01-22 Josh Allen

WBEN-AM / WBEN

1/23/2025

Josh Allen Press Conference in front of KC Game

Transcript

00:00Chiefs game here this time in the postseason.

00:03If things are going to be different this time around,

00:06what do you think you guys need to do

00:08in order to make things different this time

00:10around in the postseason?

00:11Yeah, I think, one, have a good week of practice,

00:14making sure that what we're putting into the game plan,

00:17guys are understanding it, and going out there

00:19and practicing hard.

00:21And then when we get on the field on Sunday, just

00:24trusting in the game plan, trusting in each other,

00:26and have fun playing the game.

00:28Coach, this whole Chiefs and Bills matchup

00:31kind of started with the 2020 championship game.

00:33What do you remember from that game itself?

00:36And there's been a lot between now and then with your team.

00:40You always remember the feeling of not pulling through.

00:45That sticks with you for a while,

00:46and it really doesn't leave.

00:49But again, I think every year that you

00:51go through in this league, you learn more things

00:53about yourself, about your team, about the game of football.

00:57We're just grateful and humbled to have another opportunity

01:00at it.

01:01It's another week that we get to play because really, there's

01:04only four teams playing right now.

01:06So we look at that, and we just love the opportunity

01:10that we have.

01:11Does this team take on the persona of the city?

01:14And if so, what does that mean?

01:16I think so.

01:18And it's kind of hard to put into words.

01:22But typically, when people think of Buffalo,

01:24they think of what's going on right now,

01:26the snow and the cold.

01:28And you've got to be pretty tough to be in a place like this.

01:32And we feel like we've got guys in this locker room that maybe

01:38haven't gotten all the recognition that they deserve.

01:41Coming here on their last leg maybe of their career

01:44and just coming here and trying to prove something to not just

01:48the world, but to themselves.

01:50And I think that's pretty cool and pretty special

01:51in this locker room.

01:52It's such a tight-knit group.

01:53We hang so much around each other outside of the facility

01:57and just a lot of love in this locker room,

01:59a lot of love in the city.

02:00You guys have done such a good job of a week like this.

02:02Say that again?

02:03What are the emotions of a week like this?

02:05Again, I think it's maybe changed

02:08since I've gotten in the league.

02:10Early on, it was maybe anxiousness and eagerness.

02:13And while that's maybe still there a little bit,

02:15but also gratefulness to be back in this situation of having

02:20a chance to play in the Super Bowl.

02:23But obviously, you had to go put in the work

02:25and not cheat it and put your best foot forward

02:29to give yourself a shot.

02:30Earlier, Sean talked about how your team and the Chiefs

02:35have both evolved over the years.

02:38To stay relevant, to stay in one of the heavyweights in the NFC,

02:41how have you seen the Chiefs change what they do?

02:46I think it's fairly similar to what

02:50I feel like we've adopted this year.

02:52Again, they control the ball extremely well.

02:56They don't make bad decisions.

02:57Obviously, Patrick is one of the greatest to ever play the game.

03:01And they're one of the greatest teams to ever be assembled,

03:04going for a three-peat.

03:05And that's what everybody wants to be in this league,

03:08is to have the sustained success that they've had.

03:11But again, they play great situational football.

03:16They understand when it's time to go

03:17and when it's time to fend off someone.

03:19So again, that's what we're aiming to be.

03:22You talked about being anxious back then.

03:25How much do you think all these experiences have helped

03:28you personally prepare for football?

03:30Maybe more prepared, as part of your development?

03:34Yeah, just understanding how the week's going to be,

03:36understanding the emotions and the feelings

03:38that you're going to feel throughout the week.

03:40When you're trying to sleep and that's all you can think about,

03:43because it is.

03:44It's all I think about right now,

03:46is just trying to put my best foot forward and win

03:49this football game.

03:50But at the same time, I've said this a few times

03:53throughout the year, of having to talk with Vaughn Miller

03:54before the year, and just being OK with whatever

03:57happens throughout the season.

03:59Sometimes the ball's going to roll the opposite way

04:02from you.

04:02Sometimes it's going to bounce into your arms,

04:04and just taking advantage of every opportunity that

04:07comes our way.

04:08And this is a fun game to play in.

04:11I'll tell you that.

04:12How big, Josh, does ball security

04:14become, especially in a game where

04:16you're facing a team that's kind of the mirror of yourself

04:18when it comes to maintaining the ball?

04:21Yeah, I think it's a huge, huge aspect of the game.

04:25And there was a stat throughout this last weekend

04:30where the teams that got out gained all still won the game,

04:34because they won the turnover margin.

04:36Maybe there wasn't one game, but that

04:41shows the importance of how much each and every drive matters

04:45in the playoffs.

04:46And that's something that I feel like I've

04:47learned throughout the years, is just

04:49making sure that, especially in the first and second quarter,

04:52let's not do anything to hurt ourselves,

04:54give ourselves a chance in the third or fourth.

04:56And that's no different than now.

04:59And again, we've just got to have a good week of practice.

05:02And it's going to come down to who executes on Sunday.

05:04Josh, how do you share?

05:05Josh, going off that, in the last drive

05:07in the fourth quarter, three minutes to go, third down,

05:10you get stopped.

05:11There looked like there was a moment where you thought

05:13you were laddering the ball back to James Cook.

05:17Did that go through your head?

05:18No.

05:21Would a young Josh Allen have done that?

05:23He would have done it, yes.

05:25It may have crossed the mind, but yeah, I didn't do it.

05:29What's the thought process in that moment when you're like,

05:32should I pitch a straight out?

05:34I mean, there's a lot that goes through your mind

05:36in such a short amount of time.

05:38I felt like I was kind of being held up for five seconds,

05:41where I looked at him, and I saw him in position,

05:43knew how far he was away.

05:45Also felt someone to the right with his hand

05:47kind of in the window where I would have to pitch it.

05:51And just, yeah, the good guy won over here, so.

05:56Josh, where does your leadership come from?

06:00I think maybe just the approach to the game that I have,

06:03and making sure that I'm, again, spending as much time

06:07in the facility as I can, and hanging with the guys

06:10as much as I can.

06:11But at the same time, being as level-headed in myself

06:14that I can be.

06:14And I think that's the most important thing

06:17that you can be as a leader, is yourself.

06:18And that's all I try to be.

06:20Josh, you talked about the balancing act of your mindset

06:23and acknowledging the moment, but not letting it overtake you.

06:25How do you kind of share that with some of your younger

06:28teammates, who this is the biggest stage they

06:29will have played in?

06:31I think just making sure that they understand

06:34that this doesn't happen all the time for every team,

06:37of being in a moment like this.

06:39There's a lot of guys that have played

06:40a lot of years in this league that have never

06:42played in the playoffs, let alone in the AFC championship

06:45game, and making sure that they're

06:48enjoying the moment as well.

06:49I think you can get very consumed into this.

06:54But at the end of the day, we're playing football.

06:56It's the same kids game that I grew up loving.

07:00And I'm just very, again, grateful to be here.

07:03Josh, let's get a comment about Bill's fans rallying

07:05in support of Mark Andrews after some

07:07of the harsh criticism he's gotten over what happened.

07:10Yeah, I think that speaks volumes

07:12of what Bill's Mafia in Western New York is all about.

07:15And I think that time and time again,

07:17they continue to show how awesome they are.

07:20And I think it should be, every fan base

07:23should be envious of what Bill's Mafia has.

07:25And the love and support that we get from them is second to none.

07:31So yeah, it's a spectacular place to be.

07:33I'll tell you that.

07:35Can sometimes be a good thing.

07:37But I wonder, is it sometimes a bad thing?

07:38Does it sometimes become like, I don't know,

07:41maybe you're trying to overthink things,

07:43because you know you guys have played them so often.

07:45How do you approach playing a team

07:46that you've played more than anybody else?

07:48Yeah, I mean, I think it's like a division game.

07:52I feel like we've played them just as much as we've

07:54played the guys in our division.

07:57And with that comes familiarity, new wrinkles here and there

08:03throughout the game.

08:04They know who we are, we know who they are.

08:08And it literally just comes down to who executes well on Sunday.

08:14We can put all these plays in and expect one thing,

08:16and they can throw a wrinkle and do something

08:18completely different and vice versa.

08:19So again, just trust your rules, trust the guys on the field,

08:23and just play football.

Category

Transcript

Recommended