'Can't Play Scared!' Josh Allen to Attack in Bills vs. Bengals Playoff
"We don't want to play scared.''
That is the credo of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, as he understands the consequences that come with being too reckless ... but also with being too careful.
The Cincinnati Bengals proved that one turnover can change everything when defensive end Sam Hubbard ended the Baltimore Ravens' hopes of advancing through the postseason on Sunday with an epic, go-ahead 98-yard fumble return touchdown in a 24-17 win.
Regardless, nothing is preventing Allen from continuing to let it fly when the two teams kickoff in the AFC Divisional at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
"You can't just try to eliminate every single turnover and play scared," Allen said. "You still have to be ... aggressive. We don't want to play scared at the end of the day."
If there's any quarterback that doesn't play scared, it's Allen. From his rugged running style to his air-attack mentality, fear is hardly a term thrown into his vicinity.
But despite leading one of the league's best offenses, he's often paid the price for trying to do too much.
Allen's aggressive play style is the reason he's consistently at the top of passing and quarterback rushing stat categories, but also the reason he's become susceptible to turnovers. In the regular season, he finished tied for second in interceptions (14) and fumbles (eight), though he only lost two of those cough-ups.
This continued in Sunday's 34-31 AFC Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins. Despite squeaking away from their division rivals to advance, it was some costly turnovers from Allen that allowed Miami to overcome a 17-0 deficit to take a 24-20 lead in the third quarter. He tossed a questionable downfield pass that was intercepted by Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard
This marked the first of three turnovers in five possessions for the Bills, the last of which saw Allen lose the ball on a sack, which Miami returned for a touchdown to take the lead early in the second half. The Bills recovered, but it's hole they likely should've never been in after leading by three possessions.
"There is a thin line between being aggressive and being a little reckless," Allen said. "So again, just getting back on the right side of that line and being smart, but not being conservative."
Allen now has three turnovers through one postseason game and is set to face to face a Bengals defense that was sixth in turnover differential during the regular season.
The Bills and Bengals are set to kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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