For years, the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl case has been quite straightforward. If reigning MVP Josh Allen is upright, mobile, and doing Josh Allen things, Buffalo can beat anyone. That assumption, though, is now under real stress. Over the past two weeks, Allen has looked noticeably less explosive, less improvisational, and far more confined to the pocket. The Bills are still dangerous, of course. However, Allen is managing a foot injury that is clearly limiting what makes him special. As such, Buffalo’s championship ceiling suddenly feels fragile in a way it hasn’t in years.
A loss that exposed everything
The Bills fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 13-12 on Christmas Day in a slugfest that felt more like a playoff grinder than a holiday showcase. Buffalo’s offense was stuck in neutral for most of the afternoon. The Bills failed to reach the end zone until the fourth quarter. Even then, they never truly seized control. An early blocked extra point loomed large. It forced Buffalo into a late-game two-point attempt for the win. That conversion failed and sealed a narrow defeat.
The numbers told a sobering story. Buffalo punted six times, lost an Allen fumble just outside the red zone, and turned the ball over on downs at the Eagles’ 3-yard line. Despite flashes from Brandin Cooks and Tyrell Shavers downfield, the Bills struggled to finish drives. Philadelphia’s defense consistently collapsed the pocket. They sacked Allen five times and dared Buffalo to win without its quarterback’s legs. The result left the Bills’ playoff fate unsettled heading into the season finale. It also raised uncomfortable questions about Allen’s health at the worst possible time.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss why Allen's foot injury is clearly an issue, and it could be what costs the Bills a Super Bowl.
Foot injury limits what makes him elite
This wasn’t just a bad game. It was a different Josh Allen. The MVP we’ve come to know thrives on controlled chaos. He scrambles to extend plays and turns broken pockets into explosives. Against Philadelphia, that element was almost entirely absent.
Allen rushed just twice for eight yards. He recorded zero first downs on the ground and attempted his passes from inside the pocket. That last stat marked the first time in his career that Allen attempted 20-plus passes in a game without scrambling even once. This wasn’t schematic coincidence, though. It was necessity. Buffalo clearly didn’t want, or trust, Allen to move.
Yes, he powered in two short-yardage rushing touchdowns on tush-push plays. That said, the explosive, improvisational threat that bends coverage rules simply wasn’t there. When Allen isn’t that player, Buffalo’s offense becomes far easier to defend.
Production drop impossible to ignore
Allen has publicly downplayed the severity of the injury. The tape tells a different story, though. Allen has gone two consecutive weeks without a passing touchdown. That hasn't happened since 2020. Meanwhile, his sack total has ballooned to a career-worst 40 on the season. Defenses have collapsed on a quarterback who can’t escape as easily.
Even the run game hasn’t been able to compensate. James Cook, the league’s rushing leader, was held to 74 yards on 20 carries by the Eagles. Without Allen’s scrambling to tilt numbers in the box, Buffalo’s ground attack loses its schematic advantage. Everything tightens. Everything becomes harder.
NFL insiders aren’t dismissing it
This isn’t just outside noise. Ian Rapoport confirmed the injury is real and ongoing.
“Two weeks in a row of getting X-rays on his foot, two weeks in a row of limping after the game,” Rapoport said. “That is a thing at least certainly worth us talking about.”
Rapoport added that Allen is expected to be available. Of course, availability isn’t the same as effectiveness. With nothing officially at stake in Week 18 against the New York Jets, Buffalo faces a delicate decision. Will they rest Allen and risk rust, or play him and risk aggravation? Neither option is clean. Both carry January consequences.
Could cost Buffalo a Super Bowl
The Bills can survive a cold shooting night. They can survive a turnover or two. What they cannot survive is a compromised Josh Allen in a postseason bracket loaded with elite pass rushers and disciplined defenses. Playoff football demands late-down creativity and quarterback-driven problem solving. That’s Allen’s domain, but only when he is healthy.
If Allen can’t escape pressure, can’t threaten defenses with his legs, and can’t force linebackers to hesitate, Buffalo’s margin for error evaporates. The Bills become good instead of terrifying. And in January, that distinction is everything.
Buffalo is still alive, dangerous, and capable of a deep run. That said, their Super Bowl hopes now hinge less on matchups and more on medical reports. Josh Allen doesn’t need to be perfect. He just needs to be himself. If the foot prevents that, the Bills’ championship window may slam shut not with a collapse, but with a limp.
