ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) 鈥� Bills tight end Dawson Knox wasn鈥檛 surprised to hear about Josh Allen accepting the blame for Buffalo鈥檚 sudden offensive trouble.
What Knox wanted to make clear following practice on Wednesday is how unfair it is for the quarterback to shoulder the entire load.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got the weight of the whole city on his back, and he takes the losses very harshly. But it鈥檚 on all of us,鈥� the sixth-year player said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 plays I wish I had back blocking-wise. There鈥檚 routes I could have done better. I guarantee you, everybody on this team would say there鈥檚 stuff they regret,鈥� Knox added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what makes him such a great leader. He does take responsibility for the loss. But it鈥檚 definitely not just on him.鈥�
While there's plenty of blame to go around, what鈥檚 not in question is that an efficient offensive attack that has been stymied during two straight losses.
And things don鈥檛 get easier, with Buffalo preparing to face the Jets (2-3) on Monday night, and a New York defence that has limited the Bills to 20 or fewer points three times in splitting the past four meetings.
鈥淲hen you lose two games, there鈥檚 always going to be a concern, but inside this building, there鈥檚 not. Inside this building, we believe in who we have,鈥� offensive co-ordinator Joe Brady said Monday. 鈥淭he sky hasn鈥檛 fallen.鈥�
It just seems that way, especially following .
Coach Sean McDermott put the ball in Allen鈥檚 hands with the game tied at 20 with 32 seconds left. The quarterback threw three straight incompletions out of his end zone, allowing the Texans to get the ball back in time to run one play and set up Ka鈥檌mi Fairbairn鈥檚 59-yard field goal as the clock expired.
"I鈥檝e got supreme trust (in McDermott)," Allen said of a coach who was second-guessed for not attempting to run and drain the Texans of their timeouts. 鈥淎nd it says a lot of how much trust he has in me down there in that situation, and I鈥檝e got to find a way to convert."
The incompletions capped an outing in which Allen finished 9 of 30 to post the lowest completion percentage of his career.
Slow starts have become an issue. After outscoring its first three opponents by a combined 68-27 in the first half, Buffalo has been outscored 31-6 in the opening 30 minutes of its past two outings.
First-down production is down, with the Bills combining for 28 in their past two games after totaling 51 in their first three.
Allen鈥檚 numbers have plummeted. After combining for nine touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) in the first three weeks, he's managed one TD passing the past two.
Allen also is coming off two of the worst games of his seven-year career. His 42 yards passing in the first half of matched the second-lowest of his career.
鈥淲ell, I鈥檝e got to be better,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淛ust making sure we鈥檙e on the same page, and it starts with the quarterback. That鈥檚 on me.鈥�
Allen began the season with a retooled receiver group featuring three free agent additions, rookie Keon Coleman and third-year player Khalil Shakir.
Allen effectively spread the ball in opening the season with 10 players having at least two catches through three outings. At Houston on Sunday, with Shakir sidelined by a right ankle injury, Buffalo receivers caught four of 18 targets.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no doubt there is a concern,鈥� McDermott said. 鈥淭hat said, I鈥檓 confident in those guys, confident that we can put them in positions and use their talents and their potential.鈥�
Allen, on Wednesday, acknowledged he鈥檚 still in the discovery stage with the newcomers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to know everybody,鈥� he said, before maintaining his confidence in the group.
鈥淲e鈥檝e shown it before, the first couple of weeks and had a great training camp,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淚 got no doubt and I got a lot of trust in these guys.鈥�
Notes: McDermott said safety Taylor Rapp has been cleared from the concussion protocol after missing one game. ... Shakir, DT Ed Oliver (hamstring), RB James Cook (foot/toe) and WR Curtis Samuel (foot) did not practice. ... RB Darrynton Evans (hamstring), who opened the season on IR, resumed practicing in opening a three-week window for the fourth-year player to be activated.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
