Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen addresses the media on Wednesday, as his team gets set to face the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Week 11 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. (Courtesy of the Buffalo Bills)
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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.