Allen applauds Bills bouncing back from ‘adversity’ after OC change

Quarterback Josh Allen is confident that the Buffalo Bills found their spark by defeating the New York Jets in a 32-6 rout Sunday. The win came less than one week after the team fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.

“Every season, man, has its ups and downs,” Allen said, according to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. “You’re going to have adversity. It’s how you bounce back from the adversity. And sometimes it takes a spark like this to ignite your team.

“I think our team was energetic as we needed to be and, you know, a lot of that, for better or worse, can come from the quarterback, so just making that a point of emphasis throughout the week,” Allen added.

Buffalo scored the most points in a game since its 48-20 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 4, and the contest marked Joe Brady’s first game as interim offensive coordinator.

Despite leading the league with 22 passing touchdowns through 11 games, Allen has the most interceptions thrown (12). The two-time Pro Bowler has been picked off in seven consecutive games.

But Allen shined in Week 11. He passed for 275 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in Sunday’s victory. The Bills’ signal-caller spread the ball to six different receivers, including Khalil Shakir, who chipped in with 115 yards and one score. Buffalo also added 130 yards on the ground in the win over its divisional rival.

“I saw a little bit more of (Allen’s) personality and our offense’s personality,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “And this is nothing about what had happened before with Coach Dorsey. It’s more of just us getting back to just an energy on offense and guys having some fun, and I thought the offensive staff did a real good job of shaping a game plan that the guys felt good about and could execute, and fundamentally I thought we did a good job with the line of scrimmage as well.”

The Bills’ defense also played a large part in the team’s victory. New York was unable to convert a single third-down conversion (0-11) and was limited to 155 total yards despite the Bills losing defensive backs Taylor Rapp (neck) and Taron Johnson (concussion) to injuries. Buffalo also forced four turnovers, marking the first time in six outings that the team had fewer turnovers than its opponent.

Buffalo will hit the road against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12.