Josh Allen's elbow injury was a hot topic shortly after he sustained it in Week 9, but over time, it faded into the background.
Allen said Monday that the discomfort associated with the ailment followed a similar progression, explaining he felt he was possibly "trying to throw it a little differently mechanically" until a couple of weeks ago. Most importantly, it appears he won't need offseason surgery to address the issue.
"We don't think an operation is necessary at this time. Obviously rest and recovery is going to be really good for it," Allen said, via the team's official site.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott echoed Allen on Monday, telling reporters the quarterback's elbow needed more attention initially but eventually it wasn't a concern. What was concerning to McDermott upon reviewing Sunday's Divisional Round loss to Cincinnati was the performance of Buffalo's players up front on both sides of the ball.
After producing at a premier level in pass-rushing, Buffalo's defensive front failed to pressure Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow enough to make a difference in Sunday's game. Burrow completed 23 of 36 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, and was sacked just one time in the game. The Bills generated a QB pressure percentage of just 21.6, per Next Gen Stats, which paled in comparison to Cincinnati's rate of 39.5 percent when rushing Allen.
It doesn't take an expert or advanced metrics to identify where the Bengals won Sunday -- in the trenches. McDermott acknowledged as much Monday.
"We've got to look at that," McDermott said of the play of his team's offensive and defensive lines.
Buffalo will have an entire offseason to determine how it will improve up front. That offseason began Monday, weeks earlier than the Bills expected.
