Josh Allen must improve on the road for the Bills to make a deep playoff run

If one were to look solely at statistics, it seems as if Josh Allen is having yet another strong season, as the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback has thrown 27 touchdown passes in 15 games. He’s also been a force as a runner, adding another 13 touchdowns on the ground.

But there are signs of problems as well.

The Bills, expected to again be an elite team, are sitting at 9-6, good for the No. 6 seed in the AFC, which isn’t bad considering Allen has had problems with turnovers. Not only has he thrown 15 interceptions, tied for the most in the league, but he’s also lost three of his four fumbles.

Then there’s the issue of Allen’s home and road splits. He has traditionally played about as well on the road as he has at home. His career quarterback rating at home is 93.3, compared to 91.8 on the road.

But the splits are much more dramatic this year, and that could mean trouble for a team that likely won’t be able to depend on home-field advantage.

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen
Buffalo was expected to get an easy victory this past Saturday night against a Los Angeles Chargers team that had fired coach Brandon Staley after giving up 63 points to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.

Despite playing on the road, Vegas oddsmakers still had the Bills, who were coming off a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys, as 12-point favorites.

Facing a defensive unit that allowed Aiden O’Connell to throw four touchdown passes in the first half a week ago, Allen only completed 15 total passes against the Chargers. The two-time Pro Bowler did throw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Davis but threw an interception as well.

JOSH ALLEN TO GABE DAVIS FOR A HUGE 57 YARD TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/VnoTln28Yx — JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 24, 2023
Running the football ball has been a key to Allen’s dominance over the years. Throughout his career, the quarterback has averaged 38.0 rushing yards per game but had just 15 on Saturday night. On a positive note, the quarterback did score two touchdowns on one- and two-yard runs.

To defeat a team that had just recently made a coaching change and was without its starting quarterback, as Justin Herbert is out for the remainder of the year, the Bills needed a field goal from Tyler Bass with 28 seconds left in the game to take a 24-22 win.

This is not an ideal outcome for a team expected to earn a blowout victory.

Josh Allen has been so much better at home than on the road this season
Both Allen and the Bills have been far better in Buffalo than they are away from home
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Allen is a quarterback who is built for any kind of weather. He has one of the best arms in NFL history and is able to cut through any conditions. And the fact that he can be such a devastating rusher also plays into his ability to win big games in Buffalo.

As mentioned, Allen has played so much better at home than on the road this season. In the friendly confines of Highmark Stadium, he’s completed 69.8% of his 245 passes, resulting in 18 touchdowns against only six interceptions. His passer rating at home has also been elite at 108.4.