The NFL is heading into the final week of the regular season, and the playoff landscape is largely set, although it is missing perennial powerhouses like the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. The Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and Seattle Seahawks emerge as the leading contenders to dethrone the Philadelphia Eagles. Former Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark believes one AFC quarterback is under the most pressure to deliver for his team.
Ryan Clark Names Josh Allen As QB Under the Most Pressure in the Playoffs
Allen has been impressive for several years in Buffalo, consistently leading the team to the playoffs before falling short against elite competition, such as the Chiefs or Bengals. This season, with those teams and potentially the Baltimore Ravens out of the picture, Allen has a prime opportunity to win a Super Bowl for the first time.
However, the reigning MVP had one of his worst outings of the season on Sunday against the Eagles, missing a wide-open Khalil Shakir on a critical two-point conversion in the final minute. Clark believes that plays like this will define Allen’s playoff success and put him under immense pressure.
“The last drive is exactly what Josh Allen is up against,” Clark said. “There’s no quarterback in the entire NFL who will have more pressure heading into the playoffs.
“You are the guy now. He’s among the quarterbacks who are uncriticizable…but he has to make that play. If they want to win a Super Bowl, which is the expectation coming into the season, he’s going to have to make multiple plays like that.”
Allen, who has been in MVP-caliber form throughout the season and ranks 2nd in PFSN’s QB Impact metric, struggled with a turnover on Sunday and failed to deliver when the defense gave him an opportunity. Clark stressed that a player of Allen’s caliber, alongside the likes of Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes, must make these critical plays in the postseason.
After the game, Allen accepted responsibility for the missed throw. “Yeah, I just missed. Rolling left, I’ve got to get him a better ball,” he said.
“It just comes down to us executing, making one more play than they did. And obviously you saw that we didn’t make that last play,” he added, before correcting himself. “I didn’t make that last play.”
Buffalo’s defense has been a concern throughout the season, but has improved in recent weeks, now ranking 14th in PFSN’s Defensive Impact metric. With one of the league’s top offenses, Allen can’t afford to miss critical passes in the playoffs, and many feel it’s now or never for the Bills to win the Super Bowl.
