Bills Central

Bills' most overlooked playmaker might be the key to unlocking Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen look vastly different when he has a trusted pass-catcher to rely on.
Randy Gurzi|
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen at the line of scrimmage during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen at the line of scrimmage during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

During the Buffalo Bills' loss in Week 12 to the Houston Texans, Josh Allen was struggling to find any help on offense.

Khalil Shakir delivered his best performance of the year, which helped keep them in the game, but once again, Allen was left without enough playmakers. That led to one of his worst stat lines of the season, with the reigning NFL MVP going 24-of-34 for 253 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Worst of all, Allen was sacked eight times in the loss.

MORE: Bills considering unemployed former first-round pick as potential pass rush insurance

One player who would have made a difference for Allen is tight end Dalton Kincaid, who has been the most reliable weapon outside of Shakir. The numbers prove that having Kincaid in the lineup has been the key to unlocking Allen.

Bills Chat Podcast proved this by comparing Allen’s numbers in games with Kincaid to games without him. Allen is completing 71.7 percent of his attempts with a 13-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio with Kincaid. Without him, his completion percentage drops to 64.4, and Allen has five touchdowns and six interceptions.

Dalton Kincaid is Josh Allen's No. 1 option

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid makes a catch for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid makes a catch for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

A first-round pick out of Utah, Kincaid has emerged as a playmaker this season. In eight games, he has 29 receptions for 448 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. The main issue with Kincaid, however, is durability.

He missed four games in 2024 and was slowed by a knee injury throughout the season. This year, he's missed three games, and the results speak for themselves.

SIGN UP: Get Bills OnSI straight to your inbox (for free)

Those results also prove the front office is making a mistake in their approach to roster building. By asking Allen to elevate every player around him, rather than getting him a true star, they're holding their own team back.

This offseason, that approach has to change. Buffalo needs to find players outside of Kincaid and Shakir who can help Allen reach his full potential and take this team where it wants to go.

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —

More Buffalo Bills News:Empty heading

Published
Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.