the Wild Card Round, take a look at the latest quotes, notes and stats.
Josh Allen takes time to reap the benefits of self-scouting
After taking a breather in Week 18, quarterback Josh Allen had time to reflect and self-scout on the 2025 season ahead of the playoffs.
While it was a new practice to his postseason preparation from previous seasons, Allen said it helped him understand that film is never as good or as bad as he thinks and that he should trust himself and his teammates around him.
"Just trusting reads, trusting feet, trusting eyes, trusting my teammates. I think that's what it kind of comes down to," Allen said. "As we get into the playoffs, it was a very helpful exercise to do."
That trust also comes from understanding when to keep plays alive and when to make the smart move in front of him to leave the next chunk of yards up to the next down. Allen said there's a big difference, even if it's just three yards on paper, between a second-and-seven and a second-and-10.
"Throughout the regular season you get into this mold of just like we have more games, I can try to squeeze this one in and see how it goes. And obviously in the playoffs, those are premium drives and you can't really risk too much," Allen said. "You want to go out there and make the play that's to be made."
Allen has made lots of plays when the stakes are high in the postseason. He's about to play in his 14th playoff game and currently averages the most total yards per game in NFL playoff history at 311. Allen has 33 total touchdowns to just four interceptions in the playoffs. He's also heading into the Wild Card Round with a pretty good record in the first round of the postseason with five wins and just one loss, which ties for most wins all-time.
Vets pass their wisdom down to the youngsters
Not every NFL player gets to experience the playoffs, including great players. The Bills veterans make sure to emphasize that to the younger guys to appreciate the opportunity and make the most of it. Offensive tackle Spencer Brown reminds the rookies and younger players to enjoy the moment they're in.
"We talked to the rookies and tell them, one, this doesn't happen everywhere. It's really hard to make the playoffs – and a lot of guys, veterans included, haven't even made the playoffs before. So, we want to tell the rookie and let them know how big of a deal it is," fullback Reggie Gilliam said. "[But at the same time], you don't want to make it too big … just keep doing what you've been doing all year, and we'll be just fine."
One of those veterans playing in his first playoff game is special teamer and safety Sam Franklin Jr. Franklin spent his first five NFL seasons with the Panthers before coming to Buffalo this offseason.
"I'm excited. It's my first time ever being in the playoffs," Franklin said. "I just want to come out and start the fire. Just help the fire continue to go as we go through these playoffs. We have one mindset. I don't think nobody's too worried. We just want to win one game at a time, one play at a time."
Franklin and his teammates understand the importance of keeping themselves even keeled. Allen keeps things consistent from the regular season into the postseason and tries not to let the high emotions of the playoffs override his training and preparation. Tight end Dawson Knox agreed, saying that you fall back on your hard work leading up to game day, going all the way back to training camp and OTAs. It's not about perfection; it's about consistency and trust.
"We're not doing anything extra in terms of preparation. We feel like throughout the year, this is how we prepare. This is how we try to win football games. You may spend a little longer watching certain looks in terms of what they can do to you and trying to clean things up on our end," Allen said. "But I think the process is the process; and the standard that we have is the standard. So, we're not trying to change a whole lot, just the mindset of going in there being ready to play."
The standard in Buffalo is always the same, no matter what time of year it is and no matter who the opponent is. Gilliam said that standard is always playoff-level football. This time around, the only difference is the Bills know it's win or go home.
Vote for Christian Benford and Dion Dawkins
CB Christian Benford and LT Dion Dawkins are up for the NFLPA's Alan Page Community Award. Benford was the NFLPA's Community Winner for Week 13 when he hosted 300 local families for a Thanksgiving celebration through his 47 Hearts Foundation. Dawkins was named the NFLPA's Community Winner for Week 10 when he treated three local classes to all-expenses-paid field trips through his Dion's Dreamers Foundation.
Vote for the two to be named finalists for the NFLPA's Alan Page Community Award by clicking here.
